17th Century Kintyre Map
Note:
Note:
- Balemackvicar on the east coast, possible ancestral McVicar farm;
- Drumirinach north of Achinsavil - see 1792 Duke of Argyle census extract below. This may be inaccurate - the Compt Book suggests the farm was located further north.
Keil Cemetery, Southend - the John McVicar and family headstone.
The McVicars of Southend
The McVicar Family in Southend
Some sources say McVicars lived in Southend as far back as the 13th century. A collection of old ruined farm buildings on the west coast of the Mull is known as Ballymcvicar (i.e. Farm McVicar) - see map above. However, the preamble to the Duke of Argyle's 1792 Census suggests two possible origins for the McVicars of Southend:
McVicars may be the descendants of the family which then occupied Ballymcvicar; or they may trace their origin to Bailie Patrick McVicar who moved from Inverary to Campbeltown in the mid 17th century.
Records revealing the McVicar family prior to 1800 are:
Some sources say McVicars lived in Southend as far back as the 13th century. A collection of old ruined farm buildings on the west coast of the Mull is known as Ballymcvicar (i.e. Farm McVicar) - see map above. However, the preamble to the Duke of Argyle's 1792 Census suggests two possible origins for the McVicars of Southend:
McVicars may be the descendants of the family which then occupied Ballymcvicar; or they may trace their origin to Bailie Patrick McVicar who moved from Inverary to Campbeltown in the mid 17th century.
Records revealing the McVicar family prior to 1800 are:
- Scotlandspeople website;
- 1792 Duke of Argyll census / tenant list;
- the John McVicar family headstone in Keil Cemetery, Southend;
- the John McMillan MacNeill headstone in Keil Cemetery, Southend.
An interpretation of the John McVicar headstone
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RENEWED by Hugh McVicar ten(ant) in Dunglass in me mory of his father John McVicar who died 17 May 1789 aged 75 yr. & his Spouse Barbra Shaw d. 5 March 1784 aged 63 yr. ? N M'vr d 1732 ad (aged) 50 B C' d 1735 ad (aged) ? 47 - bottom RH Cnr near grass |
This headstone provides some interesting information:
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Comments on the McVicar headstone
The headstone replaced an older one and was installed while Hugh McVicar was alive. The replacement probably occurred between 1800 and 1820. The headstone is probably sandstone or a similar soft stone and has eroded in parts.
It appears that Hugh was proud of his tenancy at Dunglass and over 25% of the headstone's face was devoted to this fact. At the bottom are two lines which may have been an afterthought and the mason struggled to fit Hugh''s additions in full. If the above interpretation of the bottom two lines is correct, the headstone is evidence of the presence of the ancestral McVicar family in Southend in the second half of the 17th century.
The interpretation of the bottom two lines is far from certain. The words are enshrined in stone but the interpretation is not and suggestions are welcome. A site inspection is needed.
The headstone replaced an older one and was installed while Hugh McVicar was alive. The replacement probably occurred between 1800 and 1820. The headstone is probably sandstone or a similar soft stone and has eroded in parts.
It appears that Hugh was proud of his tenancy at Dunglass and over 25% of the headstone's face was devoted to this fact. At the bottom are two lines which may have been an afterthought and the mason struggled to fit Hugh''s additions in full. If the above interpretation of the bottom two lines is correct, the headstone is evidence of the presence of the ancestral McVicar family in Southend in the second half of the 17th century.
The interpretation of the bottom two lines is far from certain. The words are enshrined in stone but the interpretation is not and suggestions are welcome. A site inspection is needed.
Evidence from the 1792 Duke of Argyle Tenants Census
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Dunglass
Hugh McVicar 42 Nelly McCoag 35 Duncan McVicar 15 Catherine McVicar 13 Neill McVicar11 Barbra McVicar 9 John McVicar 9 Malcolm McVicar 5 Nelly McVicar 2. |
1792 Duke of Argyle census - Hugh McVicar's family at Dunglass
Hugh and Nelly had further children: Margaret b. 1795 and Donald b. 1798. This record is an accurate guide to birth years. eg Hugh was born in 1750, prior to the earliest records held by Scotlandspeople. |
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Drumanrianach - a farm close to or the same as South Carrrine or Druma Voullin
John McVicar 51 Ann McMillan 45 Mary McVicar 26 Flory McVicar 24 Jean McVicar 19 |
1792 Duke of Argyle tenant census - Drumanrianach: John McVicar and family.
Because of the vagaries of Scottish records, it is possible that Mary McVicar - born 1766 from the above evidence - was in fact Margaret McVicar who married Malcom McLeoran in 1795 because:
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Comments on the McVicar records in the 1792 Duke of Argyle Census
The census supports some of the information on the headstone and provides the following information that is not available via Scotlandspeople:
The census supports some of the information on the headstone and provides the following information that is not available via Scotlandspeople:
- Hugh's birth year;
- the name of Hugh's wife;
- the name of John McVicar's wife - Ann McMillan;
- confirmation that Hugh was a tenant in Dunglass - a farm near Kilblaan;
- importantly a possible birth year of Margaret - or was it Mary - McVicar; this is the best lead for Margaret McVicar's origins yet discovered.
John McVicar descendants in 18th Century
Here is a McVicar family tree based on the evidence presented on this page. There are probably some errors of interpretation and omissions, but it is a starting point. The tree shows how Margaret McVicar, Donald McLaran of Dalby's paternal grandmother, was related to her cousin, John McMillan MacNeill of Carskey.
Here is a McVicar family tree based on the evidence presented on this page. There are probably some errors of interpretation and omissions, but it is a starting point. The tree shows how Margaret McVicar, Donald McLaran of Dalby's paternal grandmother, was related to her cousin, John McMillan MacNeill of Carskey.