A Morvern Parish, Argyllshire Livingstone Descendant's Story
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2026 3:51 pm
Hello,
After my recent battle with Cancer a few years ago and since more recent remission still having to deal on a daily basis with somewhat debilitating coughing issues and a damaged left lung and because of my age with a great deal of sadness I decided recently it was appropriate at this point in time to retire as Clan Historian of the Clan Maclea Livingstone Society and focus on my health, continuing my song writing efforts and what is left of my life. I appreciated very much some years ago now Baron Niall Livingstone of Bachuil, Lismore, Argyllshire, Scotland bestowing upon me the honour of being our Clan Society's Clan Historian and having more recently the opportunity to work with Greg Livingstone who is currently Clan Maclea Livingstone's outstanding North American Clan Commissioner. Being the Clan Historian for the Clan Maclea Livingstone Society was a responsibility which I hope that those who know me realize I did not take lightly and I have made every effort to work very hard to locate Livingstone family records volunteering my services over these many years frequently retrieving old Livingstone family records and helping assist those Livingstones/Livingstons both the Highland and also some of Lowland Livingstones with their family research. I have firmly believed over these years as Clan Historian of the Clan Maclea Livingstone Society that with the history and early origins of ancient Highland Scottish family group that many historical details are elusive and difficult to determine regarding our very ancient Western Argyllshire family group and my efforts over the years been to focus on working with Livingstones of Western Argyllshire ancestry with their family research and learning from them about their family histories along with encouraging them to consider Y DNA testing which the late Rob Livingstone a cousin of Baron Livingstone our Clan Chief convinced me back in 2006 would be most helpful in regards to a better understanding of our Clan origins. Years later I can say with absolute certainty that the YDNA testing of a significant number of Livingstones of proven Western Argyllshire ancestry by Familytreedna over the years and with some more sophisticated SNP testing provides some very significant new insights regarding the paternal ancestral origins of Clan Maclea Livingstones of the Parishes Western Argyllshire of the 18th and 19th century. Helping folks with their family history is just one aspect of my efforts and accomplishments which I could not achieved without the assistance of a number of descendants of Western Argyllshire Maclea Livingstones who have been so supportive of my efforts to get Maclea Livingstones with Livingstone ancestors known 18th and 19th century Western Argyllshire origin Y DNA tested since 2006 in line with my YDNA related discussion with the late Rob Livingston back in 2006. If I have ever erred somewhat in being overly diligent in my efforts as the Clan Society Historian most recently and in the past I most sincerely apologize for that. In what may most likely be my final post on this Forum I thought I would take a bit of time here taking you on a journey which began for me a little over 20 years ago sometime after I had first discovered this wonderful forum established by Baron Niall Livingstone with his cousin the late Rob Livingstone back in 2004. I also include an account of my Morvern Parish, Argyllshire Livingstone family research efforts back earlier in the 2000's.
Close to twenty years ago now I was having some very interesting, enjoyable and productive e-mail discussions with the late Rob Livingstone an American gentleman of Bachuil Livingstone, Lismore Parish, Argyllshire, Scottish ancestry, a cousin of Baron Livingstone when we discussed among other things his interest in YDNA testing with Familytreedna to help better understand and identify one's Livingstone ancestral origins and family connections. When we disagreed from time to time on some theories and understandings regarding Clan Maclea Livingstone back then early on regarding Clan Maclea Livingstone or aspects of the YDNA Project I sincerely believe it was always with a healthy respect of each other's difference of opinion. I remember Rob particularly enjoyed digging up some old 18th century obscure historic Argyllshire McLea document and emailing it to amaze me. I still don't know how or where he managed to find these old Argyllshire Maclea records but he had as one might say a certain set of skills in locating these rare documents much to my delight. Our bond and connection in that unfortunate very short period was our shared interest in each of our ancestral roots to a Western Argyllshire Livingstone families and a general love of family history research. Sadly much to my regret my Clan Maclea Livingstone colleague and new friend Rob Livingstone passed away in the Summer of 2006 just as we were getting to better know one another via e-mail and not long after these groundbreaking series of conversations which resulted in a most interesting and fruitful exchange of ideas regarding Livingstone family research and the very real possibility of future collaborative efforts. Perhaps in retrospect now that I think of it more than poor Rob was lost in the Summer of 2006.
I had learned some years prior to these discussions with Rob Livingstone that my great great great grandfather Miles Livingston born about 1775 in Argyllshire, Scotland was according to his 1812 marriage record "a native of Morvern" that is Morvern Parish in Western Argyllshire. He and his wife Janet Livingston his second wife also of Morvern, I now suspect a Livingstone cousin, were married in June 20, 1812 at the Church of Scotland Church in Bowmore in Kilarrow Parish on the Isle of Islay where they briefly stopped at on their way aboard the Schooner Staffa destined for the port of Sligo, Ireland where a Hudson's Bay Company vessel The Robert Taylor was waiting to take boatbuilder Miles Livington and Janet Livington, Miles son from his first marriage Donald Livingston and another boatbuilder another Morvern native Donald Livingston who I believe to have been my ancestor's brother in law to York Factory at Hudson's Bay in Hudson's Bay Territory in British North America. On June 24, 1812 The Robert Taylor with it's passengers and crew departed Sligo,Ireland after a bit of a pleasant send off by Lord Selkirk. 61 days later on August 26, 1812 the ship arrived at York Factory at Hudson's Bay. Later on September 9,1812 this party of settlers including Miles Livingston and his wife under Owen Kenevy began a departure by 11 boats and three canoes southward several hundred miles from the Fort at York Factory to the Forks of the Red River and the new colony of Lord Selkirk's. My Livingston ancestor Miles Livingston in Argyllshire had been recruited earlier in 1811 apparently by a highland agent of a Scottish Aristocrat and humanitarian Lord Selkirk to be a boatbuilder and employee of Lord Selkirk at his new Colony at Red River back then in what was Hudson's Bay Territory in British North America. In 1813 a daughter Nancy Livingston (Mrs. John Clink) my great great grandmother was the first of Miles and Janet Livingston's children born at Lord Selkirk's Red River Settlement. The following Year logs were floated down river and Miles had a log home constructed for him and his family along the banks of the Red River (present day Winnipeg, Manitoba,Canada) according to one surviving early settlement account. Miles Livingston with about 124 others from the original settlement group were however abruptly forced to leave Selkirk's settlement because of growing hostilities with the rival North West Company in 1815. Miles grabbed his musket and his tools that were technically property of Lord Selkirk and along with his wife Janet, his daughter Nancy my great great grandmother and a son Hugh Livingston and other Red River settlers boarded boats and canoes and departed the Red River Settlement on a lengthy and arduous journey via lakes, river and streams through vast wilderness until they reached York County, Upper Canada where Miles firstly found work utilizing his earlier experience as a boat builder. In 1817 Miles was hired by the British Navy in Upper Canada to build boats for them in the Lake Huron area. Following that in 1819 he petitioned for a land grant in Upper Canada receiving a land grant in Esquesing Township, Halton County and farmed there until about 1837 and then getting on in years and apparently with his wife deceased sometime prior to 1842 he moved to Acton possibly living with his youngest son Daniel Livingston there and found work in his old age as a barrel maker in the town of Acton where his son lived. There is no record when old Miles Livingston died but I assume it may have been in Acton in Halton County, Upper Canada later known as Ontario, Canada most likely sometime between the years 1842 and 1852. My great great grandfather John Clink 1810-1887 husband of Miles Livingston's eldest child Nancy Livingston was a witness at Mile's son Daniel Livingston's marriage to Elizabeth Marsales. Years later in the 1870's Daniel Livingston and his family left Acton, Halton County, Ontario, Canada and moved to Michigan, USA.
Years ago Baron Livingstone's late father Baron Alastair Livingstone of Bachuil, Lismore, Argyllshire had informed my father's cousin that there was a record in the Lismore Parish Church of Scotland records indicating that a "Myles Livingstone was baptized in the neighbouring Parish of Lismore and his parents were Donald Livingston and Catharine Campbell of Lismore Parish. A record from Lord Selkirk's Red River Colony Hudson's Bay Territory, British North America from 1815 regarding Selkirk employee/ Settler Miles Livingston indicated by his age in 1815 suggested also that he was indeed born by about 1775. A few years later the fellow boatbuilder Donald Livingston hired by Lord Selkirk for his Red River Settlement and likely brother in law of Miles Livingston states in a deposition that he was of Morvern and so it seems pretty certain that Miles Livingston the other boat builder hired by Lord Selkirk was also of "native of Morvern" as stated in Mile's 1812 marriage record.
Realizing however that I wanted to be "absolutely certain" that I was correct in my assumption that Miles Livingstone was most likely ancestrally connected to the Morvern Parish Livingstones I felt back then that Rob Livingston's suggestion that a YDNA test be done was a great idea to help sort out my Argyllshire Livingstone family origins issue except that the test needed the YDNA of a Livingston whose father grandfather great grandfather etc. had been a Livingston. My great great grandmother Nancy Livingston was Miles Livingston's daughter who married my paternal great great grandfather John Clink who was not a Livingston. Because of this it was necessary for me to try and locate a male Livingston cousin and see if they would agree to do a YDNA test with Family Tree DNA. Well at this time as luck would have it I was in touch with a Livingston cousin whom I had earlier discovered had been doing some Livingstone family research and I asked her if her Livingston father would be interested in doing a YDA test with Familytreedna who had tested prior a number of other Livingstones of known Western Argyllshire Maclea Livingstone ancestry. I funded this test of my Livingstone Cousin's father who had very kindly offered to do this test and the results have confirmed that my Livingston cousin's father was determined through his YDNA testing and his Maclea Livingston YDNA test surprisingly numerous close matches to be definitely Maclea Livingstone Western Argyllshire ancestry most closely related to a group of Livingston families formerly known as Maclea's or Maconleas who in the 18th and 19th centuries and apparently beginning as early as in the previous century were clustered in settlements along the Morvern Parish Coast line. My Livingstone Cousin's closest match was interestingly a Livingstone of Kilundine Morvern ancestry a labourer who later moved to Mull after his marriage in Kilninian Parish in 1805 to a Campbell woman in Mull where he then relocated.
Most interesting of all to me was one of my Livingston cousin's other almost as close YDNA matches with 64 out of 67 genetic markers having been found to match with my Livingston cousin YDNA test results.I learned from this American Livingstone gentleman who had been tested and found to be a close match with my Livingstone Cousin that he was a direct descendant of Ewen (Hugh) Livingston of Savary, Morvern a known brother of the famous Savary, Morvern 1745 Jacobite Hero Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 who is recorded in 1775 Argyll Census as Hugh Livingstone living beside Donald Livingstone his brother in Savary, Morvern after being informed of him by one of his cousins who was also doing her Morvern Livingston family research.I also encouraged back then this Livington gentleman of known Savary, Morvern area Maclea Livingstone ancestry linked to a brother of the Legendary Donald Livingstone of Savary Morvern to do the Family Tree YDNA test. This gentleman's Morvern Parish Livingstone family history info very much confirmed he was descended from a Hugh Livingston according to later family researchers in America, a grandson of Donald Livingstone's Ewen Livingstone of Savary Morvern who in the 1800's was a tenant farmer of Achbeg farm beside Savary Farm in Morvern in the 1840's before Hugh died around 1846.Hugh widow Euphemia (Effy) Livingston suffered greatly following her husbands death petitioned for poverty relief. Later in the 1850's Effy Livingstone and her children settled in Ohio. Other Morvern Livingston relatives of her late husband Hugh Livingstone of Achbeg farm near Savary, Morvern had settled earlier in New York State and also in Ohio. Effy Livingston's husband Hugh Livingston of Achbeg farm beside Savary in Morvern was a grandson of Ewen (Hugh) Livingston of Savary Morvern a brother of Donald Livingstone of Savary, Morvern. Here are few interesting tidbits I found in my research Hugh and Effy Livingston's grandson Duncan Livingston b. 1850 in Ohio. Duncan Livingston became a lawyer in Scioto County, Ohio and later in life a researcher and author of his Savary Morvern Livingston family history regarding his ancestor Ewen (Hugh) Livingston and his famous Jacobite brother Donald Livingston 1728-1816 of Savary, Morvern. Duncan Livingstone wrote a most interesting article in the March 1896 Celtic Monthly which mentioned some very interesting details regarding his older Livingstone relatives that were born in Morvern some who also settled in America in the 1800's and who knew their old Uncle Donald Livingstone of Savary 1728-1816 quite well in their younger days in Morvern.
Duncan Livingstone 1850-1910 of Scioto County, Ohio (Grandson of Hugh Livingstone d. 1846 of Achbeg Farm beside Savary in Morvern, Argyll descendant of Ewen (Hugh) Livingston of Savary, Morvern brother of Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 of Savary, Morvern)
March 1896 Celtic Monthly Duncan Livingston of Scioto County, Ohio
"The story of the preservation of the Appin banner at Culloden the writer has often heard, when a child, from two nieces of Donald Livingstone, Mrs. Mary Livingstone Boyd, and Sarah Livingstone Burke, who got the same from the lips of Donald himself. The former, Mrs. Boyd, died in the early part of the sixties, and the latter, Mrs. Burke, in the early part of the seventies, both at a ripe old age. They were daughters of his brother, Eoghan, or
Ewan.He also heard it when a child, and after arriving at manhood, from eight other descendants of Ewan. among whom the story is well known, as well as from several persons familiar with the traditions of Morven."
Interestingly years ago a found a 1716 Morvern record with a John McLea residing as a tenant at Achbeg beside Savary. I wondered at the time if this John Mclea in those 1716 Morvern records was Donald and Ewen Livingston's father known to have been later known as John Livingston later in the 1700's when Mcleas/ McOnleas after 1750 in Church of Scotland Parish records in Argyllshire were later no longer are referred to in the parish records as McLeas or Mconleas but either Livingstone or Livingston. The reason why the Argyllshire Clan McLea changed their name to Livingstone is not entirely certain or clear to me and all that I really know as a Livingstone researcher who has studied many Church of Scotland Argyllshire Parish records is that by the 1750's all the former Western Argyllshire McLeas from that decade of the 1750's and thereafter are always referred to in the entries as either Livingstone, Livingston or sometimes Levingston in the Argyllshire Parish records. This has always been a source of some mystery to me how this all managed somehow to happen to the former Argyllshire residents who had been in earlier decades in the 1700's as McLeas or other spelling variations such as McOnleas or the odd time McInlea.
I am very happy to report to you that a very significant number of Livingstones/Livingstons since I believe the early 2000's have been via a YDNA test offered by the wonderful DNA experts at Family Tree DNA. Members of Clan Maclea Livingstone including myself over the years have encouraged Livingstones, McLeas and others to the YDNA test with Family Tree DNA. One of the advantages of being tested by Family Treedna is that so many Livingstones of both Highland Western Argyllshire family origin and those of more likely of Lowland Livingstone origin have been tested so the potential that a Livingstone who does a test with them is relatively good that they will be a match with another Livingstone who has been tested or several Livignstones who have been tested. Over the many years since then I have endeavoured to both assist Livingstones of Western Argyllshire origins with their Livingstone ancestry research and as well in keeping with Baron Livingstone's late cousin's wishes and our discussions encouraged a significant number of these Livingstones to do the family tree YDNA test. As a result enough of them were tested including many who signed up for YDNA testing with Family Tree DNA who had never visited our Clan forum. and in the almost all Livingstone of known and documented Western Argylshire Maclea Livingstone ancestry matched up "primarily" with two FamilytreeYDA Livingstone YDNA match groups with most interestingly one mostly with those Livingstones of known Bachuil, Lismore Livingston ancestry who ancestors resided on the Isle of Lismore and nearby Appin Parish and in some case elsewhere. A second more predominate and significantly larger match group over 25 "Livingstone/Livingston matches which most of those documented Western Argylslhire Livingstones matched up was largely of Mull, Morvern Maclea Livingstone tested descendants some of whose ancestors also lived in nearby Ballachulish and other locations in Western Argyllshire. Although two Livingstones were tested whose ancestor lived in neighbouring Perthshire there results strongly suggested were also most likely also of neighbouring Western Argyllshire ancestry. Included in this largely Mull and Morvern based Livingstone group was my Livingston cousin a descendant of Miles Livingston of Morvern and another Livingston known to be a descendant of Ewen Livingston of Savary, Morvern brother of the famous Morvern Jacobite soldier Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 of Savary Morvern. It is perhaps interesting to note that years ago I did with great effort finally locate a proven direct descendant of Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 a Livingstone gentleman residing in Renfrewshire, Scotland who did indeed confirm when I contacted him by e-mail that his Livingstone grandmother had done their Livingstone research years earlier had told him that their Livingston ancestor was indeed Donald Livingstone of Savary, Morvern. While he was quite proud of his family connection to the famous Donald Livingstone of Savary Morvern I was unable to interest him in our YDNA Project with Family Tree DNA regrettably. Fortunately as mentioned a Livingstone descendant of Donald Livingstone's brother Hugh (Ewen) Livingstone also of Savary Morvern was very interested like me in Morvern Livingstone family research and was very helpful sharing her Ewen Livingstone family history and what is more introducing me to a Livingston cousin who lived in the Southern United States who I got in contact with and he most very kindly agreed to the Familytreedna YDNA test for me. This of course I appreciated was the next best thing to having a direct descendant of Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 do the YDA test and realistically our only likely chance at getting a very probable relation of Donald Livingston in this case his brother's descendant tested. .
Regarding my Morvern Family research it was clear from Y DNA testing of my Livingstone cousin like me a descendant of Miles Livingston b. 1775 of a native of Morvern parish who settled in Canada in 1812, that we were in some way connected to and related to a large group of Maclea Livingstones who resided along the Morvern coast in Western Argyllshire near the Isle of Lismore and Mull. My Livingston cousins closest Y DNA marker match with 67 markers tested was a Livingston of Killundine Morvern ancestry Kilundine being one of the number of settlement along the coast but as mentioned my Livingston cousin was also a relatively close match also with a descendant of Ewen Livingston also known as Hugh Livingston who is a brother of the famous Morvern Jacobite and supporter of Bonnie Prince Charlie in the Rebellion of 1745 was was the at the Battle of Culloden in April 1746 serving with Stewarts of Appin Regiment. All of this of course pleased me great deal to to be able to tell my elderly father that our Livingston relatives were related to a Morvern Livingston family whose ancestor was known by that family to have been a brother of the famous old Morvern Parish Jacobite Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 a one time Savary Mill and Inn operator and a local legend for a number of years before his death as an old man in 1816 and long after his death. He was married to a Jane Stewart. Years ago some of you may remember I wrote a bio on Donald Livingstone of Savary, Morvern for our Newsletter. According to Alexander Carmichael's original Field Notes from the late 1800's regarding Donald Livingstone of Savary, Morvern:
Donald Livingstone of Savary
John Livingstone of Achnacree went to Morvern. His son Donald fought at Culloden age 18. Nine Donald's were shot down dead carrying the bratach of the Prince (Bonnie Prince Charlie) when Donald Livingstone took it up and swathed round his body. He was shot down and thought to be dead but he got up
with nine bullet wounds - fresh wounds which were seen in his body when he died age 79 or 80 years old. Never had trews on. He was a drover to George? being a commissariat to the garrison at Ft. William to the last. Died at Morvern. He had six sons - two of whom were drown on Cuanna h-Eirinn having a vessel of their own which they traded to Ireland. There were two daughters died unmarried. Donald Molach - Hairy Donald he was called in Savary. His wife was Jane Stewart of Ardslignish. The mother of Donull Molach was Ann McInnes native of Morvern.
Donald Livingstone's Maclea ancestor's were said apparently by either his elderly nephew or his nieces residing in America in the 1800's to have arrived in the Savary Morvern area as early as the year 1600. Given the problems the Achnacree Mcleas had with hostile Campbells earlier in the 1500s' they may had some motivations to perhaps relocate elsewhere in the area. The possible arrival of Donald Livingstone's Achnacree ancestors as early as the year 1600 is further supported by the fact that a 1716 list records numerous McLea/McOnlea heads of household residing in Morvern Parish by early 1700's and therefore it is almost certain they were there before that in the 1600's.
In the years following YDNA testing of a Livingston cousin and confirmation from the YDNA results confirming significant match results with at least three Livingstones of known ancestral connections to Morvern Maclea Livingstone family origin and also a number of other Livngstons whose Argyllshire Livingstone ancestry was of Livingstons who resided in neighbouring Kilninian Parish, Mull I began to do research on the Maclea-Livingstones of Morvern and located some interesting information pertaining to Maclea Livingstones that lived in Morvern in the 18rh and 19th Century. As earlier mentioned one of the old Achbeg near Savary, Morvern Livingstones related to Donald Livingstone's brother Ewen (Hugh) Livingstone of Savary Morvern had stated that their Livingstone family branch of which it is almost certain my own Livingstone family was a part of arrived in the Morvern Parish area in the Savary/Achbeg Morvern area by about 1600. Some years ago now I found book published in 1998 by the Scottish Record Society "Inhabitants of the Inner Isles 1716 which included some McLeas/Mconleas list of heads of household in Morvern Parish some of whom were likely ancestrally connected to my Mcleas Livingstone ancestors who were residing at this time in the early 18th century I am quite certain in settlements and farms along the Morvern coastline back then. Interestingly this list of McLeas/Mconleas/McInlays etc. of Morvern made note of those who year after the 1715 Rebellion were currently in possession of swords or firearms. As of many of the heads of these heads of households may have indeed have been Jacobites and active participants in the earlier 1715 Rebellion it is not then too surprising that of Morvern area McLea/Mconleas of our Clan back then would have been found to still possess a weapon. I include from my study of this record years ago those possibility related to my Morvern Maclea Livingstone family group. There are a number of interesting early 18th century quite common spelling variations of early McLea/McOnlea/McOnlay etc. Back then in the 18th century there was quite a bit of flexibility in the spelling.
Inhabitants of the Inner Isles 1716 Morvern Parish Those suspected of still having Arms after the 1715 Rebellion
Dugald McEan V Inlay (V Inlay Savarie (Savary). (V Inlay or VcInlay an early 18th century a variation of McInlay also spelt as Mconlea)
John McLea Achbeg (beside Savary) "gave his sword and his dirk" (Could he have been the father of Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 later of Savary who later joined the Appin Regiment of Charles Stewart of Appin and served during the later 1745 Rebellion?)
Dugald McEan VcInlay Kilintine (Kilundine) "has a sword"
Donald McOlonie Finarie Finarie (Finuary)
Donald McLea Sallachan (Salachan)
Donald McLea Fernish "Has no arms"
Duncan McLea Achalinan (Achleanan) "His son gave in a gun being all the arms he had."
The Church of Scotland Parish records for Morvern Parish are a helpful source of locating baptism and marriage records of Livingstones dating from as early as 1803. Unfortunately there are no Church records prior to that in the 1700's which have survived. Neighbouring Lismore Parish has records dating back earlier in the last half of the 1700's and oddly enough there was as the late Baron Alastair Livingstone of Bachuil, Lismore pointed out to my late father's 2nd cousin years ago there is most interestingly a baptism record of a "Myles Livingstone" baptized in 1775 in the Lismore Parish Church of Scotland records which may or may not be my Livingstone ancestor. An 1815 record from Lord Selkirk's Red River Colony in Hudson's Bay Territory in what was back then British North America list the age of my great great great grandfather Miles Livingston in 1815 which suggest he would have born around the year 1775 but Miles stated in his 1812 marriage record as he was travelling to Lord Selkirk's Red River Colony as a boatbuilder for the Settlers that he and wife Janet also a Livingston were as minister recorded in the parish record "natives of Morvern".
While most regrettably for Morvern Livingstone family researchers no Church of Scotland Parish records of 18th century birth, baptism or marriages have not survived I was delighted to find years ago that The Scottish Record Society in 1963 had published Inhabitants of the Argyll Estate 1779 which includes alisting of the "Livingstone" heads of household of Morvern Parish circa 1779 many of them I assume having some close Morvern Maclea Livingstone family and ancestral connection to with my ancestor Miles Livingstone and his family. Amongst the most interesting Livingstone residents mentioned as residing in Morvern in the year 1779 is the well know Morvern Livingstone Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 of Savary Morvern and listed with him as residing also in Savary is his known brother Hugh or also known as Ewen Livingstone of Savary, Morvern whose grandson Hugh Livingstone is years later recorded in the 1841 Scottish Census residing as a tenant farmer at neighbouring Achbeg beside Savary in Morvern parish. Years ago now a known decendant of this farmer Hugh Livingston who died around 1846 and was known to have been a direct descendant of Ewen Livingstone's brother Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 did a YDNA Test with my encouragement and his results were my close match as I suspected with my own Livingstone cousin of Morvern Livingstone ancestry whom was also YDNA tested years ago. I included below a very interesting and rare glimpse of Morvern Parish Livingstones heads of household residing in Morvern Parish, Argyllshire circa 1779. The 1779 Census was compiled by John Duke of Argyll 5th Duke of Argyll and largely compiled in the Autumn of 1779.
List of Families Residing Upon His Grace The Duke of Argyll's Estate in Morvern in September of 1779
Donald Livingstone Cottar and family Killunden (my cousin's closest YDNA Livingston match was a Livingstone of Killundine Morvern Livingstone descent)
John Livingstone tenant and family Terenish
Neil Livingstone workman and family Terenish
John Livingstone workman and family Terenish
John Livingstone and wife Terenish
Ann Livingstone Cottar and sons Terenish
Hugh Livingstone tenant and family Aulisline
Duncan Livingstone tenant and family Aulisline
Hugh Livingstone grass keeper and family Portavata
Donald Livingstone cotta and family Barr
John Livingstone workman and family Barr
Donald Livingstone workman and family Rahoy
Catharine Livingstone cottar and family Rahoy
Malcom Livingstone tenant and family Savary
Donald Livingstone tenant and family Savary ( Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 Appin Regiment 1745-1746, later Savary Miller and Inn Keeper)
Hugh Livingstone Grasskeeper and family Savary (brother of Donald Livingstone also known as Ewen Livingstone)
Angus Livingstone workman and family Funary
_____________________________________________________
My great great great grandfather Miles Livingston b.1775 was fortunate that he was not an impoverished tenant farmer but had a skilled trade as both a carpenter, barrel maker and a boatbuilder when he was hired by a highland recruiter of Lord Selkirk's to firstly work as boat builder early on at his settlement but sometime after arriving in the fall of 1812 at Lord Selkirk's Red River Settlement in Hudson's Bay Territory, British North America focused upon being a settler. Earlier I have reason to believe that some of my Livingston ancestor's Morvern Livingston cousins and him went sometime before 1812 to the Isle of Islay looking for work but I don't have much information on that. Truth be told Miles Livingston was probably fortunate to have a skilled trade which helped him get hired by Lord Selkirk's highland agent prior to his departure for British North America in June of 1812. Other Livingstones of Morvern Parish in the years after Miles Livingston had left for Canada Morvern tenants experienced increasing pressures to remain tenant farmers in Morvern Parish. As he 19th century progressed there were more and more landowners considering sheep grazing on their lands more profitable in the end than subsistence tenant farmers and clearances of tenants became more common. Then in the mid 1840's the potato crop in Ireland and in Argyllshire Scotland including in Morvern and Mull Parish further added to suffering and fears of tenant farmers and their families in Morvern Parish. While there were those in Scotland who were greatly concerned about the plight of highland families in Argylshire impacted by the crop failure in the 1840's others particularly some newspaper editors in lowland Scotland were less than sympathetic with the plight of the tenant farming families in Argyllshire. While there was not a whole lot of sympathy for the struggling tenant farmers in Morvern in the 1840's by the landowners the Church of Scotland minister in Morvern Parish Rev. McLeod during this time was particularly concerned and vocal about the suffering of Morvern Parish and did what he could to help his tenants during the Potato crop failure and resulting famine.
One interesting document a petition I located years ago from the 1840's I think highlighted the sincere efforts of ordinary residents in the area who were hoping a railroad development in the area would help to get food to the vulnerable tenants in Morvern Parish and other neighbouring Parishes.
Great Britain Treasury Correspondence from July 1846 to February 1847 Related to The Measures Adopted for the Relief of Distress in Scotland Published in London 1847
Petition for the District of Morvern Argyllshire fro Advance of the Oban Railway[/b] Page 146
Unto the Right Honourable the Lords of Her Majesty's Treasury The Petition of the Freeholders, Justice of the Peace, Commissioners of Supply, Clergy and People of the District of Morvern in the County of Argyle
Humbly Sheweth,
That it has been the pleasure of the Almighty God to impend this part of the country the calamity of famine through the total failure of the potato crop upon which the working population do almost entirely subsist. That this famine will leave the people entirely destitute, how soon they shall have consumed their small crops of oats and barley, which cannot last them above two or three months at the very farthest; and this is a fact which we consider it our duty to make known to your Lordships and at the same time respectively to suggest a measure which under Providence might very greatly to mitigate the evil.
In the last session of Parliament an Act was passed empowering certain parties to form and make a railway to give transit to passengers, goods and livestock betwixt Oban in the County of Argyle and the city of Glasgow - a railway communication which when completed will be the first importance to the people of this country and it would tend greatly to the diminution of the distress that must arise from the failure of the potato crop in the Highlands of Scotland. if Government saw it proper to advance upon proper security to the joint stock company for the construction of the aforesaid railway such funds as may be required to enable them forthwith to begin their operation. May it therefore please your Lordship to take what is above stated into your consideration and to do in the matter what to your Lordships appear best.
And your Petitioners will ever pray
John Sinclair fo Lochaline J.P.
Donald McVean Tackman of Kenlochalen
Duncan Campbell Tackman of Achfose
John Cameron Merchant Lochaline
Donald McLaughlin Tenant Achbeg
Donald McInnis Tenant Kyle
Duncan McCullum Tenant Kyle
Allan Watt Tackman Ardness
William Allan Merchant Lochaline
David Smith Tackman Auchnath
John McInnes Tenant Savery
Alex McInnes Tenant Savery
William Blackley Tackman Drumbose
Alexander McNab Drimmin
By the 1840's and 1850 there was a further threat to Livingstone tenants of Morvern Parish and that was the clearances from their farms by the landowners. This continued steadily through this time and for some time thereafter in the 19th century resulting in forcing or encouraging many tenants to have little choice other than relocating to lowland Scotland, Ireland, England or as a good number in Western Argyllshire did emigrate to North America or Australia. As a result the departure of numerous Morvern Parish tenants from Morvern Parish in the 19th century we can get a good sense of this from studying the Scottish census records from years 1841 to 1901 the steady decline in the numbers of LIvngstones residing in Morvern Parish recorded from the year 1841 to 1901. The DNA testing has so far strongly suggested many of these Morvern Parish Livingstone/Livingston tenant families were probably related closely or more distantly to each other and likely related in some way to my own Livingston cousins in North America.
Population Decline of Livingstons/Livingstones/Levingstons in Morvern according to the 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901 Scottish Census
1841 Livingston 89 Livingstone 0 Levingston 1 Total 90
1851 Livingston 68 Livingstone 0 Levingston 11 Total 79
1861 Livngston 55 Livingstone 14 Levingston 0 Total 69
1871 Livingston 19 Livingstone 6 Levingston 0 Total 25
1881 Livingston 8 Livingstone 11 Levingston o Toral 19
1891 Livingston 11 Livingstone 1 Levingston 0 Total 12
1901 Livingston 3 Livingstone 6 Levingston 0 Total 9
Regarding the Highland Clearances there are I have discovered over the years many great books that have been written about this very sad and dark chapter of Highland Scotland history. I can recommend a few. This is one topic which I very much regret was not discussed very much at all on our forum but which had such a devastating impact to a great many Western Argyllshire families including Livingstone/Livingston families in the 1800's. I must check my library upstairs. (To be continued.)
With the Livingstone/Livingston YDNA test results with Family Tree DNA those who have been tested I have noticed with some interest that in addition to some Livingstone/Livingston YDNA matches there are also a number of other YDNA matches consisting of those of other families YDA test other than Livingstones. I am not a YDNA expert and even if I was I am sure I would not necessarily be able to fully explain why a non Livingstone family member is a close or more distant match to your Y DNA Livingstone results. However one scenario I know know does explain why for some these reason some of the "other families are matching with Livingstones/Livingstons who were Y DNA tested by Familytreedna is that they had a paternal ancestor born a Maclea/Livingstone who was adopted at some time in the distant past by another family. Most interestingly I have some knowledge and experience with two persons in the past whose family name was not Livingstone or Livingston who did the FamilytreeYDNA in their case because most interestingly because they had heard from old relatives years ago that at some point in time in the past a paternal ancestor had actually been a Livingstone/Livingston. In both of these two cases I was contacted by e-mail asking for my assistance and consultation regarding helping them to prove that their father's ancestor had actually been of highland Argyllshire Livingstone. In one case I investigated I found proof that their paternal ancestor had been most definitely been a Livingstone of a Western Argyllshire Livingstone whose father had settled in North Carolina in the 1790's and one of the sons had married and died apparently leaving behind a son in the 1830's or 1840's I think it was. Looking closely at North Carolina census records in the particular County and locality where this deceased Livingston gentleman and his son had lived it appeared to me likely his son to have adopted by a neighbouring family and also confirmed by 19th century North Carolina census info that neighbouring family to Livingstones had a family name which was the exact same as the gentleman who had contacted me who had done the YDNA test. So in that case there seemed to be a likely explanation why this other person also with a name other than Livingstone was matching with YDNA results relatively closely with Livingstons tested in the Livingstone FamilyTreedna Project. The other person who contacted me for help and advice regarding their most interesting YDNA results had credible family informatio also from old relatives that his paternal ancestor had also actually been born a Livingstone and in his case the gentleman who contacted me was most interestingly a very close match with a descendant of Dr Livingstone's great great nephew whom I had tested in 2006 or thereabouts with Family Tree DNA. If I understood this other gentleman who contacted me regarding his apparently very close Livingstone match correctly one his other elderly relatives years ago had told him old family stories about his grandfather having changed his name from Livingston to another family reasons for personal family reasons of his own at the time he was a young man. In both cases of these folks that contacted me had credible information that their ancestor with another family name had been born a Livingstone or Livingston.
A significant point which I wish to make in my final post and which I might add most regrettably most Clan Society Members are probably not aware of is that in the years since Rob Livingstone's passing I believe that one of his goals he spoke of to me before he died regarding the YDNA testing was in fact reached some years ago now as there have actually been a very significant number of Livingstones of Western Argyllshire ancestry who have been YDNA tested via the Family Tree YDNA Test since the early 2000's via the Familytreedna including those known to be ancestrally connected to Lismore, Appin and neighbouring Mull and Morvern Livingstones and those of other Parishes throughout Western Argyllshire which makes me think that we perhaps can't say anymore that not enough testing has taken place regarding Western Argyllshire Maclea Livingstones to be able to draw any conclusions regarding the results. Whatever one's view on the merits of YDNA testing it is considered by the scientific community, a great many genealogist these days and law enforcement as a very credible and reliable way of helping to identify people. I understand the kickback by some regarding the necessity or usefulness of YDNA for Clan Maclea Livingstone but the notion that the YDNA Test and genetic distance results that are sent to those tested by the YDNA experts at FamilytreeDNA can only be understood by those with a degree in Genetic Research quite frankly not quite quite true. The folks at Family Tree DNA no doubt spent many hours developing a format making the genetic distance results they send out with the listing organized by closest to farthest genetic distance results to those tested in a way that is as easily understandable as possible for those with out any DNA expertise who desire to learn about their about all their Livingstone/Livingston YDNA matches from the closest to the most distant genetically distant Livingstone match and their family origins. No doubt the more detailed explanations and complex science behind YDNA testing and the results are probably indeed are too complicated for most of us to comprehend but it seems to me that FamilyTreeDNA has made as much as possible an sincere effort to present the YDNA match results of those Livingstones tested in an understandable format from the closest to more distant YDNA matches I think in a way which can be easily understood by someone like me who I must confess got 39 in Grade 9 Science.
A final heart felt goodbye to all those out there past and present who really care or cared about the Highland Argyllshire Maclea Livingstone family research on this forum and thanks to all the wonderful folks who participated with this Forum with myself and others. Over these 20 years your support and input has been really appreciated. It has been truly a great honour and privilege to work with Baron Livingstone of Bachuil Lismore, Livingstones and related kin of Livingstones and learn from you about your Livingstone family and their history. Thanks again for sharing your Livingstone/Livingston family information with other Livingstones/Livingstons on this forum as well. No doubt many family researchers over the years have benefited in some way from your contribution.
It is often not easy for either the novice family historian or even the more experienced family historians out there doing their family research to always discern what is true and what is false with some of the family information contained in many submitted family histories and family trees available on the internet genealogy related sites these days. If at all possible look for surviving birth, baptism, marriage, death, census records and other records to help confirm your family history information is factually correct and credible and most importantly be very wary of some online family information which years of knowledge and experience with your family history research tells you makes absolutely no sense. From my own experience over a great many years of doing my own family research of a number of my ancestor's families online there are many family researchers unfortunately who are being mislead or fooled by inaccurate family information that they have perhaps not fact checked and have accepted as being true. As the very wise Theologian and Philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once stated there are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. Nuff said.
Farewell and Thanks,
Donald
After my recent battle with Cancer a few years ago and since more recent remission still having to deal on a daily basis with somewhat debilitating coughing issues and a damaged left lung and because of my age with a great deal of sadness I decided recently it was appropriate at this point in time to retire as Clan Historian of the Clan Maclea Livingstone Society and focus on my health, continuing my song writing efforts and what is left of my life. I appreciated very much some years ago now Baron Niall Livingstone of Bachuil, Lismore, Argyllshire, Scotland bestowing upon me the honour of being our Clan Society's Clan Historian and having more recently the opportunity to work with Greg Livingstone who is currently Clan Maclea Livingstone's outstanding North American Clan Commissioner. Being the Clan Historian for the Clan Maclea Livingstone Society was a responsibility which I hope that those who know me realize I did not take lightly and I have made every effort to work very hard to locate Livingstone family records volunteering my services over these many years frequently retrieving old Livingstone family records and helping assist those Livingstones/Livingstons both the Highland and also some of Lowland Livingstones with their family research. I have firmly believed over these years as Clan Historian of the Clan Maclea Livingstone Society that with the history and early origins of ancient Highland Scottish family group that many historical details are elusive and difficult to determine regarding our very ancient Western Argyllshire family group and my efforts over the years been to focus on working with Livingstones of Western Argyllshire ancestry with their family research and learning from them about their family histories along with encouraging them to consider Y DNA testing which the late Rob Livingstone a cousin of Baron Livingstone our Clan Chief convinced me back in 2006 would be most helpful in regards to a better understanding of our Clan origins. Years later I can say with absolute certainty that the YDNA testing of a significant number of Livingstones of proven Western Argyllshire ancestry by Familytreedna over the years and with some more sophisticated SNP testing provides some very significant new insights regarding the paternal ancestral origins of Clan Maclea Livingstones of the Parishes Western Argyllshire of the 18th and 19th century. Helping folks with their family history is just one aspect of my efforts and accomplishments which I could not achieved without the assistance of a number of descendants of Western Argyllshire Maclea Livingstones who have been so supportive of my efforts to get Maclea Livingstones with Livingstone ancestors known 18th and 19th century Western Argyllshire origin Y DNA tested since 2006 in line with my YDNA related discussion with the late Rob Livingston back in 2006. If I have ever erred somewhat in being overly diligent in my efforts as the Clan Society Historian most recently and in the past I most sincerely apologize for that. In what may most likely be my final post on this Forum I thought I would take a bit of time here taking you on a journey which began for me a little over 20 years ago sometime after I had first discovered this wonderful forum established by Baron Niall Livingstone with his cousin the late Rob Livingstone back in 2004. I also include an account of my Morvern Parish, Argyllshire Livingstone family research efforts back earlier in the 2000's.
Close to twenty years ago now I was having some very interesting, enjoyable and productive e-mail discussions with the late Rob Livingstone an American gentleman of Bachuil Livingstone, Lismore Parish, Argyllshire, Scottish ancestry, a cousin of Baron Livingstone when we discussed among other things his interest in YDNA testing with Familytreedna to help better understand and identify one's Livingstone ancestral origins and family connections. When we disagreed from time to time on some theories and understandings regarding Clan Maclea Livingstone back then early on regarding Clan Maclea Livingstone or aspects of the YDNA Project I sincerely believe it was always with a healthy respect of each other's difference of opinion. I remember Rob particularly enjoyed digging up some old 18th century obscure historic Argyllshire McLea document and emailing it to amaze me. I still don't know how or where he managed to find these old Argyllshire Maclea records but he had as one might say a certain set of skills in locating these rare documents much to my delight. Our bond and connection in that unfortunate very short period was our shared interest in each of our ancestral roots to a Western Argyllshire Livingstone families and a general love of family history research. Sadly much to my regret my Clan Maclea Livingstone colleague and new friend Rob Livingstone passed away in the Summer of 2006 just as we were getting to better know one another via e-mail and not long after these groundbreaking series of conversations which resulted in a most interesting and fruitful exchange of ideas regarding Livingstone family research and the very real possibility of future collaborative efforts. Perhaps in retrospect now that I think of it more than poor Rob was lost in the Summer of 2006.
I had learned some years prior to these discussions with Rob Livingstone that my great great great grandfather Miles Livingston born about 1775 in Argyllshire, Scotland was according to his 1812 marriage record "a native of Morvern" that is Morvern Parish in Western Argyllshire. He and his wife Janet Livingston his second wife also of Morvern, I now suspect a Livingstone cousin, were married in June 20, 1812 at the Church of Scotland Church in Bowmore in Kilarrow Parish on the Isle of Islay where they briefly stopped at on their way aboard the Schooner Staffa destined for the port of Sligo, Ireland where a Hudson's Bay Company vessel The Robert Taylor was waiting to take boatbuilder Miles Livington and Janet Livington, Miles son from his first marriage Donald Livingston and another boatbuilder another Morvern native Donald Livingston who I believe to have been my ancestor's brother in law to York Factory at Hudson's Bay in Hudson's Bay Territory in British North America. On June 24, 1812 The Robert Taylor with it's passengers and crew departed Sligo,Ireland after a bit of a pleasant send off by Lord Selkirk. 61 days later on August 26, 1812 the ship arrived at York Factory at Hudson's Bay. Later on September 9,1812 this party of settlers including Miles Livingston and his wife under Owen Kenevy began a departure by 11 boats and three canoes southward several hundred miles from the Fort at York Factory to the Forks of the Red River and the new colony of Lord Selkirk's. My Livingston ancestor Miles Livingston in Argyllshire had been recruited earlier in 1811 apparently by a highland agent of a Scottish Aristocrat and humanitarian Lord Selkirk to be a boatbuilder and employee of Lord Selkirk at his new Colony at Red River back then in what was Hudson's Bay Territory in British North America. In 1813 a daughter Nancy Livingston (Mrs. John Clink) my great great grandmother was the first of Miles and Janet Livingston's children born at Lord Selkirk's Red River Settlement. The following Year logs were floated down river and Miles had a log home constructed for him and his family along the banks of the Red River (present day Winnipeg, Manitoba,Canada) according to one surviving early settlement account. Miles Livingston with about 124 others from the original settlement group were however abruptly forced to leave Selkirk's settlement because of growing hostilities with the rival North West Company in 1815. Miles grabbed his musket and his tools that were technically property of Lord Selkirk and along with his wife Janet, his daughter Nancy my great great grandmother and a son Hugh Livingston and other Red River settlers boarded boats and canoes and departed the Red River Settlement on a lengthy and arduous journey via lakes, river and streams through vast wilderness until they reached York County, Upper Canada where Miles firstly found work utilizing his earlier experience as a boat builder. In 1817 Miles was hired by the British Navy in Upper Canada to build boats for them in the Lake Huron area. Following that in 1819 he petitioned for a land grant in Upper Canada receiving a land grant in Esquesing Township, Halton County and farmed there until about 1837 and then getting on in years and apparently with his wife deceased sometime prior to 1842 he moved to Acton possibly living with his youngest son Daniel Livingston there and found work in his old age as a barrel maker in the town of Acton where his son lived. There is no record when old Miles Livingston died but I assume it may have been in Acton in Halton County, Upper Canada later known as Ontario, Canada most likely sometime between the years 1842 and 1852. My great great grandfather John Clink 1810-1887 husband of Miles Livingston's eldest child Nancy Livingston was a witness at Mile's son Daniel Livingston's marriage to Elizabeth Marsales. Years later in the 1870's Daniel Livingston and his family left Acton, Halton County, Ontario, Canada and moved to Michigan, USA.
Years ago Baron Livingstone's late father Baron Alastair Livingstone of Bachuil, Lismore, Argyllshire had informed my father's cousin that there was a record in the Lismore Parish Church of Scotland records indicating that a "Myles Livingstone was baptized in the neighbouring Parish of Lismore and his parents were Donald Livingston and Catharine Campbell of Lismore Parish. A record from Lord Selkirk's Red River Colony Hudson's Bay Territory, British North America from 1815 regarding Selkirk employee/ Settler Miles Livingston indicated by his age in 1815 suggested also that he was indeed born by about 1775. A few years later the fellow boatbuilder Donald Livingston hired by Lord Selkirk for his Red River Settlement and likely brother in law of Miles Livingston states in a deposition that he was of Morvern and so it seems pretty certain that Miles Livingston the other boat builder hired by Lord Selkirk was also of "native of Morvern" as stated in Mile's 1812 marriage record.
Realizing however that I wanted to be "absolutely certain" that I was correct in my assumption that Miles Livingstone was most likely ancestrally connected to the Morvern Parish Livingstones I felt back then that Rob Livingston's suggestion that a YDNA test be done was a great idea to help sort out my Argyllshire Livingstone family origins issue except that the test needed the YDNA of a Livingston whose father grandfather great grandfather etc. had been a Livingston. My great great grandmother Nancy Livingston was Miles Livingston's daughter who married my paternal great great grandfather John Clink who was not a Livingston. Because of this it was necessary for me to try and locate a male Livingston cousin and see if they would agree to do a YDNA test with Family Tree DNA. Well at this time as luck would have it I was in touch with a Livingston cousin whom I had earlier discovered had been doing some Livingstone family research and I asked her if her Livingston father would be interested in doing a YDA test with Familytreedna who had tested prior a number of other Livingstones of known Western Argyllshire Maclea Livingstone ancestry. I funded this test of my Livingstone Cousin's father who had very kindly offered to do this test and the results have confirmed that my Livingston cousin's father was determined through his YDNA testing and his Maclea Livingston YDNA test surprisingly numerous close matches to be definitely Maclea Livingstone Western Argyllshire ancestry most closely related to a group of Livingston families formerly known as Maclea's or Maconleas who in the 18th and 19th centuries and apparently beginning as early as in the previous century were clustered in settlements along the Morvern Parish Coast line. My Livingstone Cousin's closest match was interestingly a Livingstone of Kilundine Morvern ancestry a labourer who later moved to Mull after his marriage in Kilninian Parish in 1805 to a Campbell woman in Mull where he then relocated.
Most interesting of all to me was one of my Livingston cousin's other almost as close YDNA matches with 64 out of 67 genetic markers having been found to match with my Livingston cousin YDNA test results.I learned from this American Livingstone gentleman who had been tested and found to be a close match with my Livingstone Cousin that he was a direct descendant of Ewen (Hugh) Livingston of Savary, Morvern a known brother of the famous Savary, Morvern 1745 Jacobite Hero Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 who is recorded in 1775 Argyll Census as Hugh Livingstone living beside Donald Livingstone his brother in Savary, Morvern after being informed of him by one of his cousins who was also doing her Morvern Livingston family research.I also encouraged back then this Livington gentleman of known Savary, Morvern area Maclea Livingstone ancestry linked to a brother of the Legendary Donald Livingstone of Savary Morvern to do the Family Tree YDNA test. This gentleman's Morvern Parish Livingstone family history info very much confirmed he was descended from a Hugh Livingston according to later family researchers in America, a grandson of Donald Livingstone's Ewen Livingstone of Savary Morvern who in the 1800's was a tenant farmer of Achbeg farm beside Savary Farm in Morvern in the 1840's before Hugh died around 1846.Hugh widow Euphemia (Effy) Livingston suffered greatly following her husbands death petitioned for poverty relief. Later in the 1850's Effy Livingstone and her children settled in Ohio. Other Morvern Livingston relatives of her late husband Hugh Livingstone of Achbeg farm near Savary, Morvern had settled earlier in New York State and also in Ohio. Effy Livingston's husband Hugh Livingston of Achbeg farm beside Savary in Morvern was a grandson of Ewen (Hugh) Livingston of Savary Morvern a brother of Donald Livingstone of Savary, Morvern. Here are few interesting tidbits I found in my research Hugh and Effy Livingston's grandson Duncan Livingston b. 1850 in Ohio. Duncan Livingston became a lawyer in Scioto County, Ohio and later in life a researcher and author of his Savary Morvern Livingston family history regarding his ancestor Ewen (Hugh) Livingston and his famous Jacobite brother Donald Livingston 1728-1816 of Savary, Morvern. Duncan Livingstone wrote a most interesting article in the March 1896 Celtic Monthly which mentioned some very interesting details regarding his older Livingstone relatives that were born in Morvern some who also settled in America in the 1800's and who knew their old Uncle Donald Livingstone of Savary 1728-1816 quite well in their younger days in Morvern.
Duncan Livingstone 1850-1910 of Scioto County, Ohio (Grandson of Hugh Livingstone d. 1846 of Achbeg Farm beside Savary in Morvern, Argyll descendant of Ewen (Hugh) Livingston of Savary, Morvern brother of Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 of Savary, Morvern)
March 1896 Celtic Monthly Duncan Livingston of Scioto County, Ohio
"The story of the preservation of the Appin banner at Culloden the writer has often heard, when a child, from two nieces of Donald Livingstone, Mrs. Mary Livingstone Boyd, and Sarah Livingstone Burke, who got the same from the lips of Donald himself. The former, Mrs. Boyd, died in the early part of the sixties, and the latter, Mrs. Burke, in the early part of the seventies, both at a ripe old age. They were daughters of his brother, Eoghan, or
Ewan.He also heard it when a child, and after arriving at manhood, from eight other descendants of Ewan. among whom the story is well known, as well as from several persons familiar with the traditions of Morven."
Interestingly years ago a found a 1716 Morvern record with a John McLea residing as a tenant at Achbeg beside Savary. I wondered at the time if this John Mclea in those 1716 Morvern records was Donald and Ewen Livingston's father known to have been later known as John Livingston later in the 1700's when Mcleas/ McOnleas after 1750 in Church of Scotland Parish records in Argyllshire were later no longer are referred to in the parish records as McLeas or Mconleas but either Livingstone or Livingston. The reason why the Argyllshire Clan McLea changed their name to Livingstone is not entirely certain or clear to me and all that I really know as a Livingstone researcher who has studied many Church of Scotland Argyllshire Parish records is that by the 1750's all the former Western Argyllshire McLeas from that decade of the 1750's and thereafter are always referred to in the entries as either Livingstone, Livingston or sometimes Levingston in the Argyllshire Parish records. This has always been a source of some mystery to me how this all managed somehow to happen to the former Argyllshire residents who had been in earlier decades in the 1700's as McLeas or other spelling variations such as McOnleas or the odd time McInlea.
I am very happy to report to you that a very significant number of Livingstones/Livingstons since I believe the early 2000's have been via a YDNA test offered by the wonderful DNA experts at Family Tree DNA. Members of Clan Maclea Livingstone including myself over the years have encouraged Livingstones, McLeas and others to the YDNA test with Family Tree DNA. One of the advantages of being tested by Family Treedna is that so many Livingstones of both Highland Western Argyllshire family origin and those of more likely of Lowland Livingstone origin have been tested so the potential that a Livingstone who does a test with them is relatively good that they will be a match with another Livingstone who has been tested or several Livignstones who have been tested. Over the many years since then I have endeavoured to both assist Livingstones of Western Argyllshire origins with their Livingstone ancestry research and as well in keeping with Baron Livingstone's late cousin's wishes and our discussions encouraged a significant number of these Livingstones to do the family tree YDNA test. As a result enough of them were tested including many who signed up for YDNA testing with Family Tree DNA who had never visited our Clan forum. and in the almost all Livingstone of known and documented Western Argylshire Maclea Livingstone ancestry matched up "primarily" with two FamilytreeYDA Livingstone YDNA match groups with most interestingly one mostly with those Livingstones of known Bachuil, Lismore Livingston ancestry who ancestors resided on the Isle of Lismore and nearby Appin Parish and in some case elsewhere. A second more predominate and significantly larger match group over 25 "Livingstone/Livingston matches which most of those documented Western Argylslhire Livingstones matched up was largely of Mull, Morvern Maclea Livingstone tested descendants some of whose ancestors also lived in nearby Ballachulish and other locations in Western Argyllshire. Although two Livingstones were tested whose ancestor lived in neighbouring Perthshire there results strongly suggested were also most likely also of neighbouring Western Argyllshire ancestry. Included in this largely Mull and Morvern based Livingstone group was my Livingston cousin a descendant of Miles Livingston of Morvern and another Livingston known to be a descendant of Ewen Livingston of Savary, Morvern brother of the famous Morvern Jacobite soldier Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 of Savary Morvern. It is perhaps interesting to note that years ago I did with great effort finally locate a proven direct descendant of Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 a Livingstone gentleman residing in Renfrewshire, Scotland who did indeed confirm when I contacted him by e-mail that his Livingstone grandmother had done their Livingstone research years earlier had told him that their Livingston ancestor was indeed Donald Livingstone of Savary, Morvern. While he was quite proud of his family connection to the famous Donald Livingstone of Savary Morvern I was unable to interest him in our YDNA Project with Family Tree DNA regrettably. Fortunately as mentioned a Livingstone descendant of Donald Livingstone's brother Hugh (Ewen) Livingstone also of Savary Morvern was very interested like me in Morvern Livingstone family research and was very helpful sharing her Ewen Livingstone family history and what is more introducing me to a Livingston cousin who lived in the Southern United States who I got in contact with and he most very kindly agreed to the Familytreedna YDNA test for me. This of course I appreciated was the next best thing to having a direct descendant of Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 do the YDA test and realistically our only likely chance at getting a very probable relation of Donald Livingston in this case his brother's descendant tested. .
Regarding my Morvern Family research it was clear from Y DNA testing of my Livingstone cousin like me a descendant of Miles Livingston b. 1775 of a native of Morvern parish who settled in Canada in 1812, that we were in some way connected to and related to a large group of Maclea Livingstones who resided along the Morvern coast in Western Argyllshire near the Isle of Lismore and Mull. My Livingston cousins closest Y DNA marker match with 67 markers tested was a Livingston of Killundine Morvern ancestry Kilundine being one of the number of settlement along the coast but as mentioned my Livingston cousin was also a relatively close match also with a descendant of Ewen Livingston also known as Hugh Livingston who is a brother of the famous Morvern Jacobite and supporter of Bonnie Prince Charlie in the Rebellion of 1745 was was the at the Battle of Culloden in April 1746 serving with Stewarts of Appin Regiment. All of this of course pleased me great deal to to be able to tell my elderly father that our Livingston relatives were related to a Morvern Livingston family whose ancestor was known by that family to have been a brother of the famous old Morvern Parish Jacobite Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 a one time Savary Mill and Inn operator and a local legend for a number of years before his death as an old man in 1816 and long after his death. He was married to a Jane Stewart. Years ago some of you may remember I wrote a bio on Donald Livingstone of Savary, Morvern for our Newsletter. According to Alexander Carmichael's original Field Notes from the late 1800's regarding Donald Livingstone of Savary, Morvern:
Donald Livingstone of Savary
John Livingstone of Achnacree went to Morvern. His son Donald fought at Culloden age 18. Nine Donald's were shot down dead carrying the bratach of the Prince (Bonnie Prince Charlie) when Donald Livingstone took it up and swathed round his body. He was shot down and thought to be dead but he got up
with nine bullet wounds - fresh wounds which were seen in his body when he died age 79 or 80 years old. Never had trews on. He was a drover to George? being a commissariat to the garrison at Ft. William to the last. Died at Morvern. He had six sons - two of whom were drown on Cuanna h-Eirinn having a vessel of their own which they traded to Ireland. There were two daughters died unmarried. Donald Molach - Hairy Donald he was called in Savary. His wife was Jane Stewart of Ardslignish. The mother of Donull Molach was Ann McInnes native of Morvern.
Donald Livingstone's Maclea ancestor's were said apparently by either his elderly nephew or his nieces residing in America in the 1800's to have arrived in the Savary Morvern area as early as the year 1600. Given the problems the Achnacree Mcleas had with hostile Campbells earlier in the 1500s' they may had some motivations to perhaps relocate elsewhere in the area. The possible arrival of Donald Livingstone's Achnacree ancestors as early as the year 1600 is further supported by the fact that a 1716 list records numerous McLea/McOnlea heads of household residing in Morvern Parish by early 1700's and therefore it is almost certain they were there before that in the 1600's.
In the years following YDNA testing of a Livingston cousin and confirmation from the YDNA results confirming significant match results with at least three Livingstones of known ancestral connections to Morvern Maclea Livingstone family origin and also a number of other Livngstons whose Argyllshire Livingstone ancestry was of Livingstons who resided in neighbouring Kilninian Parish, Mull I began to do research on the Maclea-Livingstones of Morvern and located some interesting information pertaining to Maclea Livingstones that lived in Morvern in the 18rh and 19th Century. As earlier mentioned one of the old Achbeg near Savary, Morvern Livingstones related to Donald Livingstone's brother Ewen (Hugh) Livingstone of Savary Morvern had stated that their Livingstone family branch of which it is almost certain my own Livingstone family was a part of arrived in the Morvern Parish area in the Savary/Achbeg Morvern area by about 1600. Some years ago now I found book published in 1998 by the Scottish Record Society "Inhabitants of the Inner Isles 1716 which included some McLeas/Mconleas list of heads of household in Morvern Parish some of whom were likely ancestrally connected to my Mcleas Livingstone ancestors who were residing at this time in the early 18th century I am quite certain in settlements and farms along the Morvern coastline back then. Interestingly this list of McLeas/Mconleas/McInlays etc. of Morvern made note of those who year after the 1715 Rebellion were currently in possession of swords or firearms. As of many of the heads of these heads of households may have indeed have been Jacobites and active participants in the earlier 1715 Rebellion it is not then too surprising that of Morvern area McLea/Mconleas of our Clan back then would have been found to still possess a weapon. I include from my study of this record years ago those possibility related to my Morvern Maclea Livingstone family group. There are a number of interesting early 18th century quite common spelling variations of early McLea/McOnlea/McOnlay etc. Back then in the 18th century there was quite a bit of flexibility in the spelling.
Inhabitants of the Inner Isles 1716 Morvern Parish Those suspected of still having Arms after the 1715 Rebellion
Dugald McEan V Inlay (V Inlay Savarie (Savary). (V Inlay or VcInlay an early 18th century a variation of McInlay also spelt as Mconlea)
John McLea Achbeg (beside Savary) "gave his sword and his dirk" (Could he have been the father of Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 later of Savary who later joined the Appin Regiment of Charles Stewart of Appin and served during the later 1745 Rebellion?)
Dugald McEan VcInlay Kilintine (Kilundine) "has a sword"
Donald McOlonie Finarie Finarie (Finuary)
Donald McLea Sallachan (Salachan)
Donald McLea Fernish "Has no arms"
Duncan McLea Achalinan (Achleanan) "His son gave in a gun being all the arms he had."
The Church of Scotland Parish records for Morvern Parish are a helpful source of locating baptism and marriage records of Livingstones dating from as early as 1803. Unfortunately there are no Church records prior to that in the 1700's which have survived. Neighbouring Lismore Parish has records dating back earlier in the last half of the 1700's and oddly enough there was as the late Baron Alastair Livingstone of Bachuil, Lismore pointed out to my late father's 2nd cousin years ago there is most interestingly a baptism record of a "Myles Livingstone" baptized in 1775 in the Lismore Parish Church of Scotland records which may or may not be my Livingstone ancestor. An 1815 record from Lord Selkirk's Red River Colony in Hudson's Bay Territory in what was back then British North America list the age of my great great great grandfather Miles Livingston in 1815 which suggest he would have born around the year 1775 but Miles stated in his 1812 marriage record as he was travelling to Lord Selkirk's Red River Colony as a boatbuilder for the Settlers that he and wife Janet also a Livingston were as minister recorded in the parish record "natives of Morvern".
While most regrettably for Morvern Livingstone family researchers no Church of Scotland Parish records of 18th century birth, baptism or marriages have not survived I was delighted to find years ago that The Scottish Record Society in 1963 had published Inhabitants of the Argyll Estate 1779 which includes alisting of the "Livingstone" heads of household of Morvern Parish circa 1779 many of them I assume having some close Morvern Maclea Livingstone family and ancestral connection to with my ancestor Miles Livingstone and his family. Amongst the most interesting Livingstone residents mentioned as residing in Morvern in the year 1779 is the well know Morvern Livingstone Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 of Savary Morvern and listed with him as residing also in Savary is his known brother Hugh or also known as Ewen Livingstone of Savary, Morvern whose grandson Hugh Livingstone is years later recorded in the 1841 Scottish Census residing as a tenant farmer at neighbouring Achbeg beside Savary in Morvern parish. Years ago now a known decendant of this farmer Hugh Livingston who died around 1846 and was known to have been a direct descendant of Ewen Livingstone's brother Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 did a YDNA Test with my encouragement and his results were my close match as I suspected with my own Livingstone cousin of Morvern Livingstone ancestry whom was also YDNA tested years ago. I included below a very interesting and rare glimpse of Morvern Parish Livingstones heads of household residing in Morvern Parish, Argyllshire circa 1779. The 1779 Census was compiled by John Duke of Argyll 5th Duke of Argyll and largely compiled in the Autumn of 1779.
List of Families Residing Upon His Grace The Duke of Argyll's Estate in Morvern in September of 1779
Donald Livingstone Cottar and family Killunden (my cousin's closest YDNA Livingston match was a Livingstone of Killundine Morvern Livingstone descent)
John Livingstone tenant and family Terenish
Neil Livingstone workman and family Terenish
John Livingstone workman and family Terenish
John Livingstone and wife Terenish
Ann Livingstone Cottar and sons Terenish
Hugh Livingstone tenant and family Aulisline
Duncan Livingstone tenant and family Aulisline
Hugh Livingstone grass keeper and family Portavata
Donald Livingstone cotta and family Barr
John Livingstone workman and family Barr
Donald Livingstone workman and family Rahoy
Catharine Livingstone cottar and family Rahoy
Malcom Livingstone tenant and family Savary
Donald Livingstone tenant and family Savary ( Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 Appin Regiment 1745-1746, later Savary Miller and Inn Keeper)
Hugh Livingstone Grasskeeper and family Savary (brother of Donald Livingstone also known as Ewen Livingstone)
Angus Livingstone workman and family Funary
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My great great great grandfather Miles Livingston b.1775 was fortunate that he was not an impoverished tenant farmer but had a skilled trade as both a carpenter, barrel maker and a boatbuilder when he was hired by a highland recruiter of Lord Selkirk's to firstly work as boat builder early on at his settlement but sometime after arriving in the fall of 1812 at Lord Selkirk's Red River Settlement in Hudson's Bay Territory, British North America focused upon being a settler. Earlier I have reason to believe that some of my Livingston ancestor's Morvern Livingston cousins and him went sometime before 1812 to the Isle of Islay looking for work but I don't have much information on that. Truth be told Miles Livingston was probably fortunate to have a skilled trade which helped him get hired by Lord Selkirk's highland agent prior to his departure for British North America in June of 1812. Other Livingstones of Morvern Parish in the years after Miles Livingston had left for Canada Morvern tenants experienced increasing pressures to remain tenant farmers in Morvern Parish. As he 19th century progressed there were more and more landowners considering sheep grazing on their lands more profitable in the end than subsistence tenant farmers and clearances of tenants became more common. Then in the mid 1840's the potato crop in Ireland and in Argyllshire Scotland including in Morvern and Mull Parish further added to suffering and fears of tenant farmers and their families in Morvern Parish. While there were those in Scotland who were greatly concerned about the plight of highland families in Argylshire impacted by the crop failure in the 1840's others particularly some newspaper editors in lowland Scotland were less than sympathetic with the plight of the tenant farming families in Argyllshire. While there was not a whole lot of sympathy for the struggling tenant farmers in Morvern in the 1840's by the landowners the Church of Scotland minister in Morvern Parish Rev. McLeod during this time was particularly concerned and vocal about the suffering of Morvern Parish and did what he could to help his tenants during the Potato crop failure and resulting famine.
One interesting document a petition I located years ago from the 1840's I think highlighted the sincere efforts of ordinary residents in the area who were hoping a railroad development in the area would help to get food to the vulnerable tenants in Morvern Parish and other neighbouring Parishes.
Great Britain Treasury Correspondence from July 1846 to February 1847 Related to The Measures Adopted for the Relief of Distress in Scotland Published in London 1847
Petition for the District of Morvern Argyllshire fro Advance of the Oban Railway[/b] Page 146
Unto the Right Honourable the Lords of Her Majesty's Treasury The Petition of the Freeholders, Justice of the Peace, Commissioners of Supply, Clergy and People of the District of Morvern in the County of Argyle
Humbly Sheweth,
That it has been the pleasure of the Almighty God to impend this part of the country the calamity of famine through the total failure of the potato crop upon which the working population do almost entirely subsist. That this famine will leave the people entirely destitute, how soon they shall have consumed their small crops of oats and barley, which cannot last them above two or three months at the very farthest; and this is a fact which we consider it our duty to make known to your Lordships and at the same time respectively to suggest a measure which under Providence might very greatly to mitigate the evil.
In the last session of Parliament an Act was passed empowering certain parties to form and make a railway to give transit to passengers, goods and livestock betwixt Oban in the County of Argyle and the city of Glasgow - a railway communication which when completed will be the first importance to the people of this country and it would tend greatly to the diminution of the distress that must arise from the failure of the potato crop in the Highlands of Scotland. if Government saw it proper to advance upon proper security to the joint stock company for the construction of the aforesaid railway such funds as may be required to enable them forthwith to begin their operation. May it therefore please your Lordship to take what is above stated into your consideration and to do in the matter what to your Lordships appear best.
And your Petitioners will ever pray
John Sinclair fo Lochaline J.P.
Donald McVean Tackman of Kenlochalen
Duncan Campbell Tackman of Achfose
John Cameron Merchant Lochaline
Donald McLaughlin Tenant Achbeg
Donald McInnis Tenant Kyle
Duncan McCullum Tenant Kyle
Allan Watt Tackman Ardness
William Allan Merchant Lochaline
David Smith Tackman Auchnath
John McInnes Tenant Savery
Alex McInnes Tenant Savery
William Blackley Tackman Drumbose
Alexander McNab Drimmin
By the 1840's and 1850 there was a further threat to Livingstone tenants of Morvern Parish and that was the clearances from their farms by the landowners. This continued steadily through this time and for some time thereafter in the 19th century resulting in forcing or encouraging many tenants to have little choice other than relocating to lowland Scotland, Ireland, England or as a good number in Western Argyllshire did emigrate to North America or Australia. As a result the departure of numerous Morvern Parish tenants from Morvern Parish in the 19th century we can get a good sense of this from studying the Scottish census records from years 1841 to 1901 the steady decline in the numbers of LIvngstones residing in Morvern Parish recorded from the year 1841 to 1901. The DNA testing has so far strongly suggested many of these Morvern Parish Livingstone/Livingston tenant families were probably related closely or more distantly to each other and likely related in some way to my own Livingston cousins in North America.
Population Decline of Livingstons/Livingstones/Levingstons in Morvern according to the 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901 Scottish Census
1841 Livingston 89 Livingstone 0 Levingston 1 Total 90
1851 Livingston 68 Livingstone 0 Levingston 11 Total 79
1861 Livngston 55 Livingstone 14 Levingston 0 Total 69
1871 Livingston 19 Livingstone 6 Levingston 0 Total 25
1881 Livingston 8 Livingstone 11 Levingston o Toral 19
1891 Livingston 11 Livingstone 1 Levingston 0 Total 12
1901 Livingston 3 Livingstone 6 Levingston 0 Total 9
Regarding the Highland Clearances there are I have discovered over the years many great books that have been written about this very sad and dark chapter of Highland Scotland history. I can recommend a few. This is one topic which I very much regret was not discussed very much at all on our forum but which had such a devastating impact to a great many Western Argyllshire families including Livingstone/Livingston families in the 1800's. I must check my library upstairs. (To be continued.)
With the Livingstone/Livingston YDNA test results with Family Tree DNA those who have been tested I have noticed with some interest that in addition to some Livingstone/Livingston YDNA matches there are also a number of other YDNA matches consisting of those of other families YDA test other than Livingstones. I am not a YDNA expert and even if I was I am sure I would not necessarily be able to fully explain why a non Livingstone family member is a close or more distant match to your Y DNA Livingstone results. However one scenario I know know does explain why for some these reason some of the "other families are matching with Livingstones/Livingstons who were Y DNA tested by Familytreedna is that they had a paternal ancestor born a Maclea/Livingstone who was adopted at some time in the distant past by another family. Most interestingly I have some knowledge and experience with two persons in the past whose family name was not Livingstone or Livingston who did the FamilytreeYDNA in their case because most interestingly because they had heard from old relatives years ago that at some point in time in the past a paternal ancestor had actually been a Livingstone/Livingston. In both of these two cases I was contacted by e-mail asking for my assistance and consultation regarding helping them to prove that their father's ancestor had actually been of highland Argyllshire Livingstone. In one case I investigated I found proof that their paternal ancestor had been most definitely been a Livingstone of a Western Argyllshire Livingstone whose father had settled in North Carolina in the 1790's and one of the sons had married and died apparently leaving behind a son in the 1830's or 1840's I think it was. Looking closely at North Carolina census records in the particular County and locality where this deceased Livingston gentleman and his son had lived it appeared to me likely his son to have adopted by a neighbouring family and also confirmed by 19th century North Carolina census info that neighbouring family to Livingstones had a family name which was the exact same as the gentleman who had contacted me who had done the YDNA test. So in that case there seemed to be a likely explanation why this other person also with a name other than Livingstone was matching with YDNA results relatively closely with Livingstons tested in the Livingstone FamilyTreedna Project. The other person who contacted me for help and advice regarding their most interesting YDNA results had credible family informatio also from old relatives that his paternal ancestor had also actually been born a Livingstone and in his case the gentleman who contacted me was most interestingly a very close match with a descendant of Dr Livingstone's great great nephew whom I had tested in 2006 or thereabouts with Family Tree DNA. If I understood this other gentleman who contacted me regarding his apparently very close Livingstone match correctly one his other elderly relatives years ago had told him old family stories about his grandfather having changed his name from Livingston to another family reasons for personal family reasons of his own at the time he was a young man. In both cases of these folks that contacted me had credible information that their ancestor with another family name had been born a Livingstone or Livingston.
A significant point which I wish to make in my final post and which I might add most regrettably most Clan Society Members are probably not aware of is that in the years since Rob Livingstone's passing I believe that one of his goals he spoke of to me before he died regarding the YDNA testing was in fact reached some years ago now as there have actually been a very significant number of Livingstones of Western Argyllshire ancestry who have been YDNA tested via the Family Tree YDNA Test since the early 2000's via the Familytreedna including those known to be ancestrally connected to Lismore, Appin and neighbouring Mull and Morvern Livingstones and those of other Parishes throughout Western Argyllshire which makes me think that we perhaps can't say anymore that not enough testing has taken place regarding Western Argyllshire Maclea Livingstones to be able to draw any conclusions regarding the results. Whatever one's view on the merits of YDNA testing it is considered by the scientific community, a great many genealogist these days and law enforcement as a very credible and reliable way of helping to identify people. I understand the kickback by some regarding the necessity or usefulness of YDNA for Clan Maclea Livingstone but the notion that the YDNA Test and genetic distance results that are sent to those tested by the YDNA experts at FamilytreeDNA can only be understood by those with a degree in Genetic Research quite frankly not quite quite true. The folks at Family Tree DNA no doubt spent many hours developing a format making the genetic distance results they send out with the listing organized by closest to farthest genetic distance results to those tested in a way that is as easily understandable as possible for those with out any DNA expertise who desire to learn about their about all their Livingstone/Livingston YDNA matches from the closest to the most distant genetically distant Livingstone match and their family origins. No doubt the more detailed explanations and complex science behind YDNA testing and the results are probably indeed are too complicated for most of us to comprehend but it seems to me that FamilyTreeDNA has made as much as possible an sincere effort to present the YDNA match results of those Livingstones tested in an understandable format from the closest to more distant YDNA matches I think in a way which can be easily understood by someone like me who I must confess got 39 in Grade 9 Science.
A final heart felt goodbye to all those out there past and present who really care or cared about the Highland Argyllshire Maclea Livingstone family research on this forum and thanks to all the wonderful folks who participated with this Forum with myself and others. Over these 20 years your support and input has been really appreciated. It has been truly a great honour and privilege to work with Baron Livingstone of Bachuil Lismore, Livingstones and related kin of Livingstones and learn from you about your Livingstone family and their history. Thanks again for sharing your Livingstone/Livingston family information with other Livingstones/Livingstons on this forum as well. No doubt many family researchers over the years have benefited in some way from your contribution.
It is often not easy for either the novice family historian or even the more experienced family historians out there doing their family research to always discern what is true and what is false with some of the family information contained in many submitted family histories and family trees available on the internet genealogy related sites these days. If at all possible look for surviving birth, baptism, marriage, death, census records and other records to help confirm your family history information is factually correct and credible and most importantly be very wary of some online family information which years of knowledge and experience with your family history research tells you makes absolutely no sense. From my own experience over a great many years of doing my own family research of a number of my ancestor's families online there are many family researchers unfortunately who are being mislead or fooled by inaccurate family information that they have perhaps not fact checked and have accepted as being true. As the very wise Theologian and Philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once stated there are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. Nuff said.
Farewell and Thanks,
Donald