The Early History of the McLarans of Dalby

  • Search the site
    • Executive Summary
    • Contact & Recommended Reading
  • OVERVIEW
    • Introduction
    • Family Names
    • Family Trees of the Moreton Bay Immigrants
    • Scottish Roots
    • Clan McLaren
    • Cambridgeshire Roots
    • Oral History
    • Ancestors' Graves
  • McLeoran Family 1800
    • 1792 Census
    • McVicar Family >
      • John McMillan MacNeill >
        • The Forbes Mackay Family
        • Alistair Forbes Mackay
        • MacNeill Compt Book
    • Family tree 1700 - 1800
  • Jean McLeoran's Family
    • Isabella McLeure
    • Ann Mackay >
      • Margaret Jones Mackay (Burns) >
        • Alister Colville
      • Catherine Burns
  • Archibald McLeoran's Family
    • Donald McLeoran
    • Mary McLeoran
    • Isabella McLeoran
    • Malcolm McLeoran
    • Edward McLeoran
  • Malcolm McLaran Jnr's Family
    • Malcolm McLaran >
      • The America
      • World War 1 Soldiers
    • Jane McLaran
    • Archibald McLeoran b. 1822
    • John McMillan McLeoran
    • Malcolm McLeoran the Younger
    • Catherine McLaren >
      • James Milford
      • Walter Goodman Jnr
    • Donald McLaran - 1833 - 1879 >
      • 1857 Dalby Town Allotment Sales
      • Deaths on the Condamine
      • Paths cross on the Condamine
      • McLaran v Wuth
      • Frogmore
      • Kilkevan & Cockatoo Point
      • Why Squatters don't marry
      • Bronzewing
      • 1874 Police Assault cases
      • Donald McLaran's Lost Watch
    • Duncan McLaran
    • Margaret McLaren >
      • Denis Sullivan
      • Ellen (Helen) Sullivan
      • Margaret Sullivan
      • Agnes Sullivan
      • Daniel James McLaren
      • The Sullivans in court
    • Alexander McLaren >
      • Alexander's selections
  • The Dockrill Family
    • William Dockrill
    • Martha Goss
    • Tartha >
      • The Tartha Graves
    • Death of Amos Slight
    • Edwin Gransden
  • The Eversden Family
    • Lewis James Eversden >
      • The Flying Cloud
      • 1864 The Arrival of the Eversdens >
        • Laura Eversden
        • 1864 Rain event
      • Eversden at Tartha
      • Southport & Cambridge House >
        • Hammerchewer Visits Cambridge House
      • Clara Eversden - pre marriage
    • Lewis and Jane Eversden
  • The Brown Family
    • Thomas Huntley Brown >
      • Death of Thomas Huntley Brown
    • Jane Rider 1837 - 1880 >
      • Thomas Ross Brown
      • Isabella Brown
      • John Brown
      • James Brown
      • Susan Brown
      • William Joseph Brown >
        • McCowan Scandal
  • 1879 - 1956 Donald McLaran's Family
    • Haran
    • The McLaran Cordial Factory
    • 1900 McLennan - McLaran Wedding
    • Kupunn
    • 1912 Death of Donald McLaran
    • Post Kupunn to 1956
    • 1956 Death of Clara Eversden
    • Malcolm Lewis McLaran
  • Queensland History
    • Ipswich History
    • Ludwig Riethmuller
    • Post 1956
    • Dalby History
    • IMAGE UPLOAD PAGE
  • Search the site
    • Executive Summary
    • Contact & Recommended Reading
  • OVERVIEW
    • Introduction
    • Family Names
    • Family Trees of the Moreton Bay Immigrants
    • Scottish Roots
    • Clan McLaren
    • Cambridgeshire Roots
    • Oral History
    • Ancestors' Graves
  • McLeoran Family 1800
    • 1792 Census
    • McVicar Family >
      • John McMillan MacNeill >
        • The Forbes Mackay Family
        • Alistair Forbes Mackay
        • MacNeill Compt Book
    • Family tree 1700 - 1800
  • Jean McLeoran's Family
    • Isabella McLeure
    • Ann Mackay >
      • Margaret Jones Mackay (Burns) >
        • Alister Colville
      • Catherine Burns
  • Archibald McLeoran's Family
    • Donald McLeoran
    • Mary McLeoran
    • Isabella McLeoran
    • Malcolm McLeoran
    • Edward McLeoran
  • Malcolm McLaran Jnr's Family
    • Malcolm McLaran >
      • The America
      • World War 1 Soldiers
    • Jane McLaran
    • Archibald McLeoran b. 1822
    • John McMillan McLeoran
    • Malcolm McLeoran the Younger
    • Catherine McLaren >
      • James Milford
      • Walter Goodman Jnr
    • Donald McLaran - 1833 - 1879 >
      • 1857 Dalby Town Allotment Sales
      • Deaths on the Condamine
      • Paths cross on the Condamine
      • McLaran v Wuth
      • Frogmore
      • Kilkevan & Cockatoo Point
      • Why Squatters don't marry
      • Bronzewing
      • 1874 Police Assault cases
      • Donald McLaran's Lost Watch
    • Duncan McLaran
    • Margaret McLaren >
      • Denis Sullivan
      • Ellen (Helen) Sullivan
      • Margaret Sullivan
      • Agnes Sullivan
      • Daniel James McLaren
      • The Sullivans in court
    • Alexander McLaren >
      • Alexander's selections
  • The Dockrill Family
    • William Dockrill
    • Martha Goss
    • Tartha >
      • The Tartha Graves
    • Death of Amos Slight
    • Edwin Gransden
  • The Eversden Family
    • Lewis James Eversden >
      • The Flying Cloud
      • 1864 The Arrival of the Eversdens >
        • Laura Eversden
        • 1864 Rain event
      • Eversden at Tartha
      • Southport & Cambridge House >
        • Hammerchewer Visits Cambridge House
      • Clara Eversden - pre marriage
    • Lewis and Jane Eversden
  • The Brown Family
    • Thomas Huntley Brown >
      • Death of Thomas Huntley Brown
    • Jane Rider 1837 - 1880 >
      • Thomas Ross Brown
      • Isabella Brown
      • John Brown
      • James Brown
      • Susan Brown
      • William Joseph Brown >
        • McCowan Scandal
  • 1879 - 1956 Donald McLaran's Family
    • Haran
    • The McLaran Cordial Factory
    • 1900 McLennan - McLaran Wedding
    • Kupunn
    • 1912 Death of Donald McLaran
    • Post Kupunn to 1956
    • 1956 Death of Clara Eversden
    • Malcolm Lewis McLaran
  • Queensland History
    • Ipswich History
    • Ludwig Riethmuller
    • Post 1956
    • Dalby History
    • IMAGE UPLOAD PAGE
Picture
1750 Map of Kintyre - Note: Carskey, Monarua (Muneroy, now Southend), Kilkivan, Lagnacraig (Lecknacreive), Lossit, Balinacuissag and Lailt, places that figure in the McLaran story 

Scottish Roots


From birth, marriage, cemetery, and census records, McLeoran family members lived continuously and chiefly in Southend Parish (though Malcolm lived in Campbeltown Parish after 1840) between at least 1680 and emigration in 1853.

Respected historian Rev. William Matheson suggests members of Clan McLean separated from their clan and settled in Argyll near Southend, after this 1527 incident (Wikipedia):


In 1527, Lachlan Maclean of Duart decided to murder his wife, Lady Catherine Campbell, a sister of Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll. He rowed out to "Lady's Rock" one night at low tide and left his wife stranded on the rock to die. Looking out the next day from Duart Castle he observed the rock was devoid of life, so he sent a message of condolence to the earl at Inveraray Castle, indicating that he intended to bring his wife's body there for burial. Maclean duly arrived at Inveraray with an entourage of men and the coffin. He was immediately taken to the dining hall of the castle for refreshment only to discover Lady Catherine waiting for him at the head of the table. She had been rescued during the night by boat from Tayvallich (or possibly Lismore) that had passed by the rock.

No word was said of the incident by Argyll or his sister during the meal and Maclean was allowed to make his escape. He was murdered in his bed in Edinburgh some time later by Sir John Campbell of Calder, Lady Catherine's brother.


The MacLeans 
who had rescued Lady Catherine Campbell, settled around Southend and cunningly disguised their identity by changing their name to McLeran with the simple addition of a letter "r". A Campbeltown family historian advises that the name "MacLeran" has been subsequently spelt in many ways in Southend: 

         McLeran, McLeoran, McIlearan, McIlourin, McLauren, McLaurin, McLorin, McLourin, McLewran and Leoran*

Most of the descendants eventually settled upon "McLaren" as their anglicised surname. 

It appears that Kintyre historians favour this story above others to explain the arrival of the MacLerans. No credit is given to the alternative explanations that the McLerans / McLeorans / McLaren's arrived in Southend either when escaping retribution following the Battle of Culloden (1646) or as Lowland immigrants (brought in by the Duke of Argyll) in the 16th or 17th centuries. 

Recommended reading: http://www.1467manuscript.co.uk/macleran.pdf


* All these name variations and more appear in Scotlandspeople.


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Picture
Duart Bay: Lady's Rock, foreground; Duart Castle left hand side above the shoreline
Picture
Duart Castle viewed from Duart Bay
Picture
Map of Duart Castle and Duart Bay - Isle of Mull
Picture
1880 Map of Southend showing Feorlan (Feorlin), Gartvain (Gartveigh), Keramenach in Strone Glen, Dalavhraddan - all farms that were occupied by McLeoran family members 1770 - 1851.

Q & A: Questions and (possible) Answers:

Q1. Is there any certainty that the McLarans of Dalby are direct descendants of Clan MacLean? 
A1. Scholars of Argyll history seem to be in agreement that it is highly likely the MacLerans / McLeorans of Southend originated in the islands off the west coast of Scotland. A representative of the Clan McLean DNA project has suggested Big DNA testing of a direct male descendant of Donald McLaran would answer this question. No DNA testing has been undertaken to date.
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Q2. Why did the McLeans who rescued Lady Catherine Campbell settle in Southend? 
A2. It is likely that the Campbells offered protection to Catherine's saviours, well away from Mull.

Q3. Where are Lismore and Tayvallich? 
A3. The Isle of Lismore is little more than a mile from Lady's Rock; Tayvallich is on the western coast of the mainland, around 25 miles south of Duart Castle.


Q4. Is there any connection between the McLarans of Dalby and Clan McLaren?
A4. Probably no, but Y-chromosone testing would settle the matter one way or the other. See Clan McLaren.
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