K.W Grant Book

[Donald Livingstone Clink]

Recently discovered our local library has a book " Myth, Tradition and Story from Western Argyll" by K.W. Grant and published in 1929 by the Oban Times Press. As I don't live in Scotland and haven't access to the all of the research resources there, this was a pleasant surprise.There is a detailed and well researched account of the Highland Livingstone family of about 7 pages. Some of the information can be found in the Celtic Review published about twenty years prior, but there is much worth checking out if you have not seen this book before. I noticed that in one chapter of book on Iian Ciar (John MacDougall) an outlawed clan leader of the MacDougall family in the early 1700's and that his serving man was named "Livingstone". No last name just Livingstone who was with him presumingly at the Battle of Sherrifmuir in 1715 and accompanied him when he was a fugitive following the battle. At this time it may well be that this "Livingstone" was going by both Livingstone and McLea or perhaps some later storyteller changed the name of McDougall's servingman from the old Gaelic name to more contemporary family name of Livingstone. One suspects the McLea/Livingstones were with the McDougalls and the Stewarts of Appin at the Battle of Sherriffmuir.This ties in nicely with what Niall was saying about the Mclea/Livingstones being with the MacDougalls at Dunavertie where there was a massacre of Royalist highland prisoners by the Scottish Covenanter Army in the 1640.

[Donald Livingstone Clink]

The MacDougalls of Dunollie situated around Oban were in close proximity to the McLea's of Achnacree. According to Robert Livingstone some of the McLeas were tenants of the McDougalls. As Niall Livingstone points out in his research, in the year 1557 the McLeay's of Achnacree were with the MacDougalls in a battle against the Campbells of Inverawe and suffered many casualties as a result.

[Rob Livingston2]

The following references suggest that "Livingstone" was being substituted for the name "McOnlea" as early as 1685. One of Argyll's rebels of 1685 was Donald Livingstone in Kilchatton, Luing. Duncan M'Onlea in Kilchatton,1686 C.R.A. Duncan Livingstone in Kilcatten, Loing his spouse Effrick N'Lea. It should be understood that Kilchatton is a one-house community, so the chances of this Livingstone not being a McOnlea are remote.

[Jane Livingstone]

I have just noticed this listing while re-reading a letter from one of my great uncles. He mentions Mrs Grant, the Appin historian and goes on to say that he remember it being said at a MacDougal gathering in Oban that a gathering of MacDougals was never complete without a Livingstone and a Carmichael being present. He also says a Livingstone accompanied Captain macDougal of Dunolly to Ireland when he went there to arrest the Robair ruadh. He goes on to talk about a Samuel MacDougal, the miller of Glencoe, who was an officer in the Argyle Fencibles. My great uncle's Ballachulish grandmother (although not a Livingstone) had possession of Samuel's 'tail tartan coat' and he says "Duncan MacMaster used to sport it occasionally in burlesque". So it would seem likely that where there were MacDougals, there probably were Livingstones.

[Rob Livingston2]

I have a good account about the MacDougall/Livingstone relationship from a book called "Highland Postbag" by Jean MacDougall.

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Kyle, I would agree that the Maconleas were at Luing. If you don't have a good atlas of Scotland, it is well worth getting one. Of course you can always go to mapquest.com, but for some reason some of these locations don't always come up on the map. At this point I have been looking settlement points north, south, east and west of the Island of Lismore, not more than about 30 miles in distance or so for Maconlea-Livingstones prior to 1775. Farthest south west I am checking out is Colonsay which has that Dunslee Maconlea and possibly some Maconleas that changed their name to Livingstone. Luing is nearby. I hope to do the same in other directions from the Isle of Lismore. regards Donald