James McKellar

[JimMcL]

Hi Monica

James went on the steamtug Robert Bruce in 1853 and was doing salvage and towing on the Clyde and Scottish coast. Late 1850s he moved to Queenstown in Co. Cork and was rescuing ships on the Irish coast until at least 1864. Daughter Helen met a coastguard named George Jones there and they married on 3/6/1860. On the marriage record Helen's father was James McKellar, Captain of the Robert Bruce. They had their only child on 6/3/1861, Annabella Gillies Jones. They moved to Kilkeel Co. Down where Annabella married coastguard James Scott McClaughlin in 1877, and then to Belfast. The Belfast censuses have Helen Jones born Greenock.

From 1870 the Robert Bruce was registered at Cardiff and in 1871 James was back in Greenock on the tugs Eliza and Rover so the family would not be on the Scottish 1861 census. As James' 1871 census was on the tugs, it doesn't show Isabella's whereabouts, or even if she was alive.
Isabella McKellar who died 2/9/1884 had never married, Isabella McKellar 18/1/1894 was the widow of Archibald McKellar.

Helen was the only child of James and Isabella on the 1851 census and she was 10 so she probably was the only one, I haven't found any other.

It did cross my mind that Isabella Gillies had died and James had married again to Jane Anderson, but his age is about seven years out and it would be about twenty six years after the first marriage. There is also no sign of the granddaughters Margaret and Elizabeth mentioned in the will, they would have been sisters to Helen. Anything's possible though.

All the best

Jim
(James Scott McLaughlin)

[denisefm]

Hoping you are still on this forum, Jim.  I'd be interested to know where you obtained the military information about Duncan McKellar, founder of the McKellar shipping company. Duncan McKellar, 1791, was the brother of my 3xgreat grandfather.

The information you have provided is extremely interesting and I would like to be able to find a way to obtain similar military information from the same period for other family members. 

Dee

[Forfarian]

I'd be interested to know where you obtained the military information about Duncan McKellar, founder of the McKellar shipping company.

Can you clarify please?

The only Duncan previously mentioned in this thread is Duncan Clark, husband of Isabella McKellar, and none of the information in the thread appears to be of military origin - James McKellar seems to have been a civilian throughout his career.

The Wikipedia article on Duncan MacKellar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_Mackellar does not contain any suggestion that he ever served in the Royal Navy or the Army either, in which case there will not be any military records of his career.

[JimMcL]

The info I have does not contain any military connection.
               James McKellar was born on the twenty fourth of June 1817 in the town of Gourock on the River Clyde. He married Isabella Shearer on 9/4/1839 at Greenock Middle Church, Renfrewshire but Isabella must have died shortly after as he married again to Isaaca Robert on 19/1/1848 at Greenock Old or West.

 

                In 1851 James was at 43, Hamilton Street, Greenock with Isaac, daughter Helen and his father, also James aged 57 widower. Helen is entered as Helen MacKay, aged 10, daughter of James McKellar, born Greenock.

 

                There is no record of a birth for Helen/Ellen McKellar c1840 in Greenock, but on the 1841 census there is a Helen McKay aged 5 months, daughter of Angus and Lucy McKay living in Hamilton Street. It is quite possible that something happened to Angus and Lucy and Helen was adopted by James and Isabella, or James and Isaaca. Angus and Lucy do not appear on any census return after 1841. Before 1930 adoption was done on a very informal basis and no records were kept.

 

                I can’t find a marriage record for Angus and Lucy or birth record for Helen McKay, so regrettably this has become a ‘brick wall’, but nevertheless, some of  the information gleaned so far does paint a picture of Helen’s life.

 

James senior married Isobel (Isabella) Gillies on 25th January 1813 in Glasgow and on the marriage entry James is described as a boatman in Gourock. In 1848 the parish marriage entry for James McKellar and Isaaca Robert reads ‘James McKellar shipmaster, son of James McKellar steamboat Master Greenock and Isaaca Robert daughter of Thomas Robert, mariner’. Around 1859, James senior, James and Isaaca, and daughter Helen all moved to Queenstown, Co. Cork, Ireland.

 

Before 1855 deaths in Scotland were seldom registered.

 

Isabella Gillies died in Scotland prior to 1851 and her death wasn’t registered.

 

Isabella Shearer died in Scotland prior to 1848 and her death wasn’t registered.

 

Isaac Roberts Kellar, female, died at Queenstown, Cork aged 50 on 22/6/1867. Wife of a captain of a steamer living at 4, Church Street, Queenstown. Informant Ellen Jones of same address. (Helen/Ellen McKellar)

 

James McKellar senior died at Queenstown, Cork aged 75 on 15/1/1868. Late captain of a tugboat. Address 13, Harbour View. Informant Mary Ann Hughes of 14, Fish Street, Cork.

 

The tugboat Robert Bruce sank in 1866 in Liverpool and with Isaaca passing away in 1867, his father in 1868, and Helen married, James returned to Greenock.

 

James McKellar, tugboatman, died on 3/7/1876 at Gourock Infirmary of apoplexy aged 59.

Rgds

Jim

[MonicaL]

Siblings:
William McKellar b. 3/6/1821, bap. 22/6/1821 Inverkip, Renfrew, parents James McKellar and Isabella Gillies.
Peter McKellar b.28/4/1823 bap. 2/5/1823 Inverkip, parents James McKellar and Isabella Gillies.
Margaret McKellar b. 19/6/1825 bap. 10/7/1825. Greenock, parents James McKellar and Isabella Gillies.
Janet McKellar b. 21/3/1827 bap. 15/4/1827 Greenock, parents James McKellar and Isabella Gillies.
Likely to be other births for James and Isabella between marriage in 1813 and 1820.

Just wanted to add another sibling to your list, David McKellar who died in 1913 in Greenock at the age of 84. He was a deep sea pilot and married twice (Jane Patteson and Catherine Thomson). Doesn't help with solving the puzzles you still have but just extending the family 

Monica

[MonicaL]

And one more...Jane McKellar, wife of a Robert Chambers, who died at the age of 55 in 1872 in Greenock.

Monica

[denisefm]

Sorry JimMcL and Forforain,  I've obviously put my question on the wrong thread about Duncan McKellar.  I'll find the correct one and repost.