Clan Kith & Kin

Grant South1 · Post by **Grant South1** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:05 pm

Dear Kinsfolk, I believe we have some new folk who have recently joined us, and those who have been members for a while now who may be interested in clan customs. It has been observed that every Highlander was/is a genealogist, and it is no surprise that we find so many folk interested in their ancestor's. It was the custom that children would gather around the hearth and listen to the genealogy of their ancestor's in Gaelic. Often these recitations were about eight generations in length. Accordingly all could recall their family line beyond living history. It was the role of the genealogist to remember the exploits of all the clan and recall this familial memory at important occasions. Further the genealogist ensured, through teaching, that families maintained the memory of their ancestors and that it was correctly understood. This is considered to be an important aspect of ones Highland heritage. This was and is today an important aspect of our clan heritage. There are still families in Cape Breton who have maintain the Gaelic oral traditions of their genealogy, as there are those in the Hebrides. Often a family genealogist finds themselves as the custodian of their family history for others members of the family who often ask questions regarding origins. The practice of committing ones descent from the clan adds a further cultural component to our genealogical studies. Any way I thought I would post on this thinking you may also be interested in this aspect of our heritage. All the best! Grant South.

Kyle2 MacLea · Post by **Kyle2 MacLea** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:05 pm

Dear Grant, I only wish that my ancestors had preserved this custom, beyond the rural ways and into the big city, and then beyond to America! Not that I could really expect it even nowadays of many of the family, but it would sure be nice to have that family history now.

Grant South1 · Post by **Grant South1** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:42 pm

Hello Kyle, Thank you for your kind thoughts. Yes, you are right, we are not the only ones in our family's who were family custodians. Have you re-translated your genealogy back to it's original Gaelic? This is all the rage in Eire! In Eire even folk of

Kyle2 MacLea · Post by **Kyle2 MacLea** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 5:06 am

Interesting idea! I'll have to try that at some point.

Grant South1 · Post by **Grant South1** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 11:43 am

Hi Kyle, In the 1861 census for Glasgow I find a Janet McLea aged 64, born Rothesay Bute. This would place her birth ca. 1796-7. Are these your folk?

Grant South1 · Post by **Grant South1** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 2:37 pm

Ah....Kyle I think you may be a little surprised. Here is something for you. I see that the Janet Mclea aged 64, was living with also Janet McLea 31, which I take to be the sister of Duncan and your Peter. I find Duncan 36, with wife Helen 35, son John 6 and dau. Helen J. I further find Peter 33, with wife Janet 29, son John 9, dau Jessie 7, dau Maraget 5 and son James 1. So we can see that both Duncan and Peter, the son's of John, both named their first born after father John. And your Peter named his second born son James, and this is important. Just as important as the name Duncan. So we have Duncan, James and John as lineal names which link descending generations. In looking at the old parochial records for Rothesay Bute, I here provide a tree based on the names I found. Following the naming convention, I found the only John McLea in Rothesay in the correct time frame to be the son of Duncan McLea and Margaret Fisher. John, born 2 May 1790, & Bapt. 9 May 1790 at Rothesay. Parents Duncan McLea and Margaret Fisher, marr. 21 Apr 1789 at Rothesay. John had a sister Margaret McLea born 5 Jun & Bapt. 10 Jun 1792, at Rothesay. I further looked for the birth of Duncan McLea and found one in the best time frame as; Duncan McLea, born 6 Feb 1759, at Bogancy, Rothesay. Parents; James McLea & Mary McConnechy. I then looked for the marriage of James & Mary and found that indeed there was one recorded on the 24 Mar. 1753 at Rothesay. These records are the best time frame fit. And given the naming pattern with Duncan, James and John. I found another note by a researcher on the IGI which records that the father of James was also Duncan. I estimate this last Duncan McLea to be born ca. 1700. I also note that McLea lads seen to continue to marry McConnechy ladies in Rothesay. Suggests an interesting historical bond. I hope this is helpful. All the best!

Kyle2 MacLea · Post by **Kyle2 MacLea** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 5:10 pm

Dear Grant, In short order you have assembled information that it originally took me months to put together!

Grant South1 · Post by **Grant South1** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 12:21 am

Hello Kyle, In regards to professional practice. We are really in the environment of collecting information to form probability and this is often the case. In cases where I've compiled evidence to assist families show a heritable descent from the Chief's This is what we do via a process of logical exclusion. In looking at the other John McLea his birth is given as being in 1775. Given that Peter was 33 in 1861. This John would have been a father at aged 53 when your Peter was born, and 55 if the Janet aged 31 in 1861 census living with Janet McKay Mclea is her dau. Whereas the John born in 1790 would have been approx. 38 at the time of your Peter's birth. I think this is unlikely that the other John is yours, given the odds. Also the competing John records his father also as John and mother as Catherine McConnechy. This does suggest that both lines are cousin's of some degree. Also this competing line does not follow the naming convention as witnessed in the line suggested. So two negatives against the competing

Kyle2 MacLea · Post by **Kyle2 MacLea** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:23 pm

Thanks again, Grant!

Kyle2 MacLea · Post by **Kyle2 MacLea** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 7:26 pm

Hi Grant, Just a note to say I've been following up on this, because I have a bunch of notes I took on McLeas in Rothesay parish and I'm only getting now to typing it up.