Jean McLeoran, her two daughters, and their descendants
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)
Jean McLeoran's early years
Jean was the older sister of Malcolm McLaran. She never married and lived continually in Southend until her death in 1869.
It is possible that Jean's mother, Margaret McVicar, died around the time of the birth of Archibald in 1807. (This is yet to be confirmed but there appears to be no further children of Malcom McLeoran and Margaret McVicar. The absence of a birth record for Archibald may also indicate this was tragic time for the family.) If this is so, then 11 years old Jean, with seven year old and infant brothers, would have played a major mothering role from a very early age. (Again: this is speculation.)
Jean's two daughters were fathered by different men, eight 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, was an itinerant weaver, possibly born around 1801.
According to Census records, 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:
The crowded accommodation at Feorlin may have resulted in a move for Jean and her family to Carskey Shore Cottage?
Jean's second daughter, Ann Mackay, born on 6 Mar 1835, was fathered by a man named Peter Mackay. 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 for 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 continually in Southend until her death in 1869.
It is possible that Jean's mother, Margaret McVicar, died around the time of the birth of Archibald in 1807. (This is yet to be confirmed but there appears to be no further children of Malcom McLeoran and Margaret McVicar. The absence of a birth record for Archibald may also indicate this was tragic time for the family.) If this is so, then 11 years old Jean, with seven year old and infant brothers, would have played a major mothering role from a very early age. (Again: this is speculation.)
Jean's two daughters were fathered by different men, eight 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, was an itinerant weaver, possibly born around 1801.
According to Census records, 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 Junior (30) and his wife Margaret McQuilkan (34);
- Archibald McLeoran (8), Malcolm's illegitimate son;
- John McMillan McLeoran (4);
- Malcolm McLeoran (2);
- Jean McLeoran (34);
- Isabella McLeure (3);
- possibly Archibald McLeoran (23), Jean and Malcolm's brother;
- perhaps Samuel McLeure too;
- and perhaps Malcolm McLeoran Senior (59) may have been alive at this time too?
The crowded accommodation at Feorlin may have resulted in a move for Jean and her family to Carskey Shore Cottage?
Jean's second daughter, Ann Mackay, born on 6 Mar 1835, was fathered by a man named Peter Mackay. 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 for illegitimate births and "prenuptial" sexual relations - i.e. births conceived prior to marriage.)
Summary of the major events in Jean McLeoran's 72 years:
- 3 Dec 1796 Jean McLeoran was born at Amod, Southend;
- 1800 birth of Jean's brother, Malcolm Mclaren;
- 1807 probable birth of her brother, Archibald, and arguably the death of her mother Margaret McVicar;
- 1827 birth of Jean's first daughter, Isabella McLeure, at Feorlin, Southend;
- 1835 birth of Jean's second daughter, Ann Mackay, at Southend;
- 1841 Census, Jean lived at Carskey Shore Cottage with her daughters and her nephew, Malcolm McLaran's illegitimate son Archibald McLeoran, next door to her brother, Archibald;
- 1847 marriage of daughter Isabella (20) to Alexander Kennedy of Tiree - the most westerly island in the Inner Hebrides;
- 1848 birth of Jean's first grandchild, Jane Kennedy, at Tiree;
- 1851 Census, Jean (a seamstress) still lived at Carskey Shore Cottage with her daughter Ann Mackay, alongside Archibald and his family;
- 1857 second marriage of daughter Isabella, to Thomas Corlett;
- 1861 Census, Jean lived alone in the same cottage;
- 1864 birth of granddaughter Jane Corlett;
- 1865 birth of grandson, Thomas Corlett;
- 1866 birth of granddaughter Margaret Jones Mackay, aka Burns, daughter of Ann Mackay and John Jones;
- 14 Jul 1869 death of Jean McLeoran at Southend, cause of death "general debility".
14 Jul 1869 Death record of Jean McLeoran
1869 Death of Jean McLeoran
This death record of Malcolm McLaran's sister neatly confirms the details contained in birth, wedding, death and census records:
This death record of Malcolm McLaran's sister neatly confirms the details contained 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);
- Jean was listed as a "pauper" - a recipient of Kirk assistance;
- she was 72 years of age, confirming her birth year as 1796.
Carskey Shore Cottage
The Legacy of Jean McLeoran
Jean was the very last of the descendants of Malcom McLeoran and Margaret McVicar to die at Southend. By the early 1860s, her younger brother Malcolm and his family had emigrated to Australia and places unknown, her brother Archibald and his family had emigrated to Victoria, and her daughter Isabella was living in Northumberland. Only her daughter, Ann Mackay and Ann's daughter Margaret remained. By 1891, Ann, her two daughters and her only grandchild had emigrated to North Dakota and the promise of the American west.
Jean appears to have been a very resilient and capable woman, and one who was not willing to bow to the convention or the restrictions of marriage. These traits appear to have been passed on to her daughters and grandchildren. By remaining single, she controlled the number of her offspring as did her daughter Ann - this may have been a reaction to the possible death of her mother Margaret McVicar in child birth.
Ann and her daughters Margaret and Catherine prospered in North and South Dakota in a time when the Indian wars were barely finished. Her four Southend-born female descendants all enjoyed longevity, their average life span falling just short of 90 years.
Apart from Peter McKay, Jean and her daughters (as did Malcolm and Archibald) chose partners who were not from the western side of Southend. i.e. they chose to breed with fresh outsider blood rather than the traditional gene pool.
Jean's daughter Ann Mackay aka Burns continued to live at Carskey Shore Cottage until 1891, no doubt courtesy of the McVicar connection. Perhaps this was a "grace and favour" arrangement instigated by Jean's cousin, John McMillan MacNeill, the laird of Carskey.
Ann Mackay's USA descendants advanced their lives in ways they could never have hoped 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 coast to coast, some in very prominent positions, others famous as "cow whisperers".
Jean's daughter, Isabella, had many descendants who lived in the UK. Her branch of the family is subject to ongoing research.
It is interesting to compare Jean's family's final destination with those of Malcolm's and Archibald's. With mass emigration from Kintyre and Southend in particular after 1820, it is doubtful that Ann, Margaret and Catherine considered Southend offered them an acceptable future. Margaret's marriage to William Colville from Campbeltown (after he had travelled alone to North Dakota) precipitated the emigration of Ann and her remaining family to the USA in 1891. Without Margaret's marriage to William, the family may well have chosen to remain in Scotland. By that time, any links with the McLeoran families of Malcolm (who emigrated 1853) and Archibald (who emigrated 1860) would have been long severed.
Jean was the very last of the descendants of Malcom McLeoran and Margaret McVicar to die at Southend. By the early 1860s, her younger brother Malcolm and his family had emigrated to Australia and places unknown, her brother Archibald and his family had emigrated to Victoria, and her daughter Isabella was living in Northumberland. Only her daughter, Ann Mackay and Ann's daughter Margaret remained. By 1891, Ann, her two daughters and her only grandchild had emigrated to North Dakota and the promise of the American west.
Jean appears to have been a very resilient and capable woman, and one who was not willing to bow to the convention or the restrictions of marriage. These traits appear to have been passed on to her daughters and grandchildren. By remaining single, she controlled the number of her offspring as did her daughter Ann - this may have been a reaction to the possible death of her mother Margaret McVicar in child birth.
Ann and her daughters Margaret and Catherine prospered in North and South Dakota in a time when the Indian wars were barely finished. Her four Southend-born female descendants all enjoyed longevity, their average life span falling just short of 90 years.
Apart from Peter McKay, Jean and her daughters (as did Malcolm and Archibald) chose partners who were not from the western side of Southend. i.e. they chose to breed with fresh outsider blood rather than the traditional gene pool.
Jean's daughter Ann Mackay aka Burns continued to live at Carskey Shore Cottage until 1891, no doubt courtesy of the McVicar connection. Perhaps this was a "grace and favour" arrangement instigated by Jean's cousin, John McMillan MacNeill, the laird of Carskey.
Ann Mackay's USA descendants advanced their lives in ways they could never have hoped 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 coast to coast, some in very prominent positions, others famous as "cow whisperers".
Jean's daughter, Isabella, had many descendants who lived in the UK. Her branch of the family is subject to ongoing research.
It is interesting to compare Jean's family's final destination with those of Malcolm's and Archibald's. With mass emigration from Kintyre and Southend in particular after 1820, it is doubtful that Ann, Margaret and Catherine considered Southend offered them an acceptable future. Margaret's marriage to William Colville from Campbeltown (after he had travelled alone to North Dakota) precipitated the emigration of Ann and her remaining family to the USA in 1891. Without Margaret's marriage to William, the family may well have chosen to remain in Scotland. By that time, any links with the McLeoran families of Malcolm (who emigrated 1853) and Archibald (who emigrated 1860) would have been long severed.