Clan MacLea - Livingstone

The Official Home of the Clan McLea (The ancient historical name of the Livingstones)

Lowland Livingstons

There is some confusion about the relationship between the Highland and Lowland Livingstones. There is now mounting evidence to suggest that they are the one clan.

Old Thoughts

The perceived wisdom was that the Lowland family was of territorial origin from the lands of that name in West Lothian and has no connection with the Highland Clan.

There are several versions as to the progenitor.

1. The most prevalent version is that he was a Saxon named Leving, who settled in Scotland during the reign of King Edgar (1097-1107). The theory is that it his grandson who is designated in a charter of William the Lion "of Livingstone".
2. Another version is that he was of Hungarian origin and came to this country with Margaret, queen of Malcolm Canmore, about 1070. This theory has it that his great great great grandson Alexander was the first to use the surname Livingston in the the reign of King Alexander I.

We know that Alexander’s son, Sir William Livingston witnessed a charter of Malcolm, earl of Lennox, in 1270. William’s eldest son, later Sir William Livingstone, accompanied King David II on his expedition to England in 1346 and it was from him that he acquired the barony of Callander, Stirlingshire, whose heiress he married. From him descend the Livingstons of Livingston, the last of whom, Sir Bartholomew Livingston, was killed at the battle of Flodden in 1518.

There is a very full account of the Lowland Livingston family here http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/htol/livings2.html

New Research

In theory a clan has a common ancestor - but this is often a mythical figure. It is better to think of a clan in terms of an extended family. In our case more information is coming to light all the time.

UCL Surname Project

A Surname Project undertaken by University College London (UCL) which has “investigated the distribution of surnames in Great Britain, both current and historic, in order to understand patterns of regional economic development, population movement and cultural identity” has thrown up some quite remarkable evidence. It seems to demonstrate quite clearly that the Livingstons are all one.

See Surname Project for an article on the distribution. The densest area is the clan home of Lismore and the old abbey lands. This distribution is exactly what we would expect from the information already known to us. Furthermore the clan follows the chief in the name change – and the closer the people are to Lismore the more follow the change.

There is a negligible cluster around the lowland towns of Livingston or Linlithgow which seriously questions whether there were ever any significant numbers of "lowland Livingstons".

DNA Project

The late Rob Livingston of California initiated a DNA project which has been taken over by Andrew Lancaster. On his DNA Project introductory page Andrew states:

"Modern historians tend to believe he was English or even a continental European, because the name Living was common in England at that time, coming (if it was the Anglo-Saxon name) from an earlier form, “Leofwin”. But the Macleas (and perhaps the Livingstons) seem to have once felt that the name was Gaelic. Indeed, the earliest Living/Livinus I am aware of on record, St Livinus, seems to have been a Gaelic speaker rather than an Anglo-Saxon."

There is no clear conclusion from the DNA results as yet, but it seems that many who thought that they may have been lowland have highland connections and DNA signatures.

McLea to McLay
An interesting article was posted on 15 December 2006 by J. Stewart McLay

"Much has been written and discussed regarding the name change from McOnlea/McLea to Livingstone,but to the best of my knowledge, very little concerning the change from McLea to McLay. The latter being presently the most common form, certainly in Central and Southern Scotland. Although, in the Highlands and Western Isles MacLeay appears to be the popular version.

I have been researching McLays in Stirlingshire, in particular the St. Ninian's parish of Stirling,where my forbearers were established, together with the parishes of Balfron and Killean.

McLea in the area pre-dates the 1715 and 1745 uprisings and consequently the clearances and there would be no requirement or benefit to change the family name to Livingstone. McLeas were numerous in these areas in the late 17th. Century. The earliest recorded Birth/Baptism being that of John McLea on 25th. July, 1689, son of Donald McLea and Margaret McGrigar.

I note that in St Ninians, McLea was quite prominent between 1689 and 1720, but by 1812 the name was almost worn out, with the final mention being the marriage of Margaret McLea to George Murray. Yet by this time the McLay version was flourishing.

But why? Was this due to Illiteracy among the population, Local Phonetic Pronunciation, or perhaps further Anglicisation of the name? Evidence points to them being of the same family groups.

This leads me to the likelihood, but not conclusion, that these families originate from the Lindsaig McLeas. This appears to be the opinion from the papers relating to the Rev. Duncan McLea's Account of the Name of McLea. "

This is interesting as Stirling is very close to the seats of the so-called lowland Livingstons.

The 1743 McLea Manuscript

A very valuable manuscript was lodged with the Lyon Office some years ago which was written by Mr. Duncan McLea, Minister at Dull, in 1743.

"It is very ordinary for the McLea's to call themselves ‘Livingston’ when they come or go to the low country. What is or hath been the occasion of this, I cannot well tell, but it is very ordinary for the 'Livingstons' in the low Country to be very kind to the 'McLeas', and to reckon themselves to have come of the 'McLeas' in the Highlands, and it is alleged upon the Highlanders that for ordinary they have two names, as the McLea's have -- that of 'McLea' in the Highlands, and 'Livingston' in the low country. I remember to have seen one Malcolm McLea who at that time was called Callum Dall and begging, and who had been a Soldier at the battle of Philliphaugh where the Highlanders were defeat, and he being wounded and coming to the Callander, near Falkirk, as he was straggling homeward to the Highlands and begging, and being required what name he was of, answered that he was of the name of McLea; upon which the then Lord Callender who also was Earl of Linlithgow [the date indicates that this would be Alexander, second Earl of Linlithgow] and Livingston, ordered a Surgeon to be sent for from Falkirk, and he to be taken care of at the Callander and kept there for three-quarters of a year, until his wound was cured, and then sent him home to the Highlands and called his son, the then Lord Callander and Linlithgow, and told him that tho' their family at that time made a figure in the world, and that tho' the McLea's in the Highlands made no great figure there, yet that their family were descended of the McLea's in the Highlands, and that at whatever place he met with any of the name of McLea that he should always reckon them as his own name, Livingston, and that he should be kind to them."

So this states quite clearly that one of the senior lowland figures, Alexander, second Earl of Linlithgow, believed that his family were descended of the McLea's in the Highlands.

The information that is coming out about the Lowland Livingstons suggests that:

The scions of this family believed themselves to have a link, if not a common ancestry, with the McLeas. Is this why James Livingston of Skirling, Baron of Biel took a lease of a small piece of land on the Isle of Lismore in 1641? He was keeper of the Privy Purse, had a decent estate in the borders, yet he chose to go to a poor estate on Lismore. He had to have an interest in the area. Even today Lismore folk who have left the island are still drawn back.

1. The lowland Livingstons became a wealthy family who achieved wealth and titles in a short period. It is known that Sir William Livingstone served David II in 1346 and acquired the barony of Callander, Stirlingshire, whose heiress he married. From the Callander branch descended the Livingstones of Dunipace, Kinnaird, Bonton and Westquarter. Sir James Livingstone of Callander was created Lord Livingston in 1458. The 7th Lord, Alexander, was made 1st Earl of Linlithgow in 1600. It was Alexander, second Earl of Linlithgow, who is quoted in the McLea manuscript and believed that his family were descended of the McLea's in the Highlands.
2. They had prospered under the Stewarts and were loyal to them to the end, forfeiting their titles when James, 5th Earl "came out" in the Rising of 1715. Likewise, Sir James Livingstone of Barncloich was stripped of his title of Viscount Kilsyth. They were a family of power and influence for four hundred years, but records suggest that this is exactly what they were – a rich family – not a clan or even a lowland equivalent. When the family were forfeited they went to America – pretty well lock, stock and barrel. There appears to be no real footprint left of them in Scotland. The 1881 census shows no cluster of Livingstons in the Lowlands

Conclusion

The evidence supporting the case that there is no real distinction between Highland and Lowland Livingstones is:

1. Livingston names are mainly in Argyll, and not common in the lowlands. The densest area is the clan home of Lismore and the old abbey lands. This distribution is exactly what we would expect from the information already known to us. Furthermore the clan follows the chief in the name change – and the closer the people are to Lismore the more follow the change. This strongly implies to me that many Americans who believe they are lowland Livingstones are wrong.
2. There is a negligible cluster around the lowland towns of Livingston or Linlithgow which seriously questions whether there were ever any significant numbers of "lowland Livingstons".
3. MacLeas were isolated in the Gaelic north, away from Argyll where the Livingston surname had replaced it.
4. Alexander Livingston, second Earl of Linlithgow, believed that his family were descended of the McLea's in the Highlands

There is no real evidence that supports the contention that the there is no connection between Highland and Lowland Livingstones. The available evidence suggests that all Livingstons and McLeas belong to the same clan.

Finally there is often a family connection with Christian names. It may be coincidence but both the last chief and his father had the name William. This is the same as one of the early lowland Livingstons and is very unusual in the Highlands.