John McGregor and Mary Fisher from Balquhidder

[Skoosh]

Very interesting John!

Skoosh.

[argyllshiregirl]

Hi John,

This message thread is a few years old but I thought I might reply anyway. You mentioned Hugh McGregor and Mary Houston who married in Balquhidder. I am their 3x great granddaughter. My name, Mary traces all the way back to Mary Houston.

[John Andrew Hutchison]

Hi Mary,

I have discovered a little bit more since my last post.

I mentioned a tree can be constructed from Amelia's History, and one from the parish registers, but there was a gap of a few generations between them. There's a grave for the family of John McLaren of Lednascriden, which details his descent, and his wife's descent;
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/184593293/janet-maclaurin
I can't find a baptism for his wife Janet around 1747, but the only Hugh having children around then was the father of Robert and John of Auchtubh. Her descent fills in the gap between the trees, which becomes;

Alistair ~1540 d. ~ 1598 m. Margaret Stewart
|-1-Duncan ~1570 (hanged 1604)
|-1-Neil ~1570 (hanged 1603)
'-1-Ewen (the eldest brother) ~1570
    |-2-John Dow ~1600
    '-2-Kallum in Culchra ~1600
        '-3-John ~1630
            Maybe John in Easter Achtow who died 1687
            Maybe John of Auchtownmore from the Maclaurin Stone
            '-4-Duncan ~1660 (according to the Maclaurin Stone)
                '-5-Hugh b ~1701, d ~1778 (according to Amelia)
                    |-6-Robert Wester Auchtoo bap 8/2/1742
                    |-6-John Auchtoomor bap 25/10/1746
                    '-6-Janet wife of John MacLaurin of Lechscridan, 1747-1797 (according to the Maclaurin Stone)

There are also two documents from around 1787, one is the election of the Clan Gregor Chief, which has;

Robert;;Achtowmore; (Perthshire);
John;;Achtowmore; (Perthshire);
John;;Achtowmore; (Perthshire);
Hugh;;Achtowmore; (Perthshire);
John;;Achtowmore; (Perthshire);

The other is a list of Clan Gregor fathers and sons by family, which has (*I've added the baptism record in brackets);

Robert in Achtowmore
James 1
(1785 Robert/Margaret McLaren James Wester Auchtan [tou?] Balquhidder)

John in Achtowmore
Hugh 1
(1782 John/Mary Fisher Hugh Easter Auchtowhead? Balquhidder)

Hugh in Achtowmore
John 1
(1764 Hugh Drummond/Jannet McIntyre John Auchtowmore Balquhidder)

They are all listed as McGregor's Family, (the other families are Dougal Keer, Brackly, and Roro). I guess by McGregor's Family they mean Puidrac.

John.

[argyllshiregirl]

Hello John and thank you again. You have done an awful lot of work on the McGregors!!
My goodness - I got stuck on the 'hanged' part. Is this telling me that it was my particular branch of McGregors who were responsible for the entire proscription program?
Would you have all of this fantastic information in tree form somewhere? I am struggling just a bit to grasp the (assumed) lineage of these people. Such wonderfully helpful information and I want to understand it fully.
Many thanks again!
Mary

[John Andrew Hutchison]

Hi Mary,

The whole clan were considered responsible for Glen Fruin, and so they were all proscribed, which gives a handy McGregor census in the declaration. Amelia MacGregor's History suggests the Puidrac family were amongst the leaders;
1603 - Neill McGregour pudrach, dilaitit of airt, [accused of causing], and pairt of the slauchter of four men that assistit the Laird of Luise, [Alexander Colquhoun of Luss], at the field of ye Lennox, [Glen Fruin]... Sentenced to be hanged on the Burrow muir.
1604 - Duncane McAllester Pudriche in Achatue, [Auchtubh, Balquhidder], was hung and quartered at the Cross of Edinburgh, together with the clan chief, Allaster MacGregor of Glenstra, and three other chieftains.
And before Glen Fruin Duncan had signed the bond to Archibald Campbell, 7th Earl of Argyll, in 1601;
Duncane McAllaster pudryche, for himself and all come and to come of umquhile Allaster pudryche his father.

According to Amelia, Alexander Pudrach MacGregor was in trouble before that, proscribed for the murder of John Drummond of Drummondernoch in 1589. Elsewhere she says Robert's great grandfather by his father's side was a son of the daughter of the Lady Ardvorlich, sister of Drummond Earnach, the Forester of Glenartney. So, if the tree above is correct, Robert's great grandfather was John[3], son of Kallum[2], who was the son-in-law of the Lady Ardvorlich, and grandson of Alexander. Amelia also says the family claimed to have had nothing to do with the murder.

The family are also on the 1649 "decreit contra the McGregors and utheris" for causing "...Much disquieted and disturbed, and manie thiftes, murthers, wronges, oppressions, burnings and depredations have been done and committed by the rebellious insolencies, outbreakings, ryseing in armes and wicked practises of Highlanders, Islesmen and uther disaffected persones...";
John McEwin VcAlaster phudrach in [] sonne to Kallum McGregor in Culchra.
John dow McAlaster pudrach in [].

In terms of a tree, following on from what I think is the tree above, I think this is what the Parish Registers suggest;

5-Hugh b ~1701, d ~1778 (according to Amelia)
  Married Janet McGregor 1734 Balquhidder
  |-6-John bap 1736 Easter Achtow
  |-6-Duncan bap 1738 [or 1735] Easter Auchtow
  |-6-Margaret bap 1739 Easter Achtow
  |-6-Robert bap 1742 Wester Auchtoo
  |-6-John bap 1746 Auchtoomor d ~1800
  |-6-Janet bap ~1747 wife of John McLaren of Lednascriden
  |-6-Duncan bap 1749 Auchtowmore
  |-6-Alexander bap 1750 Achtow
  |-6-Alexander bap 1753 Auchtowmore
  '-6-Donald bap 1755 Achtow

6-Robert bap 1742 Wester Auchtoo
  Married Margaret McLaren 1774 Balquhidder
  |-7-Hugh bap 1775 Easter Auchtoo
  |-7-Janet bap 1777 Achtowmore
  |   Clandestine marriage to John McGregor 1798*
  |   |-8-Janet bap 1800 Easter Achtu
  |   |-8-Hugh bap 1802 Easter Achtu
  |   |-8-John bap 1804 Easter Achtu
  |   |   '-9-James + Margaret twins 1832 to John Auchlestinkine and Janet McGregor Auchtow
  |   |       Janet pos. daur of Gregor and Isobel Stewart bap 1796 Gartnafuaran
  |   |       Her mother's parents James and Margaret Stewarts
  |   |       Or pos. daur of John and Ann Robertson bap 1813 Auchtow
  |   |-8-Robert bap 1807 Middle Achtu
  |   |-8-Janet bap 1810 Middle Achtou
  |   |-8-Margaret bap 1813 Achtu
  |   '-8-Duncan bap 1819 Auchleskine
  |-7-Mary bap 1779 Auchlone
  |-7-John bap 1781 Auchtowmore
  |-7-Margaret bap 1783 Auchtowmore
  |-7-James bap 1785 Wester Auchtan
  |-7-Elizabeth bap 1787 Auchtowmore
  '-7-James bap 1788

[Continued]

[John Andrew Hutchison]

6-John bap 1746 Auchtoomor d ~1800
  Married Mary Fisher 1778 Balquhidder
  pos. daur of Patrick Fisher and Christian Mclaren bap 1756 Balquhidder
  |-7-Janet bap 1779 Auchtoumore
  |-7-Christian bap 1780 Auchtaramore
  |-7-Hugh bap 1782 Easter Auchtowhead
  |-7-Margaret bap 1785 Achtoumore
  |-7-Jean bap 1786 Auchlarmore
  |-7-Patrick bap 1789 Auchtumore
  |-7-Bettridge bap 1793 Auchtowmore
  |-7-Mary bap 1795 Achtumore
  |-7-Kathrine bap 1797 Liascridan
  '-7-Joanna bap 1800 Lidenscridan [John lately deceased]

The list of fathers and sons from around 1787 says Robert[6] and John[6] above were the same family as;

1755 Hugh ban Drmmond/...McIntyre Janet Auchtowmore
1759 Hugh Dummond/Janet McIntyre Betterage Easter Auchtow
1761 Hugh Drummond/Janet McIntyre Margaret Auchtowmore
1764 Hugh Drummond/Jannet McIntyre John Auchtowmore
1765 Hugh Baan McGregor f with McLias in Dunc Stewart's shieling in Corrarb[cf 1763] [Robert McNie's daughter]
1769 Hugh Bane Drummond/Janet McIntyre Christian Auchtowmore

I'm not sure where Hugh Ban fits into the tree, probably a cousin. His son John baptised 1764 is a good candidate for the husband of Janet above, bap 1777 Achtowmore, clandestine marriage to John McGregor 1798*. Betterage baptised 1759 is most likely the Betterage McGregor who married Malcom Fisher 1780 in Balquhidder, and who is buried with her husband;
Betsy McGregor d. 11.9.1793 aged 33, h. Malcom Fisher 7.4.1837 86, by s Peter Fisher feuar Strathyre.

The Statistics of the Annexed Estates 1755-56 for E. Achtow has;
Hugh Drummond Snr
Hugh Drummond Jnr
Hugh B. Drummond

Hugh Ban is above, Hugh Snr is most likely Hugh[5] above, Hugh Jnr is most likely;
1754 Hugh Drummond younger/Margaret McLaren Alexander Achtow f
1757 Hugh Drummond/Mary McLaren John Auchtowmore
1759 Hugh Drummond/Mary McLaren Duncan Easter Achtow
1761 Hugh Drummond/Mary McLaren Hugh Easter Achtow
1763 Hugh Drummond/Mary McLaren Christian Easter Achtow
1764 Hugh Drummond/Mary McLaren Patrick Achtowmore

This Hugh is not mentioned in 1787. He may not be family, but the younger/junior and location suggest he is. Maybe he is the eldest son of Hugh[5], maybe from before his marriage to Janet McGregor in 1734.

John.

[argyllshiregirl]

Thank you, John. You are an absolute wealth of information regarding these McGregors of mine. My Mum was Hugh McGregor's (1802 - 1874) great great granddaughter. Born in South Knapdale, Argyll and passed away 5 months ago here in Canada at age 93, the longest lived McGregor female I've come across yet. She was the farthest thing from these wild ancestors although she had a stubborn steak that came out once in a while.
Great information and I am very pleased to have it.
Mary

[John Andrew Hutchison]

Oh, yes, I missed off;

8-Hugh bap 1802 Easter Achtu
  Married Mary Hustin [Austin] 1832
  |-9-John bap 1834 Village of Strathire
  |-9-James bap 1835 Village of Strathire
  '-9-Robert bap 1836 Rusgachan

I also have a record of him on the Transcript of the 1832 Electoral Roll for the Parish of Balquhidder;
Hugh M’Gregor , tenant , farm , east part of East Auchleskine

And the South Knapdale census records for him and his brother Duncan.

[argyllshiregirl]

You're correct. My line ends up in Argyll circa 1830 when Hugh McGregor takes a job as a farm manager/overseer for Campbell owned properties. He brings his wife Mary (Houstin, Hustin, Austin - I wish knew which!) and their 3 eldest sons, John, James and Robert. Nine more children are born - Mary, Ann, Janet, Peter, Hugh, 2 Joshuas (yes two!), Duncan and my 2x great grandfather, Dugald Campbell McGregor. The family was first at Southend, Argyll then at 2 different farms in Knapdale - Inverneill and Taynish. Dugald was born at Taynish in 1849.

Mary