McNeills of Mull and Tyree: September 2016

Monday, 26 September 2016

THE ANNIE /MARGARET MYSTERIES

I've decided to lay out the facts as I know them in as clear a manner as possible. Hopefully I don't meander too much. There are a lot of details but, in this case, the details prove to be important in trying to figure out the mysteries.

Cast of Characters:

Christina Campbell (m.s. McLean) (also known as Christian and Christy)

John Campbell (Christina's spouse)

Margaret McNeill (m.s. either McDonald/Campbell/or Shearer) STAY TUNED, this is one of the mysteries

Annie Shearer, later McDonald, married name McNeill STAY TUNED II, this is the other mystery (also known as Ann and Agnes)

Lachlan McNeill (Annie's spouse)

Lachlan McDonald (Ann Shearer's father therefore Annie McNeill's father)

Angus McNeill (Margaret's 2nd spouse or possibly first and only spouse)

There will be other names referred to in this document but they don't play an essential part in the story.

Christina Campbell (m.s. McLean)

Born June 21, 1819 to John McLean and Flora McKinnon, at Ruaig, Tiree, Scotland.

It should be noted that John and Flora were married August 8, 1811, several months after the birth of their first child, Malcolm. In total, it would appear they had at least 11 children, including Christina, who was their 6th child. Malcolm appears to play a part in one of the mysteries as will be explained later.

source: Keith Dash website listing of births

1841 census:

"Christy" is living with her parents, John & Flora, at Ruaig, along with several other relatives. The 1841 census doesn't breakdown the relationship of one household member to the others or to the Head.

source: Keith Dash website

1851 census:

"Christian" is living with her parents, John & Flora, at Ruaig, along with Malcolm (son to Head of household), his wife, and 3 grandchildren. This is part of the mystery. In this census, there is a 1 year old girl named Margaret McLean who is listed as born in Glasgow, and is apparently the daughter of Malcolm and his wife, Marion. Malcolm and Marion's other two children (ages 6 and 2) are both listed as born on Tiree.

source: Keith Dash website as well as Ancestry (the latter the source of the information that Margaret's parents are Malcolm and Marion).

UPDATE: as at March 12, 2017:

A review of the actual 1851 Ruaig census does NOT show Margaret as the daughter of Malcolm and Marion. 1. There is no ditto mark indicating that her last name is McLean; 2. She is listed as a grand-daughter to Head of household but is the last child on the list; 3) her birthplace is listed as Glasgow, Lanarkshire which is different than Malcolm and Marion's 2 children. Not by itself evidence she is not their daughter, but listed with the other 2 items, it assists in this decision that she is not their daughter.

Email from Flo Straker of February 22, 2017:

"Hi Catherine,

The 1851 census at Ruaig. The residents are listed in order of status, close family first, then servants or visitors last. Their relationship to the HEAD of the household is given.

Generally the order of the family would be HEAD, wife, sons then daus. Followed by grandchildren, neices nephews uncles mothers in law etc

Margaret is listed as a GRAND-DAUGHTER of the HEAD of household. She is NOT stated to be a daughter of Malcolm. She is merely listed Below the other grandchildren. If her mother Christina's marital status had been married, then Margaret would have appeared directly below her mother Christina. As Margaret was illegitimate (and therefore considered to be of low status) she would have been named last in the list of all grandchildren.

Margaret was definitely Not John Campbell's dau. As the years went by she would be accepted as such, even tho they were not blood related."

Christina married John Campbell in Tiree on July 7, 1852.

Christina and John have at least 7-8 children between 1850 and 1865 (Margaret - our mystery Margaret - Hector, John, George, Murdoch, Mary Ann, "Baby," and Flora).

Christina died on May 14, 1901 at Balinoe, Tiree. Informant - her son, George Campbell.

More census information (1861 onwards) will be added later to give the mysteries context.

John Campbell

Baptized February 16, 1806 at Balinoe, Tyree. John's parents were Hector Campbell (crofter) and Ann McKechnie (also referred to as McEachern). Between 1806 and 1825, Hector and Ann had 14 children including John.

John was first married to Mary McFarlane of Heylipoll, Tiree, on June 21, 1849. Mary died in February 1851, and there do not appear to have been any children. I do not believe Margaret McDonald/Campbell/Shearer was the daughter of John Campbell & Mary as Margaret does not appear in the 1851 census with him but, rather, with Christina McLean (see above).

Mary McFarlane's Memorial Marker
which reads: William MacFarlane in
memory of his sister Mary MacFarlane
wife of John Campbell Tennant Balinoe
died Feb 1851 age 33 years and his
father John MacFarlane died 1 Aug. 1821
also his mother Cath.ne MacFarlane
died 3 Aug. 1811

Note: Mary McFarlane may be the 20 year old I found in the 1841 Tiree census, hand loom weaver, living in the household with Duncan and Donald McFarlane.
McFarlanes appear to have a connection with the Baptist Church on Tiree. A John McFarlane, and later a Duncan McFarlane, were Baptist Ministers on Tiree, with John living specifically in Balinoe. This is interesting to note as Annie McDonald married Lachlan McNeill in a Baptist Church in Glasgow. John McFarlane was the Registrar of John Campbell's death in 1892.

1851 census

John is listed as a widower and crofter of 16 acres, living with his sister, Margaret, brother John, sister Ann, and a nephew George McFarlane (age 9 months). source: Keith Dash website

John married Christina McLean in Tiree on July 7, 1852. source: Keith Dash website and ScotlandsPeople

John died on January 2, 1892 at Balinoe, Tiree. source: ScotlandsPeople

Margaret McDonald/Campbell, also possibly Shearer

Christina McLean appears to have had a daughter, Margaret, about 1850. Margaret is listed in various sources as being born in Glasgow. The Margaret listed in the 1861 as Margaret Campbell is listed as born in Tiree. I have been unable to find Margaret's birth record. I say "appears" as Margaret is listed as her daughter in various censuses, both as Margaret Campbell and Margaret Shearer.

1851 census:

Margaret is a granddaughter living in the household of John and Flora McLean, in Ruaig, Tiree, along with John & Flora's daughter, Christian, as well as two people listed as her parents Malcolm, his wife, Marion, and 3 other grandchildren, including Margaret. This is part of the mystery. Margaret is listed as born in Glasgow. Malcolm and Marion's other two children (ages 6 and 2) are both listed as born on Tiree. source: Keith Dash website as well as Ancestry (the latter the source of the information that Margaret's parents are Malcolm and Marion).

Between the 1851 and 1861 censuses, Christina McLean marries John Campbell (1852). source: Keith Dash website

1861 census:

Margaret Campbell is listed in the 1861 census as daughter of John and Christina Campbell, age 10, born on Tiree. I believe, from all my research, that this is Margaret who was listed as Margaret McLean in the 1851 census and is Christina's daughter, possibly illegitimate. While the rest of the household is born on Tiree, I believe Margaret is actually born in Glasgow. Perhaps an enumerator error or the family just said everyone in the household was born on Tiree.

1871 census:

A person listed as Margaret Shearer (Housemaid) is living in the household of John & Christina Campbell. Am unable to find a Margaret McDonald in other household records who "fit the bill" of our Margaret McDonald. In addition, the census advises us that Margaret's mother is Christina Campbell and that Margaret is the step-daughter to the Head of the household (John). This Margaret is age 20 and is listed as born in Glasgow.

Note: this Margaret's age is right for our Margaret Campbell, and is born in Glasgow.

Listed as also living in the household is an Agnes McDonald, step-granddaughter to Head of household, age 1, born on Tiree. I believe Agnes is Ann Shearer, born in 1850.

Note: after much research & digging, I found a birth of an Ann Shearer on Tiree, illegitimate. Mother is Margaret Shearer. There is a Record of Corrected Entry [referred to in a previous blog] declaring in the Sheriff's Court in Tobermory that Ann's father is Lachlan McDonald, son of Angus McDonald of Tiree.

Note: Agnes is interchangeable with Ann/Anne and is familiar form Annie.
Ann Shearer becomes Ann McDonald by sheer virtue of the court decision that her father is a McDonald.
While I believe Margaret Shearer is one and the same as Margaret Campbell and Margaret McDonald, it's not clear why Margaret uses McDonald as her last name as I have been unable to find a marriage of Margaret Campbell/Shearer to a McDonald.

Margaret marries Angus McNeill of Tiree (b. abt 1844), on May 12, 1882, in Glasgow. Source: ScotlandsPeople

Margaret died on December 23, 1933 of cardiac degeneration and exhaustion. The informant of her death is her daughter Christina McNeill. The daughter lists Margaret's parents as John Campbell (farmer)(deceased) and Christina Campbell (m.s. McLean) (deceased).

Annie McNeill (m.s. McDonald)

Born March 19, 1870 to Margaret Shearer and listed on the birth registration as Ann Shearer. She is illegitimate. A Record of Corrected Entry has her father as Lachlan McDonald, son of Angus McDonald, of Tiree. By the 1871 census, per the above, Ann is now Agnes McDonald, later to be Ann in future censuses.

1881 census:

Ann McDonald, age 10, is the granddaughter of the Head of the household, John Campbell and his wife, Christina.

1819 census:

Ann McDonald, age 20, is the granddaughter of the Head of the household, John Campbell, and his wife, Christina.

When Annie marries Lachlan McNeill in April 1895, she lists her father as George McDonald (crofter) (deceased) and her mother as Margaret McDonald (m.s. Campbell). I have been unable to find a birth of Ann or Annie or Agnes to a George McDonald and Margaret Campbell or Margaret Shearer or Margaret McDonald. What I HAVE found is the birth of Ann Shearer to Margaret Shearer, with an R.C.E. whereby Lachlan McDonald is listed as her father. This changes Ann's last name to McDonald by the 1871 census.

Note: for some reason, upon her marriage, Annie lists her mother as Margaret McDonald (m.s. Campbell). No mention of McNeill (although she married Angus in 1882) and no mention of Shearer.

Annie dies July 23, 1918, Barrland Place, Cardonald, of cardiac; valvular disease; haematemesis. The informant at her death is her spouse, Lachlan McNeill, who indicates that Annie's father was George McDonald (Crofter) (Deceased) and her mother is "Margaret McDonald, afterwards McNeill, m.s. Campbell." (When I found Annie's death registration, it provided me, for the first time, with Margaret's husband's last name of McNeill. Prior to this, based on the 1895 marriage registration of Annie to Lachlan, I only knew Margaret as McDonald, m.s. Campbell.)

Annie McNeill (McDonald)

left to right: Annie McNeill, Christina, Julia, Margaret

Lachlan (Jr.), Hector, and Lachlan (Sr.)

My husband, Steve Morrin, is directly related to Annie and Lachlan McNeill. They are his great-grandparents on his mother's side.

Annie McDonald married Lachlan McNeill on April 12, 1895. On their marriage registration from ScotlandsPeople, Annie listed her father as George McDonald, Crofter, deceased, and her mother as Margaret McDonald (m.s. Campbell). I will write a blog post about Lachlan another day.

Attempts in the past to find a birth registration for Annie McDonald or a marriage registration of Margaret Campbell to George McDonald have come up unsuccessful.

Here's what I knew already about Annie based on census information and marriage and death registration information:

Annie was born circa 1869 on Tiree (year of birth based on age both in marriage and death registration). Using the 1911 census, Annie's birth year was circa 1870.
Annie's mother's maiden surname was listed as Campbell (per Annie's marriage and death reg)
Annie's mother's married name was listed McDonald (per Annie's marriage and death reg)
Annie's father's name was George McDonald (per Annie's marriage reg)
Annie's father was a crofter (per marriage reg)
Annie's mother remarried and her 2nd spouse's surname was McNiel

I decided to backtrack and try a different route which was to try to trace either Annie and/or Margaret in previous Scotland censuses. Here is what I have found and which has lead me to some possible conclusions which I will present as I move forward in my explanation.

Firstly, there is a strong possibility that Annie's name at birth might have been Agnes and her mother's maiden name was perhaps Shearer rather than Campbell. I have been unable to find a birth registration of Annie/Agnes, despite various searches in Ancestry and Family Search for births in years ranging from 1865 to 1875, using various surnames for Annie/Agnes of Shearer, McDonald or Campbell, or with a mother with the name of Margaret Shearer, or McDonald or Campbell.

In ScotlandsPeople, 1 match is found for an Annie McDonald (surname variants, forename exact|) in the birth year 1865-1875. Argyll, All Districts. The resulting record has a child named Annie Rose MacDonald, born Dec. 27, 1873 to Dugald MacDonald and Ann McKinnon in Dunoon and Kilmun. Not our Agnes/Annie.

The 1861 census for Margaret Campbell (Annie's mother) shows her with her parents, John Campbell and Christina Campbell, living in Balinoe on Tyree with several brothers. Margaret is listed as "daughter" to Head of household and is age 10. This appears to match Margaret's birth year which in later censuses is about 1850. Based upon Margaret's age listed upon her death in 1933, she was born circa 1849.

In the 1871 census, the John and Christina Campbell's family is still living at Balinoe on Tiree, with, suddenly, a step-daughter, Margaret Shearer, age 21, living in the household (which is close to Margaret Campbell's age by this time). Living in the same household is a step-daughter's daughter, Agnes McDonald, age 1. This is close to what we know to be Annie's age as I have her as born circa 1869.

I would suggest that Margaret Shearer is one and the same with Margaret Campbell and Agnes McDonald is later our Annie McDonald. In 1871, if Agnes is age 1, this puts her birth in 1870 which is close to what our Annie later claims of circa 1869. Agnes is listed in the 1871 census as born on Tiree.

1881 Census: The census for the John Campbell family at Balinoe on Tiree lists a granddaughter, Ann McDonald, age 10, living in the household. Margaret Shearer is listed as step-daughter and her mother is listed as Christina Campbell (maiden surname McLean).

1891 census: The census for the John Campbell family at Balinoe on Tiree lists Ann McDonald as granddaughter, age 20, living in the household.

Supposition: Annie McDonald was born Agnes McDonald but, for some reason, over time, her name became Ann and then Annie. The age for Ann McDonald in the 1881 and 1891 census very closely matches the age for Annie when she gets married in 1895 (at age 26; this puts her as born circa 1869).

Questions: Was Christina Campbell previously married to a person with the last name of Shearer which is why Margaret McDonald (m.s. Campbell) was possibly the Margaret Shearer listed in the 1881 census?

Note: I have been unable to find a marriage of a Christina McLean to a man with the last name of Shearer.

Upon Annie McNeill's death in 1918, she lists her mother's name as Margaret McDonald, "afterwards McNeill, m.s. Campbell."

I found a marriage of Margaret McDonald to an Angus McNeill in 1882. Margaret's death registration in 1933 shows she was a widow of Angus McNeill (Labourer, Clyde Trust), with parents listed as John Campbell (farmer, deceased) and Christina Campbell (m.s. McLean, deceased)

Summing up my findings and suppositions:

Annie was born Agnes McDonald
Annie's grandmother Christina McLean was possibly married previously to a man with the last name of Shearer
Christina possibly gave birth to Margaret while married to a man named Shearer
when the 1861 census occurred, John Campbell identified Margaret as his "daughter" when, in fact, she was his step-daughter. I've read recently on Family Search that it was not unusual for a man or a woman to "adopt", either legally or not, a child from his/her spouse's previous marriage.
By 1871, Margaret is identified as Margaret Shearer but she has a daughter named Agnes McDonald. This possibly means that while she was the daughter of a man named Shearer, she possibly had a child, Agnes, by a man with the last name of McDonald (later identified as a George McDonald).
over the years, Agnes started being called Ann, and later Annie. Not a stretch of the imagination, in my opinion.

I should note that upon Christina Campbell's death in 1901, she is listed as having one spouse, John Campbell. No other spouse is listed.

Various searches for a marriage of a Christina McLean to someone with the last name of Shearer has come up empty.

Various searches for a marriage of a Margaret Campbell or a Margaret Shearer to a McDonald in the years 1865 to 1875 comes up empty.

Is it possible that Annie said her father was a man named George McDonald when, in fact, she did not necessarily know who her father was. Where did the McDonald name come from?

It should be noted that on the same marriage registration (Annie to Lachlan McNeill), Lachlan says his father was a man named Neil McNeill but his birth and death registrations only lists his mother, Julia McNeill. Julia never married. Lachlan may have believed his father was Neil McNeill (either his uncle Neil McNeill who was his mother's brother or Neil McNeill who was his aunt Janet's husband).

Lots of confusing information on the marriage registration of Annie to Lachlan when it comes to their fathers' names.
*****
September 6, 2016 UPDATE:

I have found the birth registration of Ann Shearer, March 19, 1870, at Balinoe, Tyree, County of Argyll, to mother, Margaret Shearer, Domestic Servant. Ann is listed as Illegitimate. To the left of the Name and Surname column, are written the following words: "Paternity of child found by Decree of County __ Register of Cor. Ent. __ Page 43, Aug 17, 1870". The Register of Corrected Entry (or R.C.E.) says to "insert Lachlan McDonald, on the authority of a certificate in the form of Schedule (F) to the following effect: - In an (sic) section relating to the Paternity of a child named Ann......born at Balino in the district of Tyree in the County of Argyll - At the instance of Margaret Shearer, Balinoe, against Lachlan McDonald, son of Angus McDonald, Balinoe - The Sheriff Court of Tobermory on the 13th day of July 1870 - found that said child was the illegitimate child of the parties aforesaid."

Unfortunately for my research this does not confirm 100% that Annie McNeill (m.s. McDonald) was the same person as Ann Shearer, born to Margaret Shearer and Lachlan McDonald. I feel like I'm getting closer but research so far has not found Margaret Shearer marrying either Lachlan McDonald or George McDonald (the latter being the father of our Annie McNeill).

I have done some research on Lachlan McDonald, son of Angus McDonald, of Balinoe, Tiree.

In the 1861 census:

Book

No.

Farm

Surname

Forename

Marital

Age

Relation

Occupation

Birthplace

Windowed rooms

9	61	Balinoe	McDonald	Angus	M	60	Head	Crofter of 30 acres	Tiree	3
9	61	Balinoe	McDonald	Mary	M	55	Wife		Tiree
9	61	Balinoe	McDonald	Christina	U	26	Daughter		Tiree
9	61	Balinoe	McDonald	John	U	25	Son	Fisherman	Tiree
9	61	Balinoe	McDonald	Lachlan	U	22	Son		Tiree

source: 1861 Census - Isle of Tiree - Transcribed from images of original (GRO) census records by Keith Dash.

This would make Lachlan 31 years old at the time of Ann Shearer (McDonald's) birth in March 1870. Margaret would have been about 20. I found a birth record on the Tiree genealogy site for Lachlan McDonald, born April 6, 1837, baptism April 30, 1837. Father - Angus McDonald (occupation: Wright), mother, Mary McDonald.

Lachlan is not living with the Angus McDonald family in the 1871 census.

The John & Christina Campbell family in the 1861, also listed in Book 9, at dwelling number 58 (the McDonald family living at dwelling number 61) so they would appear to not live too far apart:

source: 1861 Census - Isle of Tiree - Transcribed from images of original (GRO) census records by Keith Dash.