Which John McNeil (1719 or 1720)

[RLynne]

I'm looking for the JOHN MCNIEL, married to MARY WHYTE, in Rothesay, Bute, Scotland (parents of JAMES MCNIEL b. 1756). There is no marriage listed on SP for John and Mary.

There seems to be two John McNeil s in Rothesay as possible matches on SP (JOHN MCNEIL b. 1719 [ARCHIBALD MCNEIL/JANET NCGILCHENZY] and JOHN MCNEIL b. 1720 [JOHN MCNEIL/CATHRINE NCLEA]).

I've had conflicting information as to which one is correct. Is there a way to know which one is the right John McNeil?

[GR2]

Do the names of John and Mary's children give any clues? What are they, in chronological order?

Also do the witnesses to the baptisms give any clues to relatives?

[ColC]

JOHN MC NEIL MARY WHITE (Also spelt MC NIEL) – Children baptised Rothesay

ISOBEL 8/02/1747, ARCHIBALD 13/01/1749, JEAN 17/06/1753, JAMES 11/04/1756, 
MAYZIE 3/02/1760

There are also baptisms for JOHN MCNEILL/MARGARET MCCONNECHY  & JOHN MCNEILL/JANET MCCONNECHY. These parents had one child each in 1762

So my guess would be this is the correct John?

MCNEIL   JOHN   ARCHIBALD MC NEIL / JANET NCGILCHENZY   22/02/1719   Rothesay

Colin

[Forfarian]

I've had conflicting information as to which one is correct. Is there a way to know which one is the right John McNeil?

Not unless you can find some independent corroboration, such as a sasine, deed, will or something in the Kirk Session minutes.

Place of residence, if recorded on the baptisms, may help, but don't forget that your John McNeil may not have been born in Rothesay or even in Bute, and that there may be other John M(a)cNeils whose baptism records have not survived.

[Lola5]

Would not the John Archibald McNeil and Janet also have had a daughter named Janet?