Parish registers lookup please Mcgregor/McGrigor and Clark

[marybeth44]

Hi, I would really appreciate some help please.

I am looking for a marriage between Duncan McGregor/McGrigor and Kat. Clark
prior to 1776

I have a baptism for their 1st son Alexander in 1776 b. Auchlyne bapt. Killin.
also for their 4th son Duncan also b. Auchlyne 1786 bapt. Killin

I cannot find a marriage for these two or births and parents.

Thanking you in anticipation,

Marybeth44

[John Andrew Hutchison]

Hi,

As a guess I'd say Cathrine Clerk could be the one born/baptised 2 May 1758/9 May 1758 in Kenmore, the child of Donald Clerk and Cathrine McLaren. This is based on her possible age given by the date range of her children's baptisms, the location, and the names of her children. I have this for her family;

1776 Duncan/Kat Clark Alexander Achlyne Killin
1778 Duncan/Katharine Clark John Achlyne Killin
1781 Duncan/Kat Clark Donald Achlyne Killin
1786 Duncan/Kat Clark Duncan Achlyne Killin
1788 Duncan/Kat Clark Hugh Edra(u)nnoch Killin [Edramucky]
1791 Duncan/Kat Clark Patrick Croftihoise Killin
1795 Duncan/Kathrine Clerk Katharine Lots of Dalveich Balquhidder
1798 Duncan/Kathrine Clark Christian Dalveich Balquhidder

The last record isn't in the parish transcripts on the Clan Gregor website, but it is in the register, whereas the Clan Gregor transcripts have 1805 Duncan/Catherine Clarke Catherine Balquhidder, but I can't find that in the registers.

Duncan married Henrietta Ferguson and lived in Brig o'Turk, Callander. Hugh is probably the Hugh who married Christian or Kat McNaughtan of Dalegirdy, (I don't know where in killin this refers to). Patrick married Christian Dickson and lived in Greenock. Katherine married John Fielding, (or Fielden, or Feldon), and lived in Greenock. Christian married John Stewart and lived in Bridgend, Callander.

I hope this helps,

John.

[marybeth44]

Hi John,

Many thanks for your research and the information you posted for me.

I did wonder if Kat Clark's  father was a John but your date is more likely.

Thank you once again.

Marybeth 44

[John Andrew Hutchison]

Hi,

It's just a guess. I looked at the IGI for Perthshire between 1748 and 1761, and this was the only one with a reasonable date where both parents matched her children's names. But the IGI isn't a complete record, and she may not have called her kids after her parents. Here are all the results;

Katharine Clark 10 January 1748 KILLIN, PERTH, SCOTLAND Donald Clark/Katharine Stuart
Cathr. Clerk 1 April 1748/10 April 1748   CULROSS, PERTH, SCOTLAND George Clerk/Margt. Ronald
Kathrine Clark 15 April 1750/22 April 1750 PERTH, PERTH, SCOTLAND John Clark/Janet Red
Katharine Clark 3 September 1754 KILLIN, PERTH, SCOTLAND Donald Clark/Janet Mcilglass
Katharine Clerk 24 April 1755 BALQUHIDDER, PERTH, SCOTLAND Finlay Clerk/Nclaren
Katharine Clark 27 September 1756 KILLIN, PERTH, SCOTLAND Donald Clark/Janet Mciver
Catharine Clark 9 October 1756/13 October 1756 CALLANDER, PERTH, SCOTLAND Donald Clark/Janet Mcfarlane
Cathrine Clerk 5 November 1757/1 December 1757 KENMORE, PERTH, SCOTLAND Finlay Clerk/Cathrine Cameron
Cathrine Clerk 2 May 1758/9 May 1758 KENMORE, PERTH, SCOTLAND Donald Clerk/Cathrine Mc Laren

John.

[marybeth44]

Thank you again John!

I agree that Kathrine of Kenmore sounds the most reasonable, the others though they have the right names for the fathers, mostly have Janet for the mother.

This McGregor family seem to keep to the Scottish naming pattern.

I think this site is great and the people are so helpful.

your research is much appreciated.

Marybeth

[John Andrew Hutchison]

Hi Marybeth,

I've noticed something about the families in the area at that time with a son called Alexander, for around half of them it was their first born son. Alexander means protector of men, and several medieval kings were called Alexander, so I wonder if it was being used like Adam was by the Victorian English, a traditional name for the first born male. Or maybe it was a traditional first born name for a particular sept of clan Gregor. The reason I mention it is because the family doesn't quite fit the highland naming tradition, but if Alexander was part of something else then it does, with John and Donald being the grandparents, Duncan the father, Katharine and Christian the grandparents and mother.

I've also noticed that the families sometimes deviate from the naming tradition when the parents have a sibling who died young, that name usually gets the priority. So maybe Alexander, John, or Donald was a sibling.

John.

[marybeth44]

Hi John,

That's very interesting, i've just checked son Duncan's children....no Alexander.

He married Henrietta Isabella Fergusson and they had
Duncan
Margaret
Peter, our ancestor.
Janet
Robert
Isabella

Peter married Mary McGibbon (Malone), she was apparently Irish and brought to Scotland age 3 by the McGibbons and used that name.  We really don't have any more information except that she was born in County Clare and was RC. They had a daughter Catherine (Catherine Mcpherson MacGibbon was her adopted mother) in Scotland then came to Australia.  Their other children were Margaret
Robert
Thomas
Ellen
Henrietta Isabella
Peter ours,
Duncan John
Donald
Mary Anne Bridget
Catherine Janet 1886   The first Catherine died in 1884.

Peter named his two children  Janet Mary Alice (Alice for his wife) and Alexander Duncan John

Sorry about all the detail, but maybe you can see a clue there.  Duncan and John seems to occur in each generation

Thanks again for your interest.

Mary

[John Andrew Hutchison]

Hi Mary,

If it helps the children of Peter and Christian Dickson, (that I know of), were;
Robert Lyle
John
Catherine Clark
William Lyle

Other MacGregors who lived at Auchlyne around the same time were;
1759 Duncan/Janet Cameron Elizabeth Auchlyne
1774 Alex/Jean Donald or Ronald Achlyne Killin

The first record could be the same Duncan who married Kathrine Clark, but I doubt is as there is a big gap between 1759 and 1776, and Duncan was a common name in the area.

The second is most likely the same couple who later lived in Balquhidder. They either had another son called Ronald, or most likely re-baptised their son following an official wedding. Their full family was;
1776 Alexander/Jean Ronald Kirkton Balquhidder
1777 Alexander/Jean John Kirktown of Balquhidder
1780 Alexander/Jean Mary Kirktown Balquhidder
1782 Alexander/Jean Janet Rishle? Balquhidder

Jean was the daughter of Rob Roy's son Ranald. According to Amelia's history of the clan, Alexander was from Rannoch. They may be the same couple with this wedding in both Balquhidder and Comrie parish;
1775 Alexander + Janet [Comrie/Breas of Balquhidder]

If so, Alexander from Rannoch lived in Comrie parish. Interestingly, the lots of Dalveich, where Duncan and Kathrine Clark ended up, could be considered to be in Comrie parish.

However, Auchlyne was a hamlet and estate as well as a farm, so the two families may not have lived in the same building, and so they may not be linked.

John.

[marybeth44]

Hi John,

Many thanks again for the research.

I downloaded the clan Gregor history by Amelia MacGregor.  These are my husbands ancestors and I was interested to read on the Clan Gregor website that the proscription only ended in 1774 probably around the time Duncan and Kat were married, so maybe he was known under another name til then?

I wonder if Alexander was a brother but of course that is just a thought. 

My husband's mother who was Janet McGregor always maintained that they were connected to Rob Roy.  Her father Peter was born in 1874 so was a bit nearer that time.

Can you tell me why some name are spelt with the Mac and others like ours are Mc.  also in the Clan Gregor history it uses terms such as VcGregor  and neyn, what do they mean?

I find the history interesting because I recognize names in my own family history.  My mother was a Shaw but her Grandmother a Horsburgh.  One of the Horsburghs married Christian Stewart d/o William of Traquair and Christian Hay, and so goes back through some of the families named.

Sorry to have gone on a bit!!!!

Thank you again,

Marybeth