Robert Mclean born 1846 Rothesay

[tatt1994]

Haven't been able to find a birth certificate or a record of his parents wedding and his parents deaths. However according to various censuses he was born in Rothesay about 1846/7 and his parents were Donald McLean and Margeret Campbell according to his wedding certificate.

He's recorded as living in Rothesay with his uncle (1851) or grandparents (1861) and grandparents seems most likely.

Can anyone help?

[Little Nell]

The only Robert McLean that I have found of the right age and living in Rothesay in 1851 is shown as born in Argyllshire, not Bute or Rothesay. 

Or have I got the wrong one? 

Nell

[Rosinish]

Hi Tatt,

When/where was Robert married, what was his occupation & who were the witnesses?

Which uncle & grandparents (surnames please) was he with in 1851 & 1861 with any other details which can be added to help?

Do you have any siblings for Robert?

Found this....https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XBK1-4NY

A Robert Ferguson b 08 Dec 1847 Glassary, Argyll with mother Margaret Campbell.

Could she have been widowed & remarried or lived with Donald MacLean & Robert took his surname?

Have you found Margaret with Donald on any census?

Annie

[tatt1994]

Robert was living with Allan and  Isabella McLean, Mary, Donald and Ann in 1851 in Rothesay. Although recorded as born on Coll in that census all other censuses say he was born at Rothesay. The family moved to Glasgow before 1861. In 1870 Robert married Sarah Graham. The wedding certificate has Robert's parents as Donald McLean and Margaret McLean, maiden name Campbell, witnesses Andrew Alexander and Margaret Hope. Margaret was Sarah's mother, she had remarried after Sarah's father died. I'm not good at reading old handwriting but Margaret's maiden name was something like Fairley.

I have no siblings for Robert and no indication that he ever lived with his mother. Donald was not living with his parents on Coll in 1841 but a Donald McLean was living in Rothesay in the same street as a Margaret Campbell

[Little Nell]

Allan & Isabella McLean in Rothesay in 1851 and Glasgow in 1861 are the parents of Donald McLean b 1823 and the grandparents of Robert McLean b 1847.

However, Donald is shown as unmarried on both these census.  Can't find him in 1871 for certain.  So perhaps he didn't marry Margaret. 

Nell

[tatt1994]

Haven't come across any other illegitimate children, the family always seem to be married before children are born, so I've been assuming that Margaret died in or shortly after childbirth and that's why Donald is shown as single. The wedding certificate doesnt give Margaret as deceased though. However it has been suggested to me that Donald and Margaret may have been handfasted instead. It was a time of turmoil for the local churches so records could have been lost or they may not have married.

Until I obtained the wedding certificate I'd thought Robert was probably an illegitimate  child of one of the daughters.

[tatt1994]

By looking at the record of Robert's second marriage I have discovered Margaret Campbell was still alive in 1885, although Donald McLean is recorded as deceased. Margaret is recorded as remarried to a McTaggart.

Robert probably believed his parents to have been married but something funny was going on.

[Rosinish]

Margaret's marriage to Mr McTaggart should confirm her status whether previously married/widowed/single.

Annie

[tatt1994]

Yes  unfortunately I cannot find any likely record of a Margaret Campbell or a Margaret McLean having married a McTaggart.