McFarlane of Aberfoyle, Buchanan, Port of Menteith aliased McKerracher

[Kmaleski]

Hi all,

I am indexing all of the McKercher/McKerracher families over at https://www.mckercher.org

I am doing so to map out and relate the families in order reconstruct trees and to determine possible linkages to the loosely documented origins from Braemar Farquharsons.

The McKerchers appear in 3 main groups.

1) Glenlyon/Loch Tay - Fortingall/Kenmore/Killin/Weem
2) Grandtully - Logierait/Dull
3) Aberfoyle/Buchanan/Port of Menteith

In regards to 3), there are number of early records and very few later records.
I was trying to determine why.

It appears that these McKercher/McKerracher aliased as McFarlane.  They appear as McKercher pre 1750 and then finalize their names as McFarlane or in a few cases retain McKercher.

A significant number of personal family trees on Ancestry etc. are in error as this is not known.

Has any researcher on here seen any documentation of this alias in any of the literature?

While I have seen and documented aliases used in Breadalbane, I am not familiar with those used in these 3 parishes.

Best example:

Walter McKerracher married Mary Swan in 1788 in Aberfoyle.  Some of his children finalized names as McKerracher while others as McFarlane. i.e. Post 1855 deaths are recorded as either depending on branch.

Any help or pointers would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Kori

[herbertg]

Hello Kori

You may have solved this mystery but, just in case it's useful, there's a will on the Scotlandspeople site for a McKerracher alias McFarlane:

McKerracher Duncan
26 / 7 / 1770
alias McFarlane, in Frew, parish of Kilmadock
Dunblane Commissary Court

I'm researching McFarlane and McKerchar in Buchanan, Stirling, hence coming across your message.

Catherine

[Kmaleski]

Hi Catherine,

Not solved yet.

I discussed with Andrew McFarlane over at www.clanmacfarlanegenealogy.info.

He suggested it may be McFarlane's having their name proscribed for a period (i.e. banned) for some infraction by their chief against the Government or the throne.

I am not sure.

McKerchers/McKerrachers moved south from Killin through Balquhidder/Callander to Port of Menteith/Kincardine in later periods - why not earlier? (and Aberfoyle/Buchanan)

OR possibly there were McKerchers who fought/served with the Earl of Menteith, and chose to reside on his estates.  They often married Grahams.

In my index https://www.mckercher.org/ I am recording them as McKerracher (McFarlane)
or McKercher (McFarlane) if I find that they were aliased.

Still need to research more.

Thank you for the pointer.  If you find more or can share some more details as you progress, please do.

Cheers,

Kori

[John Andrew Hutchison]

Hi Kori,

I've been doing a similar exercise for clan Gregor in the area. I also have Campbell family in Balquhidder, and they used the alias McAinsh/McCaish, and I think some McDonalds in Callander/Aberfoyle/Port of Menteith used McArbrey, (they may have originated from Coilachra, Loch Katrine). There was also the use of Coskaroch in Balquhidder, which may have been a sept name as it died out, (I think it's based on warrior-hero in Gaelic). The McGregor aliases are definitely driven by proscription, but I suspect there was also a family sept name thing going on. It appears to stop around 1800, maybe because documents became more official and family nicknames couldn't be used.

John.

[herbertg]

Hi Kori

Happy to share more details. I only have one McKerchar in my tree so far:

Marriage 26 October 1738 Buchanan Parish: Agnes McKerchar and Daniel McAlpine in Rosse.

They were my 6x great grandparents. Unfortunately, Agnes's place of residence is illegible but someone who knows Buchanan well might be able to decipher it.

Rosse is Ross Priory. According to my family records the McAlpines were its proprietors for many years. Daniel (aka Donald and David depending on the record) is also associated with Calziemore (also spelled Culliemore).

Daniel and Agnes had several children. I know the fates of Jean and William.

There are further clues in the birth record for Jean McAlpine, baptised in Buchanan in November 1738. The two witnesses are both McKerchars, both possibly called Donald. Again dreadful handwriting. Place names are given for each of them and am trying to work out what they are. Best guesses are Ballindoran and something like Lodriss Green – wild guesses! Do either of these ring a bell?

I'm enoying your McKercher website! I'm now studying all the Donalds you have in the index.

Catherine

[Forfarian]

Recommend you post the bits you can't decipher either in this thread or on the handwriting and deciphering forum here - you'll get lots of help to work out where these places are or were.

Make sure to include several lines besides the words you want to decipher so that folk can get an idea of the handwriting.

[John Andrew Hutchison]

Hi Catherine,

I know a bit about the family, but I don't have the two records you can't decipher. Maybe a seperate post to decipher the handwriting would be a good idea, as it's a bit off this topic.

To Kori's point, Agnes McKerchar is probably the Ann McFarlan in 1755. There are a few examples in the Buchanan registers where it specifically says "McFarlane or McKerrocher", and also "McFarlane or McInstalker".

I think this family is William McAlpine->Donald (two wives)->Daniel

Are you sure about Ross Priory? That's on Lochmond, but not in Buchanan Parish. I assumed Ross was Ross Farm, which is much further north, by Ross Point and Ross Wood. Ross Priory was the seat of the Leith-Buchanans of Ross.

I think their son Donald remained by Ross at Coille Mhor, (Calliemore), William and Jean lived in Aberfoyle Parish. I think Jean's daughter Jean married Andrew McFarlane and they lived at Glengyle with her brother Alexander and her cousin. The significance of this is that Dorothy Wordsworth stayed with them in 1803 and wrote several pages about the family's life there in her Recollections of a Tour Made in Scotland, although she appears to have conflated Jean's brother and cousin;
"Mr. Macfarlane, and his wife's brother, Mr. Macalpine, farmed under the lady of Glengyle, the mother of the young laird, a minor."

BTW, the place names could be Corriegrennan and Ballindeor/Ballendoir/Balendoress/Balliniore/Ballymore. Both were south of Comer, and the latter was the residence of Duncan McKerchar/McFarlan and Anna Mcfarlane.

John.

[Kmaleski]

Hi all,

This is fantastic, as I have had so little information on the Buchanan families.

I should note that my index has the Buchanan names spelled as McKerchar with the "A". So best to search with a partial "McKerch" and then filter results.

Place names:
I have recorded some of the records with the location of Ballindoin - I may have misread - it is supposed to be Ballindeor?
The map I have attached has it located south of Gartincaber.
Ballimore is just southeast of Comer (not on this map)

[Kmaleski]

Donald McKerchar and Janet Norie m 1735 with ten children were residing at Ledrish. I have it recorded as Loddish because of the handwriting being hard to decipher.

I believe Ledrish or your Lodriss Green is east/southeast of Stucantagart. Cant find a map with it.
Ballindeor has to be adjacent.

Using this to identify the place names
http://las.denisrixson.com/2016/11/buchanan-table/
along with the ordinance map here
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15.1&lat=56.08146&lon=-4.50781&layers=257&b=1

Hi Kori

Happy to share more details. I only have one McKerchar in my tree so far:

Marriage 26 October 1738 Buchanan Parish: Agnes McKerchar and Daniel McAlpine in Rosse.

They were my 6x great grandparents. Unfortunately, Agnes's place of residence is illegible but someone who knows Buchanan well might be able to decipher it.

Rosse is Ross Priory. According to my family records the McAlpines were its proprietors for many years. Daniel (aka Donald and David depending on the record) is also associated with Calziemore (also spelled Culliemore).

Daniel and Agnes had several children. I know the fates of Jean and William.

There are further clues in the birth record for Jean McAlpine, baptised in Buchanan in November 1738. The two witnesses are both McKerchars, both possibly called Donald. Again dreadful handwriting. Place names are given for each of them and am trying to work out what they are. Best guesses are Ballindoran and something like Lodriss Green – wild guesses! Do either of these ring a bell?

I'm enoying your McKercher website! I'm now studying all the Donalds you have in the index.

Catherine