Angus Livingston(e) and Margaret McPhail descendants

[Keith Livingstone Australia]

Regular readers of the forum may realize that there is a strong clan association between McPhails and Livingstones, including the family of Dr David, that keeps intertwining from Scotland through to Prince Edward Island and Ontario. Angus and Margaret are my known Argyll ancestors. Angus was listed as a Chelsea pensioner (deceased) on his son John's death certificate. This meant he was a soldier or a sailor of many years' service to the king. The same exact phrase, with the same mother, Margaret, maiden name McPhail, appears on the death certificate of an Ann Livingston (who later married a Gilbert McPhail). She died in a poor house in Govan, apparently already widowed, in 1860. Her brother Hugh Livingstone signed the certificate. She was a boat builder's labourer. Govan is on the south bank of the Clyde. We have had some diffculty tracing the progeny of this Livingstone-McPhail union through the Scottish records. Imagine some poor church deacon trying to interpret a thick highland brogue! So McPhail is spelt as Hall, Kall, and Hale (quite typical of the time!). There appear to have been at least 8 children. Hugh Livingstone who signed Ann's death certificate appears to be named in the Angus Livingston / Margaret Hall births listed below. He would've been a couple of years older than Ann. Anyhow, a known descendant of Ann McPhail (nee Livingstone), has given me the following information, which may be of use. From Family Search IGI Batch C115422,Kilfinichen and Kilvickeon Argyll. To Angus Livingston and Margaret Hall John 7 Feb 1805 Betty 25 Apr 1807 Cirsty 29 Oct 1809 Unnamed Hugh 6 June 1819 To Angus Livingston and Margaret Hale Duncan 30 Sept 1814 Jane 18 Jan 1829 To Angus Livingston and Margaret Kall Ann Livingston 29 Dec 1821 Some members of the same family appear in the Colonsay census of 1841, where Angus is named as a 60 year old former soldier, and Margaret is named as 55 years of age. This would place him born c. 1781, and Margaret McPhail born c.1786. Hugh and Ann appear in that census, with Hugh being 20 years old, Ann being 15, and 'James' being 25. (James could be the unnamed child born Sept 1816). Another child, Jean, aged 11, is named. (She could be Jane, b.1829). Hugh would really have been around 21-22

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Keith, It is regretable that many of the family records that could better "intwine" the various highland Livingstones are few and far between. There are some documented facts regarding Dr. Livingstone's kin and where they settled in later years, but also much speculation about who is related to Dr. Livingstone. No doubt his older brother John Livingstone settled in Listowel, Ontario, a short drive from where I live, and his family grew up there. In 1874, brother John wrote a letter to a New York newpaper from his home at Listowel, Ontario, Canada discussing his famous brother's adventures in Africa. John's grandson also named Dr. David Livingstone established a medical practice in Saskatchewan, Canada and an article on him mentions his pride on being the great-nephew of the famous Dr. Livingstone. No doubt there is other documented information to be located regarding Dr. David's kin that left Scotland that will help us locate his living relatives throughout the world. One way of finding Dr. Livingstone's kin and that of our other Livingstone families as I have suggested would be to encourage people to submit emigration and settlement dates and information for one's Livingstone kin. (see some of my earlier e-mails on this subject). regards Donald (Livingstone) Clink

[Sharon Russell]

I think that Margaret McPhail may be a sister to my relation Donald McPhail (born 1791 Kilfinichen) he married Isabel Rose went on to have a son Donald McPhail (Oct 1831 Kilfinichen).