"Fling" could be a tee-name. Tee-names are bestowed on families with common names to distinguish the different families. Of course it might just be an ordinary nickname.
Ardmeallie House (modern spelling) is about half a mile north-west of Bridge of Marnoch. Go to
www.streetmap.co.uk and search for Ardmeallie to see where it is. Then zoom in and you will see a little pink square above the 'd' of Ardmeallie. This is North Mains. It isn't labelled on the Ordnance Survey Landranger/streetmap 1:50,000 series, but it is on the 1:25,000 Explorer. You can also find it at
www.old-maps.co.uk by searching for grid reference 358682,850758.
As for clans, forget it. Most Scots have no clan affiliation. Although there were clan-held territories in Aberdeenshire and Banffshire, it isn't clan heartland and someone named Smith probably had no connection to any clan.
There was never any obligation to change one's surname, though many people involved in the Jacobite Risings of 1715, 1719 and especially 1745/6 did change their surnames to avoid persecution afterwards.
Smith is an occupational name, so it probably tells you that around the time when surnames were evolving your man had an ancestor who was a (black)smith.
The Gaelic for 'smith' is 'gobha', whence the surname Gow. There is a Smith/Gow tartan (like all contemporary tartans, it's a relatively modern design; there are next to no designs known to date back beyond 1745) so if you like it, and want to wear a tartan, go ahead. If you don't like it, just pick one you do like and enjoy it. There are no laws about wearing tartan.
HTH
Forfarian
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Topic: 'Fling'? (Read 3255 times)