Genealogy Chat

There was this marriage on Family SEarch: ARCHIBALD MAC LEAN Male Family -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Event(s): Birth: Christening: Death: Burial: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marriages: Spouse: MARY GRAHAM Family Marriage: 27 AUG 1816 Scarinish, Tyree, Argyll, Scotland

I've recently moved to the south of Scotland and my nearest LDS centre is an hour and half away by bus in Edinburgh :( Only have 5 days of leave left (am on a temporary contract) so can't take time off for a daytime trip there or the records office :( I know how good the centre can be as I used the one in Cambridge last year when I was there. Thanks for the suggestion about the Argyll board, I'll go post a message there right now! You're a star Julie, thanks!

Have you gone onto rootsweb Argyll board and left a message there? Alternatively if you live near an LDS Family History Centre you could order in a film of Church Records for Colonsay. They even have some burial records for Colonsay on it as well as births/baptisms and marriages for Church of Scotland. Each film costs £2.20 plus 50p postage for a month but their opening times vary. Some are open on certain evenings and Saturday morning as well as other mornings during the week. I found a birth in Berwick upon Tweed in 1830 which I couldn't find anywhere else.

Hi everyone, I wondered if anyone wanted a challenge in trying to work out the following little problem! My McLean/MacLean line is pretty straight-forward until I get to my great-great grandfather John McLean. According to the census details I have about him as well as his marriage and death details I’ve pieced together the following John McLean b. abt 1842 Colonsay, Argyll to Archibald McLean and Mary Grahame (according to his marriage and death certificates). Occupation = Mason. Married Christina McDougall 1872 in Kilmeny, Argyll. Had 5 children, Angus, Katherine, John, Mary and Duncan. Died 1918 Kilmeny, Argyll. I have searched Scotlandspeople and IGI in vain for any of the following 1) a marriage between Archibald McLean and Mary Grahame 2) the baptism/birth of John McLean The only information I have about Archibald McLean is that he was a Labourer and deceased by 1872 (according to John’s marriage certificate). Mary is also described as deceased on her son’s marriage certificate. The 1841 Colonsay census is online (hooray!). The two households that are of interest are as follows: - Archibald McLean m 30 Agricultural Labourer Lucy McLean f 25 Angus McLean m 3 Mary McLean f 9mth Katrine McLean f 65 And Angus Grahme m 60 Agricultural labourer Flory Grahme f 60 Mary Grahme f 25 Ann Grahme f 20 John Grahme m 20 Donald Grahme m 7 John Grahme m 2 John Galbreath m 6m This is where it all becomes interesting…. I have the death of a Mary Graham aged 45 on Colonsay in 1857. She is listed as single, but her death is registered by her son Donald McLean. Her parents are Angus and Flora. I have also found the marriage of a Donald McLean (aged 26) in 1860 in Colonsay and he lists his parents as Archibald McLean (labourer) and Mary Graham (deceased). Now, all this would suggest is that the Mary Graham in the 1841 census might be the mother of the 7yr old Donald in the same household and his father might be Archibald McLean. Any of this making sense? I have also looked up Lucy’s death certificate (the one who is married to Archibald in 1841 census). Her maiden name was McMillan and her husband is Archibald McLean(labourer). She died aged 45 in 1855 on Colonsay. She had four children alive when she died, Angus aged 15, Mary aged 13, Archibald aged 10 and John aged 8. I have yet to find a likely death for Archibald McLean. Where do I go from here? I’m not having much luck with Scotlandspeople website or the IGI, can anyone suggest anything else I can try (other than taking time off work to go to Edinburgh because the GRO is only open weekdays)? Thanks in advance Sarah

See below.