Duncan Livingston, slate quarrier at Balvicar

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Sandra and Margaret,

The 1861 Census interestly lists the residents of Dalemaig No. 2 Donald Livingston and family and then Ardmady Castle. |Then under Ardmady Castle there is the head of the household Alexander Pitcairn Factor to Lord Bradelbane, his wife Jane and daughter Frances Pitcairn. There are then several servants listed employed by the Pitcairns including Mary Livingstone age 17 who I believe is probably Donald's daughter Mary born abt. 1843. You mentioned that he died in 1877 at Easdale. Dont know about this Dalemaig No. 2 where the family resided as tenants but I would assume it is not far from Ardmady Castle then and on or around the Easdale area.

regards,

Donald

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Sandra and Margaret,

The 1861 Census taker or takers for Kilbrandon Parish censused in this apparrent order if i understand correctly the census arrangement, Barnayerry (Barnayarry), Dalemaig, Ardmady Castle, Craiguilain (Craig Ulian), Cadatlan, Kilchean (Kilchoan) and Degnish were censused all apparently in the same general area. I have located Barnayarry, Ardmady Castle Craig Ulian, Kilchoan and Degnish on a detailed map and they are all in the same general area in Kilbrandon Parish. Whats more though Dalemaig does not appear on the map as a marked settlement there a reference to "ALLT Dallermaig." It appears to be a just east of a forested area to the east of Ardmady Castle. And it is located close to a north and south road that runs through this area again east of Ardmady Castle.tHE VILLAGE OF Barnayarry is just a bit north of this Allt Dallermaig along this road. Your ancestors must have lived near to both this Barnayarry and Ardmady Castle in my oppinion. As I said some local historian may be able sort out what became Dalemaig or whatever is or was called. But at least now we have a possible clue as to where it was located. Dalemaig may not of been a village as such with a church, but just a tiny group of crofts that was in ruins by the twentieth century as many were. Someone at Armady Castle or in this general area may know much more than I about Dalemaig or whatever it was called. I am not clear where exactly is Armady Castle located? I see that it is about 12 miles south of Oban, Argyllshire. So your Livingstons likely lived give or take a few miles the same distance south of Oban. The 1861 Census seems to indicate that the family at this time were not at Easdale, but likely not that far from it. Easdale area was itself censused in detail in the 1861 Kilbrandon and Kilchattan Census. The later detailed copies of the original birth records of the children of Donald and Jean born in Kilbrandon Parish after 1854 may give details of village or small tenant settlement they lived in at the time of their birth in Kilbrandon parish. I have access to them but am having technical problems with my computer.

regards,

Donald

[jmlivingstone]

I've had a look through Scotlands Places, & a few other places, Dalemaig does not appear anywhere, so presumably it was the address of a few houses, not an actual village,

John

[Margaret Stewart]

Hi Sandra

Yes Donald and Jean got married in Glasgow. Their first child, John, was born in Lochwinnoch. We can't tell if that is where Donald lived or not because it wasn't unusual for the girl to go back to her mother for the first birth. Having said that Neil appeared to have lived in the Greenock area, not too far from Lochwinnoch, at least between 1844 and 1849 - not the same time frame as Donald.

I think there are some questions that will never be answered because the records are just not there. I prefer not to speculate and just accept the records as they stand.

Let me know when you propose to go to Seil. I'm going up there at the end of next week. I'll bring you some leaflets etc. if you want.

Kind regards

Margaret

[jmlivingstone]

All,

I now think Allt Dallermaig could very easibly be, Dalemaig, that we are researching, it is close to Ardmady Castle, it is not on Seil Island, but is quite close on the mainland.

As a matter of interest, the second Duncan I found in Greenock, while researching this, was definitely an uncle of mines,

John

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi John,

As Margaret has pointed out and the parish records indicate Euphemia and Isbella were born at Ardmady in 1856 which is quite clearly near to this Dalemaig. And the son James was born in 1759 also at Ardmady. Yet the 1851 and 1861 census records the family of Donald Livingston and Jean Donaldson at Dalemaig. I think Ardmady and Dalemaig were close to one another. Certainly this ALt Dallermaig is just a bit east of the Castle beyond a forested area connected to the Armady property I think. And note that there eldest daughter Mary was working as a servant at the Ardmady Castle itself according the 1861 Census as the rest of the family were residing in nearby Dalemaig no. 2 according to this census. Ardmady Castle itself is about 12 miles south of Oban.

regards

Donald

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Sandra, Margaret and John,

Update on my quest to find more info on Dalemaig mentioned as the residence of Donald Livingston gardener of Kilbrandon Parish. I found another ordnance survey map dating from 1919-1947 which shows Ardmaddy Castle or Ardmaddy House and a north and south road a little east of the castle. Along this road travelling north on it the nearest village? to Ardmaddy Castle is marked as "Dallermaig". |Very convenient then for Donald and Jean's eldest daughter Mary to work as a live in servant for the family of Mr. Pitcairn the factor to Lord Bredalbane at the Armady Castle circa 1861 and for Donald to work probably as a gardener for the Ardmady Castle while residing in nearby cottage no. 2 at the neighbouring settlement of Dalemaig or Dallermaig as indicated on the 1919 Ordnance Survey Map of the Ardmaddy Castle area. Also on the map in the area is Allt Dallermaig which now understand to be a local river. Not only is there an ordnance survey map with Dallermaig but I see the this road modern times to Dallermaig adjacent to Ardmaddy Castle has been photographed in detail. I see a few building along this road about mile or so north but cant tell at this point whether they are connected to this Dallermaig or not. At this point I cant say whether or not Dallermaig cottage no. 2 where Donald Livingston and family resided in the 1850's and 1860's is still there. In some places of course in Western Argyllshire these old tenant/ workers cottages are sometimes preserved and tranformed into holiday cottages but others are in ruin. We may find the location of no. 2 one way or another or at the very least the ruins or location of where it was before you plan to visit the area.

regards,

Donald

[jmlivingstone]

It is about 13-5 miles fro Oban to Allt Dallermaig, you take the A816 to the first roundabout, turn right on the B844 for 5-4 miles, the destination should be on your right, apparently around a 25 minute drive.

John

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi John, Sandra and Margaret,
Yes it would be a nice trip. Ardmaddy Castle and the surrounding area looks to be quite scenic.
I have utilized old 19th century British Ordnance Survey maps before because their amazing detail to locate an ancestral cottage. They are pretty amazing maps.There is a circa 1919 Ordinance Survey of the area. Go to this site http://www.stravaiging.com/history/cast ... ddy-castle
This will take you to stravaiging.com's ardmaddy castle site. Double click where is says "Historic Maps" and you will get to a 1919 ordnance survey map of the Ardmaddy Castle area and you can navigate the map north south east and west and moving east towards that North and south road a bit east of the Castle by travelling a little bit north on this road manipulating this map's north arrow on the left hand corner of the map you will come across a settlement area of Dallermaig. Perhaps there were still some buildings there at least in the early 1900's. I am confident that more details will be found out later. Also note Allt Dallermaig is river or stream in the area. Allt being scots gaelic for river or stream.The contemporary satelite photograph map of the Ardmady area is also worth utilizing at this site as one can reach the general location of where Dallermaig is or had been. I see what looks like a couple of modern era farmhouses by the road and that as much as I can tell from the highest resolution of the satelite imagery of the area, but perhaps some ruins are still there.

I mentioned locating the village of settlement of Dallermaig in addition to the already mentioned Allt Dallermaig in a 1919-1947 Ordnance Survey map of the Ardmaddy Castle area. I did not find the Ardmaddy Castle area in the Ordnance Survey maps from the 1870's and 1890's but one the the Ordnance Map sheets at the National Library of Scotland website may include very detailed maps of Ardmaddy Castle and Dallermaig from the time that Sandra and Margaret's ancestor resided at Dallermaig. Dont know if we can find No. 2 Dallermaig but we may well locate the group of cottages at Dallermaig circa late 1800's when they were still standing and their location. I have absolutely no doubt that Dallermaig is the Dalemaig referred to in Donald Livingston's 1851 and 1861 census entry. It would be great if we could find the original cottage. An old family historian here used to impress upon me how few people actually find their ancestral home in the old country, particulary those who long ago settled in the New World. Many of course try. Some do get lucky.

regards,

Donald

[jmlivingstone]

Hi Margaret, Sandra & Donald,

If I remember correctly, Allt is gaelic for stream, burn, or possibly river, so Allt Dallermaig probably means River Dallermaig, or something close.

This below I found in a report from a Royal Commission of 1892, on the Highlands & Islands, not sure what it was all about, it's quite a long document. I was actually looking for photos when I came across this lot.

John

BOOK OF -REFERENCE TO MAPS SHOWING LANDS SCHEDULED—(1) COUNTY OF ARGYLL—(continued). No. of Sheet. XXXVI. +2 XXXVI. and XLIV. %18 up 120 121 122 123 124 i§S 126 127 128’ 129 1-30 131 1-32 Proprietor. Major Stewart Macdougall, Maiquis of Breadalbane, . Corporation of Glasgow . Major Stewart Macdougall, !J Marquis of Breadalbane, . J* Mrs M. A, Macher Campbell, Marquis of Breadalbane, . Trustees of the late Keith Maclellan, Marquis of Breadalbane, . Estate. Lunga and Ardlarroch, Breadalbane, Island SJmna, Lunga, Breadalbane, jj Asknish, . Breadalbane, Kilmelfort, Breadalbane, . Parish. Craignish, Kilbrandon and Kilchattan, Ciaignish, Kilbraudou and Kilcliattdii, Kilninver and Kilmelfort, Kdbrandon and Kileliattan, Kilninver atid Kilmelfort, Kilbrandon and Kilchattan. Extent of Land Scheduled. Description. Brought forward, , . Barrachan an d Gemmill Gr azin gs, Island of Living, Kilchattan Grazings (part of), Island Shuna Grazing, . . Eilean Arsa, Fraoch -Eilean, Eilean-an-Duin, Eilean Buidhe Grazings, Daill Grazings (part of), . IsLind of Luing, Kilchattan Gi-aziug (part of), Asknish Grazings, Island of Luing, Bardrishaig Grazings (part of), Torsay Island Grazing (part of), Fearnach andArdanstui Grazings, Barachuile ,, Dallermaig, .... Barrnagarry Grazings, Caddleton ,,