A Morvern Parish, Argyllshire Livingstone Descendant Tells His Story and Other Stories

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hello Livingstonians out there in the world and related kin,
After my recent battle with Cancer a few years ago and since more recent remission still having to deal on a daily basis with somewhat debilitating coughing issues and a damaged left lung and because of my age with a great deal of sadness I decided recently it was appropriate at this point in time to retire as Clan Historian of the Clan Maclea Livingstone Society and focus on my health, continuing my song writing efforts and what is left of my life. I appreciated very much some years ago now Baron Niall Livingstone of Bachuil, Lismore, Argyllshire, Scotland bestowing upon me the honour of being our Clan Society's Clan Historian and having more recently the opportunity to work with Greg Livingstone who is currently Clan Maclea Livingstone's outstanding North American Clan Commissioner. Being the Clan Historian for the Clan Maclea Livingstone Society was a responsibility which I hope that those who know me realize I did not take lightly and I have made every effort to work very hard to locate Livingstone family records volunteering my services over these many years helping assist those Livingstones/Livingstons both the Highland and also some of Lowland Livingstones with their family research.I have firmly believed over these years as Clan Historian of the Clan Maclea Livingstone Society that with the history and early origins of an ancient Highland Scottish family group that many historical details are elusive and difficult to determine regarding our very ancient Western Argyllshire family group and my efforts over the years been to focus on working with Livingstones of Western Argyllshire ancestry in so doing gaining knowledge from them about their Western Argyllshire Livingstone family history along with encouraging them to consider Y DNA testing which the late Rob Livingstone a cousin of Baron Livingstone our Clan Chief convinced me back in 2006 would be most helpful in regards to a better understanding of our Clan origins. Years later I can say with absolute certainty that the YDNA testing of a significant number of Livingstones of proven Western Argyllshire ancestry by Familytreedna over the years and with some more sophisticated SNP testing provides some very significant new insights regarding the paternal ancestral origins of Clan Maclea Livingstones of the Parishes Western Argyllshire of the 18th and 19th century. Helping folks with their family history is just one aspect of my efforts and accomplishments which I could not have achieved without the assistance of a number of descendants of Western Argyllshire Maclea Livingstones who have been so supportive of my efforts to get Maclea Livingstones with Livingstone ancestors known 18th and 19th century Western Argyllshire origin Y DNA tested since 2006 in line with my YDNA related discussion with the late Rob Livingston back in 2006. If I have ever erred somewhat in being overly diligent in my efforts as the Clan Society Historian most recently and in the past I most sincerely apologize for that. In what may most likely be my final post on this Forum I thought I would take a bit of time here taking you on a journey which began for me a little over 20 years ago sometime after I had first discovered this wonderful forum established by Baron Niall Livingstone with his cousin the late Rob Livingstone back in 2004. I also include an account of my Morvern Parish, Argyllshire Livingstone family research efforts back earlier in the 2000's.

Close to twenty years ago now I was having some very interesting, enjoyable and productive e-mail discussions with the late Rob Livingstone an American gentleman of Bachuil Livingstone, Lismore Parish, Argyllshire, Scottish ancestry, a cousin of Baron Niall Livingstone of Bachuil, Lismore when we discussed among other things his interest in YDNA testing with Familytreedna to help better understand and identify one's Livingstone ancestral origins and family connections. When we disagreed from time to time on some theories and understandings regarding Clan Maclea Livingstone or aspects of the YDNA Project back then I sincerely believe it was always with a healthy respect of each other's difference of opinion. I remember Rob particularly enjoyed digging up some old 18th century obscure historic Argyllshire McLea document and emailing it to amaze me. I still don't know how or where he managed to find these old Argyllshire Maclea records but he had as one might say a certain set of skills in locating these rare documents much to my delight. Our bond and connection in that unfortunate very short period was our shared interest in each of our ancestral roots to a Western Argyllshire Livingstone families and a general love of family history research. Sadly much to my regret my Clan Maclea Livingstone colleague and new friend Rob Livingstone passed away in the Summer of 2006 just as we were getting to better know one another via e-mail and not long after a groundbreaking series of conversations which resulted in a most interesting and fruitful exchange of ideas regarding Livingstone family research and the very real possibility of future collaborative efforts. Perhaps in retrospect, now that I think of it, more than poor Rob was lost in the Summer of 2006.

I had learned some years prior to these discussions with Rob Livingstone that my great great great grandfather Miles Livingston born about 1775 in Argyllshire, Scotland was according to his marriage record "a native of Morvern" that is Morvern Parish in Western Argyllshire. Janet Livingston his second wife who also stated in the record she was "a native of Morvern" and whom I now suspect may have also have been a Livingstone cousin of Miles were married in June 20, 1812 at the Church of Scotland Church in Bowmore in Kilarrow Parish on the Isle of Islay where they briefly stopped at on their way aboard the Schooner Staffa destined for the port of Sligo, Ireland where a Hudson's Bay Company vessel The Robert Taylor was waiting to take boatbuilder Miles Livington and Janet Livington, Miles son from his first marriage Donald Livingston and another boatbuilder another Morvern native Donald Livingston who I believe to have been my ancestor's brother in law to York Factory at Hudson's Bay in Hudson's Bay Territory in British North America.

On June 24, 1812 The Robert Taylor with it's passengers and crew departed Sligo,Ireland after a bit of a pleasant send off by Lord Selkirk. 61 days later on August 26, 1812 the ship arrived at York Factory at Hudson's Bay. Later on September 9,1812 this party of settlers including Miles Livingston and his wife under Owen Kenevy began a departure by 11 boats and three canoes southward several hundred miles from the Fort at York Factory to the Forks of the Red River and the new colony of Lord Selkirk's. My Livingston ancestor Miles Livingston in Argyllshire had been recruited earlier in 1811 apparently by a highland agent of a Scottish Aristocrat and humanitarian Lord Selkirk to be a boatbuilder and employee of Lord Selkirk at his new Colony at Red River back then in what was Hudson's Bay Territory in British North America. Following his arrival at Lord Selkirk Red River settlement in the Fall of 1812 Mile Livingston became a settler at the settlement. In 1813 Mile's daughter Nancy Livingston (Mrs. John Clink) my great great grandmother was the first of Miles and Janet Livingston's children born at Lord Selkirk's Red River Settlement in Hudson's Bay Territory in what was then British North America (later Canada). The following Year logs were floated down river and Miles had a log home constructed for him and his family along the banks of the Red River (present day Winnipeg, Manitoba,Canada) according to one surviving early settlement account. Interesting in a Red River Settlement deposition by fellow boatbuilder Donald Livingston hired by Lord Selkirk for his Red River Settlement and as mentionedlikely brother in law of Miles Livingston states in his deposition among other things that he was also a native of Morvern Parish, Argyll. In 1815 Miles Livingston with about 124 others from the original settlement group were however abruptly forced to leave Selkirk's settlement because of growing hostilities with the rival North West Company. Miles grabbed his musket and his tools that were technically property of Lord Selkirk and along with his wife Janet, his daughter Nancy my great great grandmother and a son Hugh Livingston and other Red River settlers boarded boats and canoes and departed the Red River Settlement on a lengthy and arduous journey via lakes, river and streams through vast wilderness until they reached York County, Upper Canada where Miles firstly found work utilizing his earlier experience as a boat builder. In 1817 Miles was hired by the British Navy in Upper Canada to build boats for them in the Lake Huron area. Following that in 1819 he petitioned for a land grant in Upper Canada receiving a land grant in Esquesing Township, Halton County and farmed there until about 1837 and then getting on in years and apparently with his wife deceased sometime prior to 1842 he moved to Acton possibly living with his youngest son Daniel Livingston there and found work in his old age as a barrel maker in the town of Acton where his son lived. There is no record when old Miles Livingston died but I assume it may have been in Acton in Halton County, Upper Canada later known as Ontario, Canada most likely sometime between the years 1842 and 1852. My great great grandfather John Clink 1810-1887 husband of Miles Livingston's eldest child Nancy Livingston was a witness at Mile's son Daniel Livingston's marriage to Elizabeth Marsales. Years later in the 1870's Daniel Livingston and his family left Acton, Halton County, Ontario, Canada and moved to Michigan, USA.

Years ago Baron Livingstone's late father Baron Alastair Livingstone of Bachuil, Lismore, Argyllshire had informed my father's cousin William Livingston Clink that there was a record in the Lismore Parish Church of Scotland records indicating that a "Myles Livingstone son of Donald Livingstone and Christian Campbell of Cloichlea, Lismore was baptized September 25, 1775 in the Parish of Lismore. His son Baron Niall Livingstone in the early 2000's pointed out to me that Myles or Miles was a name not uncommon amongst some families in the Lismore and neighbouring Morvern Parish area and I noticed both in the Lismore and Morvern Parish record a number of Livingstons by that name in the records. Baron Livingstone pointed out to me that Miles was derived from the much earlier Gaelic name Maelmoire meaning oddly enough tonsured servant of Mary indicating its roots with the the early Celtic Church. A record from Lord Selkirk's Red River Colony Hudson's Bay Territory, British North America from 1815 regarding Selkirk employee/ Settler Miles Livingston indicated by his age in 1815 suggested also that he was indeed born by about 1775.

I realized however that I wanted to be "absolutely certain" that I was correct in my understanding based on Mile's 1812 marriage Argyllshire marriage record that Miles Livingstone was most likely born in Morvern and of Morvern Livingstone ancestry or whether he was in fact born in neighbouring Lismore and of Bachuil Lismore family ancestry. I felt back then that Rob Livingston's suggestion that a YDNA test be done was a great idea to help sort out my Argyllshire Livingstone family origins issue except that the test needed a YDNA Test sample from a Livingston male whose father grandfather great grandfather etc. had been a direct descendant of my Livingston ancestor Miles Livingston. My great great grandmother Nancy Livingston was Miles Livingston's daughter who married my paternal great great grandfather John Clink who was not a Livingston. Because of this it was necessary for me to try and locate a male Livingston cousin and see if they would agree to do a YDNA test with Family Tree DNA. Well at this time as luck would have it I was in touch with a Livingston cousin whom I had earlier discovered had been doing some Livingstone family research and I asked her if her Livingston father would be interested in doing a YDA test with Familytreedna who had tested prior a number of other Livingstones of known Western Argyllshire Maclea Livingstone ancestry. I funded this test of my Livingstone Cousin's father who had very kindly offered to do this test and the results have confirmed that my Livingston cousin's father was determined through his YDNA testing and his Maclea Livingston YDNA test surprisingly numerous close matches to be definitely of Maclea Livingstone Western Argyllshire ancestry most closely related to a group of Livingston families formerly known as Maclea's or Maconleas who in the 18th and 19th centuries and apparently beginning as early as in the previous century resided in the Parish of Morvern in Western Argyllshire. It is my understanding from 19th Century Ohio USA Morvern Livingston Family Historian Duncan Livingston that the McLeas that settled in Morvern Parish in 1600 had resided nearby in Achnacree. My Livingstone Cousin's closest YDNA match with 66 markers out of 67 marker tested a near perfect match with my Livingstone's cousins YDNA test results was interestingly a Canadian Livingstone whose Livingston ancestor I discovered was likely of Kilundine, Morvern ancestry a labourer apparently there who married a Campbell from Aros Mull and after return for a year or two with his wife in Kilundine Morvern and the birth of their first child in Morvern Parish ended up residing in Mull before in the early 1820's departing for and settling in Nova Scotia, Canada

Most interesting of all to me was one of my Livingston cousin's almost as close YDNA match was with one Livingstone of Morvern ancestry with 64 out of 67 how genetic markers matching with Livingstone Cousin. I learned from this American Livingstone gentleman who had been tested and found to be a close match with my Livingstone Cousin that he was a direct descendant of Ewen (Hugh) Livingston of Savary, Morvern a known brother of the famous Savary, Morvern 1745 Jacobite Hero Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 who is recorded in 1775 Argyll Census as Hugh Livingstone living beside Donald Livingstone his brother in Savary, Morvern. I was informed of him by one of his cousins who had contacted me earlier about their Morvern Livingstone family.I also encouraged back then this Livingstone of known Savary, Morvern area Maclea Livingstone ancestry linked to a brother of the Legendary Donald Livingstone of Savary Morvern to do the Family Tree YDNA test.This was a lucky break for me in my search to find a known and proven Maclea Livingstone of Morvern Parish ancestry who was related in some way willing to do the FamilyTree YDNA Test.

Doing an extensive study of some family trees of known sons of Donald Livingstone of Savary, Morvern 1728-1816 while working on a bio of Donald Livingstone, I actually got very lucky years ago and to my surprise eventually did locate a proven direct descendant of Donald Livingstone of Savary, Morvern who lived in Lowland Scotland whose Livingstone paternal ancestral line clearly connected him to Donald Livingstone of Savary, Morvern. He confirmed his ancestral connection to Donald Livingstone, mentioned his grandmother who was the family historian had told him of the Savary Morvern Livingstone connection to Donald Livingstone before she died. He was very interested in the family research I had done on his ancestor Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 of Savary Morvern but expressed no interest in YDNA Testing.

The Livingston gentleman from the United States who agreed to be YDNA Tested shared with me his Morvern Parish Livingstone family history info which very much confirmed he was descended from a tenant farmer Hugh Livingstone d.1846 or 1847? who according to family researchers in America, was a grandson of Donald Livingstone's brother Ewen also known as Hugh Livingstone of Savary Morvern, who in the 1840's was a tenant farmer of Achbeg farm near Savary Farm in Morvern in the 1840's according to the 1841 Scottish Census. According to Phillip Gaskell in his book Morvern Transformed in 1846 the potato crop completely failed in Morvern which had serious impact on the Morvern tenant families as the potato which as Gaskell mentions in the year 1846 in Morvern made up roughly speaking two thirds of their diet. Hugh's widow Euphemia (Effy) Livingston suffered greatly during this difficult time in Morvern and following her husbands death she petitioned in the late 1840's for poverty relief. In the 1840's also Morvern landowners continued to move toward more profitable Sheep farming and evicting their less profitable tenant farmers and their families. By the late 1840's widow Effy Livingston and her children I assume unable to pay their rent to their Achbeg, Morvern landlord following the death of her husband ended up with a group other impoverished Morvern tenants living in deplorable conditions in the crowded slum housing provided for the poor in nearby Lochaline, Morvern where she and her family are recorded residing at in the 1851 Scottish Census. Rev. John McLeod of Parochial Board the Morvern sincerely trying to provide some assistance to those in desperate need and the Minister of Morvern Parish described the poor in Lochaline as living in "penury and wretchedness.A descendant of Effy Livingston kindly sent me some some surviving information from old Morvern Parish poor relief related documents indicating the responses to Effy Livingston's desperate appeal for additional financial aid for her family in Morvern in 1849 while likely residing in Lochaline. Later in the 1850's Effy Livingstone and her children settled in the United States in Ohio. The latter half of the 1840's and the 1850's were economic tough times for Morvern and other Western Argyllshire families and a significant number of Western Argyllshire Livingstones emigrated to the United States, Canada or Australia at this time including two sons of Baron Coll Livingstone following his death in 1848 some years later in the 1850's two of his sons left Bachuil, Lismore. Coll Livingstone Jr. b. 1832 settled in Sparta, Randolf County, Illinois, USA and his younger brother Dugald Livingston b. 1837 settled in Sarnia, Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. With the death of Baron Coll Livingstone in 1848 his eldest son Alexander Livingston a young man in his early thirties became the Baron of Bachuil inheriting the family ancestral home and property at Bachuil, Lismore and the ancient religious relic the Staff of Saint Moluag.

Other Morvern Livingston relatives of Euphemia Livingstone's late husband Hugh Livingstone d. abt. 1846 of Achbeg farm near Savary, Morvern had arrived earlier in the 1800's in America. A Livingstone Uncle had settled in New York State and well as two Aunts who settled in Ohio. Effy Livingston's husband Hugh Livingston of Achbeg farm beside Savary in Morvern was a grandson of Ewen (Hugh) Livingston of Savary Morvern a brother of Donald Livingstone of Savary, Morvern. Here are few interesting tidbits I found in my research Hugh and Effy Livingston's grandson Duncan Livingston b. 1850 in Ohio. Duncan Livingston became a lawyer in Scioto County, Ohio and later in life a researcher and author of his Savary Morvern Livingston family history regarding his ancestor Ewen (Hugh) Livingston and his famous Jacobite brother Donald Livingston 1728-1816 of Savary, Morvern. Duncan Livingstone wrote a most interesting article The Stewarts of Culloden included in the March 1896 issue of the Celtic Monthly which mentioned some very interesting details regarding his older Livingstone relatives that were born in Morvern some who also settled in America in the 1800's and who knew their old Uncle Donald Livingstone of Savary 1728-1816 quite well in their younger days in Morvern.
Duncan Livingstone 1850-1910 of Scioto County, Ohio (Grandson of Hugh Livingstone d. abt. 1846 of Achbeg Farm beside Savary in Morvern, Argyll descendant of Ewen (Hugh) Livingston of Savary, Morvern brother of Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 of Savary, Morvern)
March 1896 Celtic Monthly The Stewarts of Culloden by Duncan Livingston of Scioto County, Ohio
"The story of the preservation of the Appin banner at Culloden the writer has often heard, when a child, from two nieces of Donald Livingstone, Mrs. Mary Livingstone Boyd, and Sarah Livingstone Burke, who got the same from the lips of Donald himself. The former, Mrs. Boyd, died in the early part of the sixties, and the latter, Mrs. Burke, in the early part of the seventies, both at a ripe old age. They were daughters of his brother, Eoghan, or
Ewan.He also heard it when a child, and after arriving at manhood, from eight other descendants of Ewan. among whom the story is well known, as well as from several persons familiar with the traditions of Morven."
Hugh Livingston d.abt. 1846 a tenant farmer of Achbeg Morvern near Savary was not the first Maclea Livingstone tenant to reside at Achbeg in Morvern. More than a century earlier according to a 1716 List of Morvern and Mull area heads of household a tenant by the name of John Mclea is recorded as residing at Achbeg, Morvern near Savary Farm. It seems very probable that he is related in some way to Hugh Livingston's grandfather Ewen (Hugh) Livingston of Savary, Morvern and his grandfather's brother the famous former 1745 Morvern Jacobite soldier Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 of Savary, Morvern. Interestingly Hugh (Ewen) Livingstone and the above mentioned Donald Livingstone's father was a John Livingstone who died in 1760 at the age of 57 years and was buried in Keil Cemetery in Lochaline, Morvern with a beautifully ornate table tomb in the old highland style erected for him and his wife Ann McInnis by his son Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 of Savary, Morvern which is still in rather excellent condition considering it's age.

Regarding my Morvern Family research it was clear from Y DNA testing of my Livingstone cousin like me a descendant of Miles Livingston b. 1775 of a native of Morvern parish who settled in Canada in 1812, that we were in some way connected to and related to a large group of Maclea Livingstones who resided along the Morvern coast in Western Argyllshire near the Isle of Lismore and Mull. My Livingston cousins closest Y DNA marker match with 67 markers tested was a Livingston of Killundine Morvern ancestry Kilundine being one of the number of settlement along the coast but as mentioned my Livingston cousin was also a relatively close match also with a descendant of Ewen Livingston also known as Hugh Livingston who is a brother of the famous Morvern Jacobite and supporter of Bonnie Prince Charlie in the Rebellion of 1745 was was the at the Battle of Culloden in April 1746 serving with Stewarts of Appin Regiment. All of this of course pleased me great deal to to be able to tell my elderly father that our Livingston relatives were related to a Morvern Livingston family whose ancestor was known by that family to have been a brother of the famous old Morvern Parish Jacobite Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 a one time Savary Mill and Inn operator and a local legend for a number of years before his death as an old man in 1816 and long after his death. He was married to a Jane Stewart. Years ago some of you may remember I wrote a bio on Donald Livingstone of Savary, Morvern for our Newsletter. According to Alexander Carmichael's original Field Notes from the late 1800's regarding Donald Livingstone of Savary, Morvern:
Donald Livingstone of Savary
John Livingstone of Achnacree went to Morvern. His son Donald fought at Culloden age 18. Nine Donald's were shot down dead carrying the bratach of the Prince (Bonnie Prince Charlie) when Donald Livingstone took it up and swathed round his body. He was shot down and thought to be dead but he got up
with nine bullet wounds - fresh wounds which were seen in his body when he died age 79 or 80 years old. Never had trews on. He was a drover to George? being a commissariat to the garrison at Ft. William to the last. Died at Morvern. He had six sons - two of whom were drown on Cuanna h-Eirinn having a vessel of their own which they traded to Ireland. There were two daughters died unmarried. Donald Molach - Hairy Donald he was called in Savary. His wife was Jane Stewart of Ardslignish. The mother of Donull Molach was Ann McInnes native of Morvern.

Donald Livingstone's Maclea ancestor's both an elderly nephew or his nieces born in the late 1700's settling in America in the 1800's apparently stated that their ancestors arrived in the Savary Morvern area as early as the year 1600. Given the problems the Achnacree Mcleas had with hostile Campbells earlier in the 1500s' they may had some motivations to perhaps relocate elsewhere in the area. The possible arrival of Donald Livingstone's Achnacree ancestors as early as the year 1600 is further supported by the fact that a 1716 list records numerous McLea/McOnlea heads of household residing in Morvern Parish by early 1700's and therefore it is almost certain they were there before the quite likely in the 1600's.

In the years following YDNA testing of a Livingston cousin and confirmation from the YDNA results confirming significant match results with at least three Livingstones of known ancestral connections to Morvern Maclea Livingstone family origin and also a number of other Livngstons whose Argyllshire Livingstone ancestry was of Livingstons who resided in neighbouring Kilninian Parish, Mull I began to do research on the Maclea-Livingstones of Morvern and located some interesting information pertaining to Maclea Livingstones that lived in Morvern in the 18rh and 19th Century. As earlier mentioned one of the old Achbeg near Savary, Morvern Livingstones related to Donald Livingstone's brother Ewen (Hugh) Livingstone of Savary Morvern had stated that their Livingstone family branch of which it is almost certain my own Livingstone family was a part of arrived in the Morvern Parish area in the Savary/Achbeg Morvern area by about 1600. Some years ago now I found book published in 1998 by the Scottish Record Society "Inhabitants of the Inner Isles 1716 which included some McLeas/Mconleas list of heads of household in Morvern Parish some of whom were likely ancestrally connected to my Mcleas Livingstone ancestors who were residing at this time in the early 18th century I am quite certain in settlements and farms along the Morvern coastline back then. Interestingly this list of McLeas/Mconleas/McInlays etc. of Morvern made note of those who year after the 1715 Rebellion were currently in possession of swords or firearms. As of many of the heads of these heads of households may have indeed have been Jacobites and active participants in the earlier 1715 Rebellion it is not then too surprising that of Morvern area McLea/Mconleas of our Clan back then would have been found to still possess a weapon. I include from my study of this record years ago those possibility related to my Morvern Maclea Livingstone family group. There are a number of interesting early 18th century quite common spelling variations of early McLea/McOnlea/McOnlay etc. Back then in the 18th century there was quite a bit of flexibility in the spelling.
Inhabitants of the Inner Isles 1716 Morvern Parish Those suspected of still having Arms after the 1715 Rebellion
Dugald McEan V Inlay (V Inlay Savarie (Savary). (V Inlay or VcInlay an early 18th century a variation of McInlay also spelt as Mconlea)
John McLea Achbeg (Near Savary) "gave his sword and his dirk"
Dugald McEan VcInlay Kilintine (Kilundine) "has a sword"
Donald McOlonie Finarie Finarie (Finuary)
Donald McLea Sallachan (Salachan)
Donald McLea Fernish "Has no arms"
Duncan McLea Achalinan (Achleanan) "His son gave in a gun being all the arms he had."

The Church of Scotland Parish records for Morvern Parish are a helpful source of locating baptism and marriage records of Livingstones dating from as early as 1803. Unfortunately there are no Church records prior to that in the 1700's which have survived. Neighbouring Lismore Parish has records dating back earlier in the last half of the 1700's and oddly enough there was as the late Baron Alastair Livingstone of Bachuil, Lismore pointed out to my late father's 2nd cousin years ago there is most interestingly a baptism record of a "Myles Livingstone" baptized in 1775 in the Lismore Parish Church of Scotland records which may or may not be my Livingstone ancestor. An 1815 record from Lord Selkirk's Red River Colony in Hudson's Bay Territory in what was back then British North America list the age of my great great great grandfather Miles Livingston in 1815 which suggest he would have born around the year 1775 but Miles stated in his 1812 marriage record as he was travelling to Lord Selkirk's Red River Colony as a boatbuilder for the Settlers that he and wife Janet also a Livingston were as minister recorded in the parish record "natives of Morvern".

While most regrettably for Morvern Livingstone family researchers no Church of Scotland Parish records of 18th century birth, baptism or marriages have not survived I was delighted to find years ago that The Scottish Record Society in 1963 had published Inhabitants of the Argyll Estate 1779 which includes alisting of the "Livingstone" heads of household of Morvern Parish circa 1779 many of them I assume having some close Morvern Maclea Livingstone family and ancestral connection to with my ancestor Miles Livingstone and his family. Amongst the most interesting Livingstone residents mentioned as residing in Morvern in the year 1779 is the well know Morvern Livingstone Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 of Savary Morvern and listed with him as residing also in Savary is his known brother Hugh or also known as Ewen Livingstone of Savary, Morvern whose grandson Hugh Livingstone is years later recorded in the 1841 Scottish Census residing as a tenant farmer at neighbouring Achbeg beside Savary in Morvern parish. Years ago now a known decendant of this farmer Hugh Livingston who died around 1846 and was known to have been a direct descendant of Ewen Livingstone's brother Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 did a YDNA Test with my encouragement and his results were my close match as I suspected with my own Livingstone cousin of Morvern Livingstone ancestry whom was also YDNA tested years ago. I included below a very interesting and rare glimpse of Morvern Parish Livingstones heads of household residing in Morvern Parish, Argyllshire circa 1779. The 1779 Census was compiled by John Duke of Argyll 5th Duke of Argyll and largely compiled in the Autumn of 1779.
List of Families Residing Upon His Grace The Duke of Argyll's Estate in Morvern in September of 1779
Donald Livingstone Cottar and family Killunden (my cousin's closest YDNA Livingston match was a Livingstone of Killundine Morvern Livingstone descent)
John Livingstone Tenant and family Terenish
Neil Livingstone Workman and family Terenish
John Livingstone Workman and family Terenish
John Livingstone and wife Terenish
Ann Livingstone Cottar and sons Terenish
Hugh Livingstone Tenant and family Aulisline
Duncan Livingstone Tenant and family Aulisline
Hugh Livingstone Grass keeper and family Portavata
Donald Livingstone Cottar and family Barr
John Livingstone Workman and family Barr
Donald Livingstone Workman and family Rahoy
Catharine Livingstone Cottar and family Rahoy
Malcom Livingstone Tenant and family Savary
Donald Livingstone Tenant and family Savary ( Donald Livingstone 1728-1816 Appin Regiment 1745-1746, later Savary Miller and Inn Keeper)
Hugh Livingstone Grasskeeper and family Savary (brother of Donald Livingstone also known as Ewen Livingstone)
Angus Livingstone Workman and family Funary
_____________________________________________________

My great great great grandfather Miles Livingston b.1775 was fortunate that he was not an impoverished tenant farmer but had a skilled trade as both a carpenter, barrel maker and a boatbuilder when he was hired by a highland recruiter of Lord Selkirk's to firstly work as boat builder early on at his settlement but sometime after arriving in the fall of 1812 at Lord Selkirk's Red River Settlement in Hudson's Bay Territory, British North America focused upon being a settler. Earlier I have reason to believe that some of my Livingston ancestor's Morvern Livingston cousins and him went sometime before 1812 to the Isle of Islay looking for work but I don't have much information on that. Truth be told Miles Livingston was probably fortunate to have a skilled trade which helped him get hired by Lord Selkirk's highland agent prior to his departure for British North America in June of 1812. Other Livingstones of Morvern Parish in the years after Miles Livingston had left for Canada Morvern tenants experienced increasing pressures to remain tenant farmers in Morvern Parish. As he 19th century progressed there were more and more landowners considering sheep grazing on their lands more profitable in the end than subsistence tenant farmers and clearances of tenants became more common. Then in the mid 1840's the potato crop in Ireland and in Argyllshire Scotland including in Morvern and Mull Parish further added to suffering and fears of tenant farmers and their families in Morvern Parish. While there were those in Scotland who were greatly concerned about the plight of highland families in Argylshire impacted by the crop failure in the 1840's others particularly some newspaper editors in lowland Scotland were less than sympathetic with the plight of the tenant farming families in Argyllshire. While there was not a whole lot of sympathy for the struggling tenant farmers in Morvern in the 1840's by the landowners the Church of Scotland minister in Morvern Parish Rev. McLeod during this time was particularly concerned and vocal about the suffering of Morvern Parish and did what he could to help his tenants during the Potato crop failure and resulting famine.

One interesting document a petition I located years ago from the 1840's I think highlighted the sincere efforts of ordinary residents in the area who were hoping a railroad development in the area would help to get food to the vulnerable tenants in Morvern Parish and other neighbouring Parishes affected by the Potato Famine which had a devastating impact on struggling tenants in both Ireland and in nearby Western Argyllshire.
Great Britain Treasury Correspondence from July 1846 to February 1847 Related to The Measures Adopted for the Relief of Distress in Scotland Published in London 1847
Petition for the District of Morvern Argyllshire fro Advance of the Oban Railway[/b] Page 146
Unto the Right Honourable the Lords of Her Majesty's Treasury The Petition of the Freeholders, Justice of the Peace, Commissioners of Supply, Clergy and People of the District of Morvern in the County of Argyle
Humbly Sheweth,
That it has been the pleasure of the Almighty God to impend this part of the country the calamity of famine through the total failure of the potato crop upon which the working population do almost entirely subsist. That this famine will leave the people entirely destitute, how soon they shall have consumed their small crops of oats and barley, which cannot last them above two or three months at the very farthest; and this is a fact which we consider it our duty to make known to your Lordships and at the same time respectively to suggest a measure which under Providence might very greatly to mitigate the evil.
In the last session of Parliament an Act was passed empowering certain parties to form and make a railway to give transit to passengers, goods and livestock betwixt Oban in the County of Argyle and the city of Glasgow - a railway communication which when completed will be the first importance to the people of this country and it would tend greatly to the diminution of the distress that must arise from the failure of the potato crop in the Highlands of Scotland. if Government saw it proper to advance upon proper security to the joint stock company for the construction of the aforesaid railway such funds as may be required to enable them forthwith to begin their operation. May it therefore please your Lordship to take what is above stated into your consideration and to do in the matter what to your Lordships appear best.
And your Petitioners will ever pray
John Sinclair fo Lochaline J.P.
Donald McVean Tackman of Kenlochalen
Duncan Campbell Tackman of Achfose
John Cameron Merchant Lochaline
Donald McLaughlin Tenant Achbeg
Donald McInnis Tenant Kyle
Duncan McCullum Tenant Kyle
Allan Watt Tackman Ardness
William Allan Merchant Lochaline
David Smith Tackman Auchnath
John McInnes Tenant Savery
Alex McInnes Tenant Savery
William Blackley Tackman Drumbose
Alexander McNab Drimmin

By the 1840's and 1850 there was a further threat to Livingstone tenants of Morvern Parish and that was the clearances from their farms by the landowners. The stark reality facing struggling tenant farmers and their families in Morvern Parish and in other neighbouring Parishes was that by the 19th century it became very clear to Landowners that is much more profitable for them to devote their land to sheep grazing rather than maintain renting to local tenant families that in many cases resided in the area for generations. This continued steadily through this time and for some time thereafter in the 19th century resulting in forcing or encouraging many tenants to have little choice other than relocating to lowland Scotland, Ireland, England or as a good number in Western Argyllshire did emigrate to North America or Australia. As a result the departure of numerous Morvern Parish tenants from Morvern Parish in the 19th century we can get a good sense of this from studying the Scottish census records from years 1841 to 1901 the steady decline in the numbers of LIvngstones residing in Morvern Parish recorded from the year 1841 to 1901. The DNA testing has so far strongly suggested many of these Morvern Parish Livingstone/Livingston tenant families were probably related closely or more distantly to each other and likely related in some way to my own Livingston cousins in North America.
Population Decline of Livingstons/Livingstones/Levingstons in Morvern according to the 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901 Scottish Census
1841 Livingston 89 Livingstone 0 Levingston 1 Total 90
1851 Livingston 68 Livingstone 0 Levingston 11 Total 79
1861 Livngston 55 Livingstone 14 Levingston 0 Total 69
1871 Livingston 19 Livingstone 6 Levingston 0 Total 25
1881 Livingston 8 Livingstone 11 Levingston o Toral 19
1891 Livingston 11 Livingstone 1 Levingston 0 Total 12
1901 Livingston 3 Livingstone 6 Levingston 0 Total 9

Some Thoughts Regarding Reverend Duncan McLea's 1743 Account of the Mclea's of Scotland and his Comments Regarding McLeas of Western Argyllshire
In 1743 Reverend Duncan McLea of Dull, Scotland wrote an account of what all he knew regarding those various family groups in Lowland and Highland Scotland who went by the family name of MacLea and who went by other spellling variations of that name Macleay etc. Contrary to what some may have thought he does not claim that all McLeas in Scotland were all somehow related because obviously he did not have any proof of that. I have no doubt that he suspected there was some shared family connections amongst the various Maclea families in Scotland including those of the lowland areas but I do not think he knew that was for certain. Also it also important to note that YDNA testing has not at least to the best of my knowledge provided any results indicating "significantly close YDNA matches" of those tested descended from "other" Scottish MacLeas, McLeas, Macleay Scottish family origins when their YDNA results are compared with Livingstones of known 18th century Western Argyllshire Maclea ancestry. To me the most valuable thing about Reverend Maclea's 1743 account is that it provides us with is some very interesting and extremely rare insights into what were likely the two most significant branches of the Argyllshire Macleas circa 1743 in the first half of the 1700's just prior to Macleas in Highland Argylslhire to both of them fully adopting the renaming of their Clan from MacLea, McOnlea, McInlea to Livingstone or Livingston by the 1750's.

In terms of Highland McLeas Reverend Duncan Maclea of Dull, Scotland states in his 1743 account of Macleas/Mcleays in Scotland that families by the name of Mclea " are scattered up and down the Highlands" and most interestingly he mentions in particular two branches in the Argyllshire area of Clan MacLea's he was aware of residing in both Lismore and nearby Achnacree in Highland Argyllshire and provides us with detailed rare insights and historical details regarding what was in the first half of the 18th century a McLea family group of the 18th century residing in Western Argyllshire with ancient ecclesiastical roots to Lismore Parish in Argyllshire dating back to the 6th Century the Macleas of Bachuil, Lismore. Reverend McLea most interestingly states that "there was a Popish Bishop of the name of McLea that the built the Castle of Auchindoun in Lessmore (Lismore, Argyll) the name and designation of the Popish and Praelatical Bishops of Argyll being called Bishops of Lessor, Episcopus Lissmorensis and the Kirk Officer there from Father to Son these several generations past is McLea who hath heritibly one half of a mark land for being Beadle or Kirk there and who hath still the Bishop's Club akeeping and who is therefore called Baron Bachuil to this day..." The Bishop's Club which Reverend MacLea is referring to is the sacred staff of Saint Moluag that has been in the possession of the Bachuil Maclea Livingstone Family and their distant ancestors residing on the Isle of Lismore for centuries. Saint Moluag's sacred staff is also referred to as Moluag's Crozier or baculum, a shepherd's crook which was referred to on the Isle of Lismore by its Gaelic speaking people for centuries as the Bachuil Mor.

I think there is every reason to believe as Reverend MacLea stated in 1743 that some of the early ancestors of the Bachuil Livingstone family were likely members of the Clergy in the early years of the Celtic Christian Church on the Isle of Lismore and some family members were likely clerics in later centuries. St. Moluag who is believed to be of Pict or Dalraida Irish family origin is credited with converting the pagan Pict Scottish population of the Isle of Lismore in the 6th century to Christianity and with the help of several monks he brought with him he established a monastery on the Island. Ian Carmichael author of Lismore in Alba claims that "there is little doubt that Lios Mor (Lismore) was a new name for the island and that it was given by Moluag. The Staff of Saint Moluag has been for the most part since the late 6th century, presumingly following the death of the Saint in 592 AD, in possession of the Maclea Livingstones of Bachuil, Lismore and their earlier Lismore, Argyllshire ancestors. In 2008 Baron Alastair Livingstone passed away after a great many years as the Baron of Bachuil and his son Niall Livingstone became Baron of Bachuil and in so doing became Lismore's latest custodian of the ancient staff. In The History of the Appin Stewarts by John Stewart and Duncan Stewart published in 1880 it is stated that "the crozier was given up by (The Livingstones) a few years ago (in the 1870's) to the Duke of Argyll" when the Duke of Argyll gave Baron Livingstone of Bachuil, Lismore confirmation of an ancient land Grant. In my research however I found some credible information that suggests that the Duke of Argyll came into possession of the Staff of Saint Moluag much earlier in the 1850's. The ancient Staff was apparently acquired in the 19th century as early as the 1850's by the then 8th Duke of Argyll George Campbell from the then Baron of Bachuil apparently originally given to the Duke as a loan but for reasons not entirely clear to me it was not returned to Bachuil Lismore Livingstones until almost a 100 years later in 1952.

On October 11th 1952 in the Oban Times it was stated that previously on the Sunday at the Lismore Cathedral Church that there was a formal ceremony celebrating the return "after close to 100 years" of the Staff of St. Moluag to Isle of Lismore. Further supporting the notion of an early 1850's acquisition of Staff of Saint Moluag by the Duke of Argyll was a discovery of Volume 2 of Origines Parochiales Scotland published in 1854 where on page 163 most interestingly it was stated that "the staff came into possession of the Duke of Argyll very lately". Also I located five Scottish Newspapers two years later announcing in July of 1856 that the Duke of Argyll was exhibiting the Staff of Saint Moluag in an exhibition of rare historic Scottish antiquities to take place during a meeting of the Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland which I believe helps to support the earlier 1854 information by the authors of Origines Parochiales Scotland indicating that as early as the 1850's the Duke of Argyll had acquired the Staff from the Bachuil, Lismore LIvingstones rather than years later sometime in the 1870's.

Interestingly four years prior to the Duke of Argyll's 1952 return of the Saint Moluag's staff to Lismore in 1948 Minister of Lismore Ian Carmichael's history of the Isle of Lismore was published and in his book regarding the Staff he comments among things that "This relic is still in existence and is wrongfully in the possession of the Duke of Argyll in Inveraray". Carmichael then most interestingly quotes a book Adventures in Legend published in 1898 in which the then Marquis of Lorne John Campbell the 8th Duke of Argyll's son seems to try to justify the Staff of St. Moluag remaining in Inveraray all those years in the possession of his father" Finally after so many ages a time came when the Baron became too poor to have any safe place where it might remain, and he hid it in a great peat stack unwilling that it should incur further perils. Its silver covering had been stolen piecemeal and the lower portion of the staff itself was lost. It is now safe where it cannot be destroyed or stolen, in the hands of those who can preserve it. It was made in two parts, the upper fitting into the lower. The one portion of the crook, and that larger has been broken off, leaving only the commencement of the curve at the top. It is of hard wood and is stuck full of the little bronze tacks or headless nails which in two places still retain portions of the inner bronze sheathing which originally covered it Mutilated as it is, it is one of the most interesting relics of the Scots Irish Church and is the most ancient of any....". Regarding the reasons given for the Staff's relocation in the 19th century from Lismore to Inveraray by the 8th Duke of Argyll's son the Marquis of Lorne, the Author, Local Historian and Lismore Minister Ian Carmichael apparently wasn't buying any of it commenting "To say that the only place in which it could safely kept in the second half of the nineteenth century was a peat stack is manifestly absurd".

While Reverend McLea in his 1743 account does not mention the Achnacree McLeas later settling in nearby Morvern Parish in the year 1600 he does provide some interesting details regarding the history of the Achnacree McLeas some years earlier in the 1550's before they settled in Morvern Parish and provide a likely explanation for why they may have decided to relocate in Morvern Parish. Reverend Mclea mentions the ongoing conflict which took place years earlier in the 1500's between the McDougall's and Mcleas of Achnacree and the Campbells of Inverawe which resulted as Rev. McLea described with both McDugalds and Campbells "falling upon one another and Achnacree and his four score Macleas were killed that day upon that spot and from that day to this time the McLeas never made any head or appearance and this was a very great loss to them, so many of them to be killed in one day". Perhaps the major battle which occurred in 1557 between the McDougall's,McLea's and the Campbells of Inveraw and the continuing issues with these Campbells was enough of an incentive for some of the remaining Macleas of Achnacree to relocate in nearby Morvern by 1600 according to some Morvern Livingstone oldtimers born in the 1770's who settled in the U.S in the first half of the 1800's who had heard many interesting stories about Morvern history from their Uncle Donald Livingstone of Savary, Morvern before the old Jacobite died in 1816. Livingstone of Savary Reverend MacLea did not mention this is his 1743 account and likely was not aware of this. Back in thee 1500's the Achnacree Macleas referred to themselves as Dunslee, Dunsleeve and some odd variations of Dunslee such as "John Dunslaif of Achnacree" recorded in 1557 in the Taymouth Register who apparently back then possessed land in Achnacree who is no doubt of 16th century kin of the Achnacree Dunslee-Maclea family group. Reverend MacLea interestingly states "the original name of the McLea some derive it from Slee or Shaved from the place they lived in Ireland, they having come first from Ireland, it being on a hill or mountain side that lived there; and there have been some of the name called Dunslee or Dunshavdh or Dunslee McOLea after the Irish way of expressing it, putting the Scots and Irish way together in the expression."

The last surviving document that I am aware of from the 1750's regarding a "Western Argyllshire McLea/McOnlea/McInlea" is perhaps most appropriately that of "Duncan Mcinlea of Bachuil, Lismore Argyllshire The Baron of Bachuil his name recorded in a 1751 Argyll Landowners List. It I think within in the realm of possibilities that Duncan McInlea or McOnlea was involved in what appears to have been a very successful effort by the 1750's to somehow get the Western Argyllshire Maclea/McOnlea/McInleas famlies virtually change their name to Livingstone/Livingston. It is a mystery to me how Baron Duncan McInlea the Clan Chief at the time managed to convince I assume virtually all of the Mclea/McOnleas/McInleas to adopt the family name Livingstone I believe in the 1750's in the Parish of Lismore and other Parishes in Western Argyllshire. No doubt there is an interesting story that unfortunately not recorded in the local history books as to why the Clan name was changed to how this was achieved. There have been however over the years a number of interesting theories regarding the name change from Maclea to Livingstone which includes the notion that Maclea ancestors the 17th century Dunslea's in Argyllshire adopted the name Livingstone much earlier than the 1750's possibly as early as 1640's or perhaps a little later in the 1650's. Reverend Duncan MacLea alludes to the possibility of a close connection and friendship with the lowland Callendar Livingstones with the Highland Macleas and it is known that a Lowland Livingston Sir James Livingston of Skirling did receive from King Charles the First in the 1640's a land grant of bishops land in Argyllshire and therefore would have had some interaction with the then Baron of Bachuil almost certainly. It however can not be determined that this interesting historical event on the Isle of Lismore with an aristocratic Lowland Livingston or any other interactions the Maclea and their earlier 16th century ancestors the Dunsleas with Lowland Livingstons in Lowland Scotland might have had any significant influence on the Chief at this early time and or his later descendants in the 18th century to consider changing the Clan name to Livingstone from MacLea.

Searching the Argyllshire records for many years now however I have not found evidence of the Bachuil Macleas or their Maclea neighbours in Morvern and other neighbouring parishes adopting for the most part the Clan Name Livingstone/Livingston prior to the 1750's. Unfortunately the Lismore Parish Church of Scotland Parish records do not survive prior to the year 1759 when that year on the Island the Baptisms of children of parents of Malcolm Livingston and Kate McArthur of Cregnanich, Dugald Livingstone and Mary Livingstone of Bachuil and Donald Livingstone and Christian Campbell of Cloichlea which were the earliest MacLeas as Livingstones recorded as far I know in the 18th century Lismore, Argyllshire Parish records. The Morvern Parish Church of Scotland records are even more problematic for a study of earliest use of the name Livingstone by Argyllshire Macleas in Morvern as the earliest surviving records of Morvern Maclea families in the Morvern Parish Church records is not until the early 19th century beginning in 1803. So unfortunately a study of the transition period probably in the early 1750's in which MacLea clan members started to record their family name in the Argyllshire records as Livingstone is not made easy to study by the unfortunate lack of surviving Church of Scotland parish records from the 1750's and even less from the earlier 1740's period.

One of my most interesting discoveries over these years was some evidence suggesting the very likely possibility that one or two "lowland Livingston /Livingstoun families settled in Southern Argyllshire probably in Kildalton Parish on the Isle of Islay in the early 1600's possibly with other lowland families from Ayrshire.Their family later spelt their name Livingston as did the later 18th and 19th century Argyllshire Maclea Livingstones however in some of their very rare early 18th century Arygllshire records most interestingly their names are recorded with the early 17th and 18th century common old lowland spelling of "Livingstoun" which I found to my surprise recently was commonly used in a many early 17th and 18th century Lowland Livingston Church of Scotland Parish records recorded in Ayrshire, Dumfrieshire, Stirlingshire, Lanarkshire and other lowland Counties. I was however years ago very surprised to find a few Livingston tenants referred to by the old lowland Livingston spelling of "Livingstoun in Mull Argyllshire in a 1716 Mull record and listed with Highland McLeas of Mull. During the early 1600's during the settlement of County Down and other Counties in Ulster, Ireland by Southwestern lowland Scots some were known to have settled in Kildalton Parish, Isle of Islay and my research in recent years suggests that a lowland "Livingstoun" family settled firstly in Kildalton Parish, Islay in southern Argyllshire at that time with some of that family later settling in Mull before the early 1700's. I did indeed discover a very small number of Livingstones/Livingstons recorded in the Church of Scotland Parish record of Kildalton Parish Southern Islay, Argyll as early as the 1720's and even in a rare 1716 list of Mull residents which oddly enough includes both Mcleas, McOnleas, McInleas and a few "Livingstouns" residing in Mull, Argyll recorded in the early 1700's but I very much suspect these few Livistoun or Livingston famlies in the early 1700's In Argyll at this time were of only a very few in number back then are not related to the McLeas/McOnleas/McInleys listed in Morvern and Mull recorded in the early 1700's and appear to be most likely I suspect descended from a few Lowland Livingston families who arrived in Southern Islay from South Western Argyllshire part of a larger group of lowland Southwestern Scottish settlers who were for the most part settling in nearby County Down, Ireland and other parts of Ulster in the early 1600's. Among those famlies for the most part settling in Ulster in the early 1600's were Livingston famlies from South Western Scotland. Most interestingly the somewhat unusual "Livingstoun" spelling of the family name Livingston amongst a small number of Livingstouns who resided in Mull in the early 1700's I had noticed in a great many early 17th and 18th century records of lowland Scottish Livingstons further making me suspect that this rare occurrence in the early 18th century Mull records of a handful of "Livingstoun" tenant farmers living amongst MacLeas, McInlea and McOnlea of our Highland Clan prior to the name change to Livingstone/Livingston I believe may help to support my notion that one or two families of Livingstouns from South Western Scotland intending with their other Livingstoun relatives to settle in County Down Ireland or some other County in Ulster, Ireland ended up with a few other other lowland Scottish families from Ayrshire and other areas of Lowland Scotland near Southern Argyllshire settling in Kildalton Parish in Southern Islay, Argyllshire with a few of them later by the early 1700's settling in the Mull area.

A final heart felt goodbye to all those out there past and present who really care or cared about the Highland Argyllshire Maclea Livingstone family research on this forum and many thanks to all the wonderful folks who participated with this Forum with myself and others. Over these 20 years your support and input has been really appreciated. It has been truly a great honour and privilege to work with Baron Livingstone of Bachuil Lismore, Livingstones and many other Livingstones over the years and learn from you about your Livingstone family history. Thanks again for sharing your Livingstone/Livingston family information with other Livingstones/Livingstons on this forum as well. No doubt many family researchers over the years have benefited in some way from your family research contribution.

It is often not easy for either the novice family historian or even the more experienced family historians out there doing their family research to always discern what is true and what is false with some of the family information contained in many submitted family histories and family trees available on the internet genealogy related sites these days. Great Aunt Martha and Great Uncle Bill may have been great story tellers at the family picnic every year and they may have had great memories of family information from the past but family stories and detailed family information passed on over the years from one relative to another after all those years is bound to be susceptible to some errors as valuable as much of it may be to your family research. If at all possible look for surviving birth, baptism, marriage, death, and other records such as old newspaper and other such additional sources to help confirm your family history information is factually correct and credible and most importantly be very wary of some online family information which your knowledge and experience with your family history research tells you makes absolutely no sense. From my own experience over a great many years of doing my own family research of a number of my ancestor's families online there are many family researchers unfortunately who are being mislead or fooled by inaccurate family information that they have perhaps not fact checked and have accepted as being true. As the very wise Theologian and Philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once stated there are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. Nuff said.
Farewell and Thanks,
Donald