Thanks, everyone. Here’s more detail as requested.
Baptisms of Alexander and Sarah/Marion’s children, all at Drimnin St Columba’s RC, possibly under employer influence from the Drummonds.
MCINTYN DUNCAN to ALEXANDER MCINTYN/SARA MCPHERSON
birth 5/3/1847 / baptism 7/3/1847
MACINTYRE JOHN to ALEXANDER MACINTYRE/MARION MACPHERSON
baptism 18/6/1851
MACINTYRE MARY MARGARET to ALEXR MACINTYRE/MARION MACHERSON
baptism 2/7/1854
MACINTYRE FLORA to ALEXR MACINTYRE/MARION MACPHERSON
baptism 7/6/1858
In the 1851 census, the family is at Aulisten, Morvern – Alexander, Sarah and a 2 year old son, Colin. Not sure if this is another child or Duncan with a different age and name as there’s fluidity of both in the records.
In the 1861 census, they’re at Kirktown, Muckairn - Colin, 11, John 9, Margaret 7, and Flora, my g grandmother, 3.
In 1864, John, aged 15, dies in the Infirmary in Inverness – death cert gives parents as Alexander and Sarah MS McPherson and cause of death smallpox
In 1871, Alexander, Sarah, Colin and Flora are in Oban
In 1874, Sarah dies in Oban - death cert gives husband as Alexander and parents as Malcolm McPherson, inn keeper, and Flora McPherson MS Black and cause of death consumption
In 1881, Alexander, Colin and Flora are in Oban,
In 1891, Colin and Flora are in Oban, with George Davidson, my g grandfather as a boarder
In 1898, Colin dies, having been badly burnt in a fishing boat accident
In 1901, Flora dies, never having married George but having a handful of children with him, including George, my grandfather. Not to get sidetracked but Flora appears to have been in and out of Inverary Jail from the late 1870s onwards.
So the mysteries are:
1. Alexander’s death – I’ve now looked at all SP death certs that could be in scope and ruled them out, hence my thought that he died outside Scotland
2. Mary Margaret, who I can’t trace with any certainty after 1861, though there’s an 1871 Oban census entry for a Margaret McIntyre, a 16 year old servant in Oban which could be her
3. Duncan/Colin – are these definitely two separate sons? Duncan isn’t documented with the family after his birth and I can’t find a baptism record for Colin or a death record for Duncan.