Highland vs Lowland

[Bachuil]

Going back to that old chestnut of Highland or Lowland am I right in believing that, as in the case of the good Dr David, many, if not most, of the lowland Livingston(e)s have turned out to have highland ancestry?

[Canadian Livingstone]

Greetings Baron, Yes I would say most of the Livingstons and Livingstones that I located in my search of the 1841 Scottish Census were likely of highland origin or their parents or grandparents were. The 1851 Census though somewhat late, indicates place of birth for those censused and for a number of Livingstons in some of the more industrialized lowland Counties such as Lanarkshire one could see that a significant number of the older Livingston population had originated from Argyllshire. While there were significant groups of Livingstons located in several lowland Counties where work was available presumingly for these highland disporea, Lanarkshire had by far the largest population next to the Argyll homeland itself by the mid 1800's. I would assume the bulk of those in Lanarkshire were like Dr. Livingstone's family formerly impoverished crofters of Argyll origin. After the Lowland family or families connected to Callendar and Linlithgo were attainted and exiled in 1715 or 1716 after the failed rebellion by the Old Pretender James Stuart there appears to have been some efforts in later years to resurect a family dynasty and a renewed effort that eventually in the final years in the mid 1800's led to litigation and not much else in the end. I dont know what happened to the other family remnants after that. Some died out but did they all die out in Scotland completely the Callendar Livingstons and all related branches. I am inclined to think not but I really dont know. There should be a significant number of Callendar Livingstons in New York State and in other states of the United States descended from Robert Livingston of Livingston Manor,New York who arrived in America in the late 1600's but if there are any of the old Callendar/Linlithgo family in Scotland itself they are as elusive as some rare butterfly. regards, Donald

[Andrew Lancaster4]

Hi Niall I can't say we've proven this, but I think a few of us have convinced ourselves that the statistics, such as censuses and so on, strongly imply that most Livingston(e)s anywhere probably have a highland ancestry - not considering the fact that there must also be some connection between highlanders and lowlanders, which we still have not discovered. Best Regards Andrew

[Bachuil]

Thanks guys. That was my impression. Regards Niall

[Kyle2 MacLea]

I have to agree... there are some descendants of the lowland house out there, but they are a lot harder to find than you would think if they were ever that numerous.

[Bachuil]

I was up early this morning to fly down to Bristol and I am now in deepest Somerset to find that they had a massive snow fall of about 12 inches yesterday morning over a very small area.

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hello Baron, The answer to your question based upon my study of the Macleas and the multiplicity of spelling variations that appear in the 1841 Scottish Census is thatthe Scottish Macleas/Macleays/Maclays/McLeas/McLays/McClays are all of Highland MacLea origin. I conclude that what one sees in 1841 Census mainly are small remnant family groups of highland Strathconnon Macleas/Macleays and the old highland Lindsaig,Argyll(laterRothesay/Bute McLeas) many of them living by this time having migrated into various lowland counties with only a small group remaining at Rothesay.

[Bachuil]

Donald, Thank you for that very erudite response. Regards Niall

[Kyle2 MacLea]

As Donald has said, the highland origins seem pretty complete.

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Kyle, Like the highland Livingstons the Macleas etc. migrated into the lowland counties where opportunites for employment existed. This is what happened to your Lindsaig Mcleas and that and emigration is why there were only 19 of them at Rothesay and only one or two in all of Argyll in 1841. Regarding the those Macleays, Macleas, McLays etc. that show up in Rossshire in 1841 in the northwest of Scotland there are enough breadcrumbs dropped by the censused Macleays etc in 1841 and in the 1851 Census that these folks are likely connected to the Strathconnon, Contin Parish Macleays or Macleas that were forced out of Appin by the Stuarts a number of centuries ago. I think is some historic information to suggest also that they did indeed settle in Rossshire in the Northwest. Some of these Contin Parish Macleays also made their way at some point like the Lindsaig McLeas to various lowland Counties presumingly in the 1700's or early 1800's so finding them dispersed as many are in the lowlands it is a challenge to get a sense I admit to where they all originated. My sense that is that after studying the distribution of these families, despite the obvious dispersal of these families thoughout the lowland areas in particular counties where employment opportunities existed there still were some clues as to where these might have originated from and the notion that most of these families originated from either your Lindsaig McLeas or the lost Strathconnon Macleas/Macleas formerly of Appin seem to make sense particulary noting the geographic distribution of certain spellings of the name. regards, Donald