Jean McLeoran's daughters
Jean McLeoran 1796 - 1869
The birth of Jean McLeoran
Margaret McVicar worked at Amod farm, Southend, when she married Malcolm McLeoran Senior in 1795. It was there Jean McLeoran (recorded as "Lonan") was born on 3 Dec 1796. Amod farm exists today and the buildings, little changed, are visible from Google Streetview.
Margaret McVicar worked at Amod farm, Southend, when she married Malcolm McLeoran Senior in 1795. It was there Jean McLeoran (recorded as "Lonan") was born on 3 Dec 1796. Amod farm exists today and the buildings, little changed, are visible from Google Streetview.
Amod farm, birthplace of Jean McLeoran, located at the head of Glen Breackerie.
3 Dec 1796 Birth record of Jean McLeoran (Lonan)
The Life of Jean McLeoran
Jean was the older sister of Malcolm McLaran. She never married and lived in Southend until her death in 1869. Jean was listed as a seamstress in the 1851 Census, living in a cottage at Carskey - almost certainly today's "Shore Cottage" - located south of the road to Feorlin (and the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse) on the beach.
Jean's two daughters were fathered by different men, 8 years apart. Her first daughter Isabella McLeure was born in 1827 at Feorlin, home of Malcolm Jnr and his family. Isabella's father, Samuel McLeure, appears to have been an itinerant weaver. Feorlin had just 2 rooms with more than one window so life must have been cramped for the seven (at least) McLeorans living there around 1830:
Jean's second daughter, Ann Mackay, born on 6 Mar 1835, was fathered by a man named Peter Mackay. Two men by that name lived in Southend at that time, but Ann's likely father was an agricultural labourer on a farm near Carskey who had several children with his legal wife in the mid to late 1820s. The Southend church refused to register the birth.
However, Ann's birthdate is recorded on her headstone in Linton, North Dakota. The Southend Kirk Sessions available around 1835 make no mention of her birth. (The Kirk Sessions devoted a large proportion of their time to reprimanding parishioners after illegitimate births and "prenuptial" sexual relations - i.e. births conceived prior to marriage.)
Jean was the older sister of Malcolm McLaran. She never married and lived in Southend until her death in 1869. Jean was listed as a seamstress in the 1851 Census, living in a cottage at Carskey - almost certainly today's "Shore Cottage" - located south of the road to Feorlin (and the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse) on the beach.
Jean's two daughters were fathered by different men, 8 years apart. Her first daughter Isabella McLeure was born in 1827 at Feorlin, home of Malcolm Jnr and his family. Isabella's father, Samuel McLeure, appears to have been an itinerant weaver. Feorlin had just 2 rooms with more than one window so life must have been cramped for the seven (at least) McLeorans living there around 1830:
- Malcolm McLaran and his wife Margaret McQuilkan;
- Archibald McLeoran, Malcolm's illegitimate son;
- John McMillan McLeoran;
- Malcolm McLeoran;
- Jean McLeoran
- Isabella McLeure;
- possibly Archibald McLeoran, Jean and Malcolm's brother;
- perhaps Samuel McLeure too.
Jean's second daughter, Ann Mackay, born on 6 Mar 1835, was fathered by a man named Peter Mackay. Two men by that name lived in Southend at that time, but Ann's likely father was an agricultural labourer on a farm near Carskey who had several children with his legal wife in the mid to late 1820s. The Southend church refused to register the birth.
However, Ann's birthdate is recorded on her headstone in Linton, North Dakota. The Southend Kirk Sessions available around 1835 make no mention of her birth. (The Kirk Sessions devoted a large proportion of their time to reprimanding parishioners after illegitimate births and "prenuptial" sexual relations - i.e. births conceived prior to marriage.)
14 Jul 1869 Death record of Jean McLeoran
1869 Death of Jean McLeoran
This death record of Malcolm McLaran's sister neatly confirms all the recent findings about the family, in birth, wedding, death and census records:
This death record of Malcolm McLaran's sister neatly confirms all the recent findings about the family, in birth, wedding, death and census records:
- Jean never married and worked as a seamstress;
- she lived in a cottage at Carsky;
- Ann Mackay was her daughter;
- her parents were Malcom McLeoran and Margaret McVicar (both deceased);
- she was 72 years of age, thus being born in 1796.
The Legacy of Jean McLeoran
It appears that Jean may have been the very last of the McLeorans to die at Southend. Her younger brother Malcolm and the majority of his family had migrated to Australia in 1852, her brother Archibald and his family had emigrated to Victoria and her daughter Isabella left around 1847. Only Ann Mackay and her 3 year old daughter remained, but by 1891, all of Ann's family had migrated to North Dakota and the promise of the American west.
Jean appears to have been a very resilient and capable woman, one who was not willing to bow to convention. Her female descendants born in Southend - Isabella, Ann, Margaret and Catherine - displayed similar qualities. They flourished in the Badlands of North Dakota in a time when the Indian wars were barely finished. The four female descendants all enjoyed longevity, their average life span was just short of 90 years. Jean had (at last count) five grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. Her descendants prospered in the USA in a way they could never have hoped to achieve in Southend. Some married Indian descendants and one married a descendant of the 5th Vice President of the USA, Elbridge Gerry of gerrymander fame. Another became a North Dakota state senator. Today her descendants are spread from Los Angels to Washington DC, some in very prominent positions, others listed as "cow whisperers".
It appears that Jean may have been the very last of the McLeorans to die at Southend. Her younger brother Malcolm and the majority of his family had migrated to Australia in 1852, her brother Archibald and his family had emigrated to Victoria and her daughter Isabella left around 1847. Only Ann Mackay and her 3 year old daughter remained, but by 1891, all of Ann's family had migrated to North Dakota and the promise of the American west.
Jean appears to have been a very resilient and capable woman, one who was not willing to bow to convention. Her female descendants born in Southend - Isabella, Ann, Margaret and Catherine - displayed similar qualities. They flourished in the Badlands of North Dakota in a time when the Indian wars were barely finished. The four female descendants all enjoyed longevity, their average life span was just short of 90 years. Jean had (at last count) five grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. Her descendants prospered in the USA in a way they could never have hoped to achieve in Southend. Some married Indian descendants and one married a descendant of the 5th Vice President of the USA, Elbridge Gerry of gerrymander fame. Another became a North Dakota state senator. Today her descendants are spread from Los Angels to Washington DC, some in very prominent positions, others listed as "cow whisperers".