www.clanlivingstone.info

In discussing the question of why Baron MAconlea sometime between 1750 and 1770 changed the name of his ancient highland clan from the gaelic Maconlea (MacLea) to Livingstone I have felt in proper to take into account the decline of the aristocratic Lowland Livingstone family in that century. Whether the lowland families demise due to their adherence to the jacobite cause of the old Pretender in 1715 and the subsequent attainting of Sir James and Sir William Livingston by the Hanovers and exile had any impact on Baron Maconlea later decision more than a generation later to adopt the name Livingstone I can only speculate. After losing his title and

As a followup to my earlier letter just to clarify Sir Jame Livingston 4th Earl of Callendar had no male heirs and died on April 23, 1725 in Rome. Sir William Livingston 3rd Viscount of Kilsyth died January 12th 1732 or 1733 in Rome. Donald (Livingstone) Clink

Another follow-up to my first message. Sir William Livingston 3rd Viscount of Kilsyth had a son and daughter from his two marriages and both died in childhood and were buried in the family mausoleum at Kilsyth. So after being attainted in 1715 or 1716 this historic, titled family line appears to have ended. Donald (Livingstone) Clink

Good work, Donald!

One question, though-- if these Livingstons left no male heir, then who do the Livingstons of New York descend from?

Hi Kyle, That is not difficult to answer. The Robert Livingstone that have talked about from time to time that was the landlord of Livingston Manor in what is today New York State in the late 1600's and early 1700's and provided land for Queen ANne's palentine german refuges to settle

Ok after that wee bit of a history lesson where do I go from here. Well I guess into the rhelm of speculation. Ok here goes. 1. Baron Duncan Maconlea and his ancestors had

Ok some final fine tuning and here in summary is my outlandish theory as to how the name change from Maconlea to Livingstone came about. 1. Sometime between 1751 and 1759 Baron Duncan Maconlea of the Highland Clan Maconlea changed his name and that of his clan to that of Livingstone. 2. Sometime after the Battle of Culloden (1746) and the death of Ann Livingston (d. 1747)daughter of Sir James Livingston 4th Earl of Callendar, 5th Earl of Linlithgo representatives of the lowland clan entered into discussions with Baron Duncan Livingstone regarding the possibility of a union of the two clans and for Baron Maconlea to suceed the late Sir James Livingstone who died without a son or heir a jacobite exiled in Rome, as head of a new clan Livingstone consisting of lowland Livingstons united with their ancient cousins the Highland Maconleas. Part of the agreement was that Baron Maconlea and all his clan members would assume the name Livingstone and not the other way around as some Maconlea clan members might have preferred it. 3.The Livingstons gained by having a clan chief at the head of Clan Livingstone that had an ancient feudal title that could not be removed by any temporal power or king such as had happened in case of the Sir James Livingstone of Linlithgo and Sir William of Kilsyth in 1716. And

In the unlikely event that this theory had some merit in truth the implication of that would be that Baron Livingstone would infact be chief of both lowland and highland clan Livingston today. Donald (Livingstone) Clink