Dr. David Livingstone's grandparents

[Canadian Livingstone]

The Family of Dr. David Livingstone Part One

Dr. David Livingstone arose from humble circumstances as a onetime child laborer and piecer in a Lanarkshire cotton mill to become what Florence Nightingale best described as "the greatest man of his generation". While there have been untold number of biographies written about the famous Doctor, missionary and explorer since his death in Africa in 1873,detailed accounts of the Doctor`s family history are sadly lacking. Much of the blame for this may be attributed to Doctor Livingstone himself who was inclined to say little about his family history apparently thinking that the readers of his book would be primarily interested in his missionary work and exploration of Africa. So while he provided us with a few interesting details in the first chapter regarding his familie's highland origins and their early life, one can not help wishing there were more.

In "Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa" published following his first return from Africa in the 1856, he reflects upon his grandfather's abilities as the family historian and story teller but does not oddly enough identify by name his grandfather and grandmother Livingstone nor his mysterious great-grandfather whom he only briefly states "fell at the Battle of Culloden fighting for the old line of kings." Some Livingstone scholars have suggested that Dr. Livingstone may have been mistaken regarding his great-grandfather's participation in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 and/or his death at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, but is it conceivable that his grandfather described by Doctor Livingstone as the family storyteller would have been misinformed by his family as a boy in highland Argyllshire about his father who had died when he was a child? Or years later would Neil Sr. have deliberately misled his son Neil and his grandson young David later at Blantyre in lowland Lanarkshire as to the fate of his father? Would Dr. Livingstone have been so desperate to link himself and his family to Bonnie Prince Charlie's failed Jacobite cause little more than a century earlier, that he would intentionally distort the reality regarding his great-grandfather's participation in the rebellion? Knowing what has been expressed from first hand accounts regarding the intregrity and honesty of both the Grandfather and Dr. Livingstone this would be very much out of character for either of them.

Argyll folklore collector and historian Dr. Alexander Carmichael writing on highland Livingstones in the Celtic Review in April 1909 avoided directly commenting on Dr. Livingstone's assertion regarding his great-grandfather being killed at the Battle of Culloden but stated a view held by Argyll Livingstones that Dr. Livingstone's great-grandfather was Neil Livingstone who was the youngest son of the Baron Dougal Livingstone or Maconlea of Bachuil, as our clan were known as at the time of the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. In this version of the story, Neil youngest son of the then Baron of Bachuil who resided on the Island of Lismore, enlisted as a Jacobite soldier during the Rebellion, survived the Battle of Culloden, made his way back home but was unable to safely return to Lismore so eventually ended up on the Island of Ulva. Neil's son Donald who later served in the Argyll Fencibles and his wife Catharine Livingston of the Oban area were according to Dr. Carmichael the grandparents of Dr. David Livingstone.

This account of Carmichaels was however somewhat challenged at the time by an article in the Celtic Monthly which appeared a few months later in June 1909 "The Highland Ancestry of Dr. David Livingstone" by Canadian Celtic scholar and author Reverend Maclean Sinclair. While Sinclair did not comment on Dr. Livingstone's or Carmichael's claims regarding the great grandfather, he does provide compelling evidence to support the view that Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison of Ulva,Mull later of Blantyre,Lanarkshire were in fact the actual grandparents of Dr. Livingstone and not Donald and Catharine Livingstone as Carmichael indicated. Most convincing is a letter written to Reverend Sinclair in 1891 from Dr. Livingstone's older brother John Livingstone (1811-1899) of Listowel, Ontario, Canada in which he states that:
"My grandfather Neil Livingstone and his wife Mary Morrison with their family left Mull or Ulva about the end of the last century and settled at Blantyre near Glasgow and remained there until they died.The names of their children were John, Charles, Duncan, Donald and Neil with two daughters Kate and Margaret; but they are all dead now. Neil was my father." ( Interestingly, John did not mention his grandparent`s eldest daughter,his Aunt Mary born abt. 1776 whom is recorded in the baptismal records of Kilninian Parish,Mull)

Also from Maclean Sinclair,A surviving letter of recommendation issued from officials at Ulva which Neil Livingston received indicates that the family left Ulva in 1792:
"The bearer Neil Livingstone, a married man in Ulva, part of the parish of Kilninian has always maintained an unblemished character and is know for a man of piety and religion. He has a family of four sons, the youngest of which is three years and three daughters of which they youngest is six years of age. As he proposes to offer his services at some of the cotton spinning manufactories he and his wife, Mary Morrison and their family of children are hereby reccomended for suitable encouragement. Given at Ulva this eight day of July 1792 by
Arch. M'Arthur Minister
Lach M''Lean Elder
R.S. Stewart J.P. Elder"

THen Scot Reverend R.J. Campbell's biography "Livingstone" was published in 1929 which was probably one of the best biographies on Dr. Livingstone' since William Garden Blaikie's "THe Personal Life of Doctor David Livingstone" published in 1880. Campbell was familiar with Maclean Sinclair's article, quoted from it and most significantly supported Sinclair's notion that Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison were in fact the grandparents of Dr. David Livingstone.


Dr. Livingstone's Grandparent's
Dr. Livingstone leaves his readers with little in the way of clues regarding the true identity of his grandfather but begins his autobiographical account by stating that his grandfather was a farmer on the Isle of Ulva in the Hebrides. Regretably the reader is deprived of much insight into his family roots in the Hebrides and highland Argyllshire, though he informs us that his grandfather was a great storyteller in highland Scottish tradition and could recall details of the family six generations prior.
He tells us that "finding his farm in Ulva insufficient to support a numerous family my grandfather removed to Blantyre Works a large cotton manufactory on the beautiful Clyde above Glasgow...".

Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison were married December 21,1774 at Lettermore, Mull in Kilninian and Kilmore Parish. Parents of Mary Morrison were Charles Morrison and Margaret MacDougall of Achleanan, Morvern. Mary was born abt. 1752. There is however no family account or original parish information that survives regarding the grandfather Neil Livingston's birth or baptismal date although there is an assumption by some he was born abt. 1745 which is probably nothing more than an educated guess based upon the notion that Dr. Livingstone's great-grandfather was killed in 1746 at the Battle of Culloden when his grandfather was an young child.I have not as yet come across a death date for Dr. Livingstone's grandparent's Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison who died in Blantyre, Lanarkshire. Presumingly Dr. Livingstone`s grandparents are buried in the cemetery of the old established church in Blantyre which we know Dr. Livingstone`s parents attended till sometime in the 1830`s when they switched to the Independent church in nearby Hamilton. Dr. Livingstone in his final remarks on his grandfather in his book gives does not discuss his death, only mentioning that in his old age he was given a pension from his employers, Monteith and company and able to live comfortably in his remaining years.

The Children of Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison
The family tree information of the late Dr. David Livingstone Wilson of Helenburgh,Scotland, great-grandson of Dr. David Livingstone states that there were four sons: John b. abt.1777, Charles. b. abt.1779, Duncan b.abt.1781? and Neil b.abt.1788 and three daughters Mary b.abt.1776, Margaret b.abt.1783 and Catharine b. abt.1785.Dr. Livingstone's great grandson, Dr. Wilson does not seem to have been aware of or perhaps able to prove the existence of a 5th brother Donald as stated by John Livingston in 1891 to Sinclair Maclean. The baptismal records from Mull and Ulva for the family of Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison do not include either a Duncan or a Donald, but there seems to have been definitely a fourth son according to the Mull officials in 1792 around the time the Dr. Livingstone's grandparents left for Lanarkshire so it is probably safe to assume there was a fourth son possibly Duncan. Perhaps a fifth son Donald died in infancy. With so much mystery surrounding Duncan and Donald it was evitable that some Livingstons have attempted over the years to try and indentify them, but unfortunately definite proof seems to remain elusive.

The eldest daughter of Neil Livingston and Marry Morrison was Mary Livingston and she was born abt. 1776 in Lettermore, Mull. Reverend Maclean Sinclair in his Article Highland Ancestry of Dr. David Livingstone mentions that one of the daughters was married to a man name Laurie. Steve Wilson a David Livingstone family researcher for a number of years, has located a Blantyre Parish marriage record indicating that Neil and Mary's daughter Mary Livingson likely wed a John Laurie on December 5th 1806 at Blantyre Works. He also located Baptismal records for their children.

John Livingston was born abt. 1777 at Lettermore, Mull. Not much is known of him. It has been suggested that he is the John Livingston/Levingston who married Flora Mclean December 27,1796 at Reudle, near Kilninian, Kilninian and Kilmore Parish, Mull but this is not absolutely certain.There have been submissions in the past regarding his family to the Maclea Livingstone Society and some indication that John had no sons but the baptismal records of Kilninian Parish infact indicates quite the opposite:
John Livingston bap. Feb.02,1799, Alexander Levingston bap.June 6,1802, Catharine Levingston bap.July 19,1804, Elizabeth Levingston bap.July 13,1806. We also had a submission a few years ago that there was another daughter Flora born at Ariogan, Kilmore and Kilbride Parish in 1806 but this information does not seem to exist in the Argyll parish records or connect with this family. Unfortunately no proof that John Livingston of Reudle and later Kilninian, Mull is a son of Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison, but he is the only one in the records that fits.

Charles Livingston was born abt. 1779 at "the Cove" on the Isle of Ulva. William Garden Blaikie the 19th century Livingstone biographer in his book "THe Personal life of David Livingstone" states that Charles was a head clerk in the office of the Cotton Manufacturer,Mr Henry Monteith in Glasgow and was apparently displaying much promise but his career and ultimately his life was cut short when he was seized by a press gang and forced to serve aboard a man of war during the Napoleonic Wars. His father Neil Livingston was desvastated by this event and his death soon after somewhere in the Mediterean. Dr. Livingstone informs us that all of his Uncles worked as clerks for Mr Monteith and served either in the Army or Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, but does not provide us with any further details regretably. Some have suggested that all of the Uncles of Dr. Livingstone died in the War but there is no proof of that. Dr. Livingstone`s grandson Hubert Livingstone Wilson was under the impression that all of the Uncles had fought at the Battle of Waterloo. Certainly it is conceivable that at least some of Dr. Livngstone's were at Waterloo, an interesting detail regretably not mentioned in his book Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa.

Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison's children Charles, Margaret and Catharine are according to their baptismal records born at "the Cove``, but where precisely was this located on the Isle of Ulva. Interestingly,William Garden Blaikie in his biography of Dr. Livingstone, "The Personal Life of David Livingstone"states that the Doctor mentioned in his letters that a minister Mr Fraser on the Isle of Ulva had made inquiries about Dr. Livingstone's Ulva kin some years before the Doctor's visit to the Island in 1864 and that an old woman recalled his grandfather living at "Uamh" or "the Cave". Could the Cove mentioned in the baptismal record be the same place as this Cave spoken of by this old women in the mid 1800's? Livingstone goes on to describe this spot where his grandfather and family were said to have lived at Ulva."It is a sheltered spot with basaltic rocks jutting out of the ground below the cave. The walls of the house remain and the corn and potato patches are green but no one lives there." Evidently there is also an interesting castle shaped rock near the shore.

Perhaps then Dr. Livingstone's family lived near a castle shaped rock and scenic Cave in the Cove mentioned in the Kilnian Parish baptism records of Dr. Livingstone's Uncle and aunts between 1779 and 1785. Apparently years after they had left the Isle of Ulva the family were aware of where the old crofter's cottage of Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison had been. Dr. Livingstone's grandson Hubert Livingstone Wilson in his book "Livingstone The Master Missionary" published in the 1920's states that above a pleasant bay in the island of Ulva and looking out to the neighbouring island of Iona...there still stands the remains of the Livingstone house." Today the tradition continues in Mull that the old Livingstone family of Dr. Livingstone lived at a croft on the southern shores of Ulva. The sad reality of the island of Ulva as elsewhere in Western Argyll is that the Island had been subject to clearances in the earlier part of the 1800's and by the time Dr. Livingstone arrived by yacht in 1864 looking for relatives there was no trace of Livingstone kin to be found.

Duncan Livingston born abt. 1781 possibly at the Cove, Ulva, Kilninian Parish, Argyllshire. There is no existing Kilninian Parish record for him, but there clearly was a fourth son and it was likely a Duncan according to family sources. He has been suggested to have been the Duncan Livingston that was married to Christian Beaton and resided at Lettermore, Kininian Parish, Mull but there is no conclusive proof of this.There is thought to have been a fifth son Donald Livingston mentioned by Dr. Livingstone's older brother but there is no information in the surviving Kilninian Parish records or from the family of Dr. Livingstone to substantiate this one way or another.

Margaret Livingston b.abt. 1783 at the Cove, Ulva, Kilninian Parish, Argyllshire. Her death record states:
Margaret Livingstone Dye worker single died October 19, 1864 age 81 yrs at Glasgow Row, Blantyre Works, Blantyre, Lanarkshire Parents: Neil Livingston laborer and Mary Morrison Informant John McKinnon her nephew

Catharine Livingston b.abt. 1785 at the Cove,Ulva, Kilninian Parish, Argyllshire. Husband Donald McKinnon dye worker resided at Blantyre Works,Blantyre Parish, Lanarkshire

Neil Livingston, father of Dr. David Livingstone b. abt. 1788 at Ferininardory, Kilninian Parish, Ulva, Argyllshire in the highlands. R.J. Campbell states that he was unable to determine whether Ferininadory was on the Island of Ulva or the Mainland but Campbell apparently overlooked that Neil the younger himself indicated in the 1851 Scottish Census when he was residing at Hamilton,Lanarkshire that he was born on the Isle of Ulva. From his early youth however he resided in Blantyre,Lanarkshire. Like his father he worked for and was a clerk with Monteith and Sons, Cotton Manufacturers. Doctor Livingstone indicated that his father unlike his Uncles did serve in the miltary during the Napoleonic Wars. Shortly before his marriage in 1810 he was apprenticing as a tailor with his future father-in-law David Hunter and continued in that occupation for a few years. In his later years he became a tea dealer residing with family in Hamilton,Lanarkshire. Married Agnes Hunter December 2,1810 in Blantyre Parish, Lanarkshire. He and Agnes lived for many years at Shuttle Row, Blantyre Works, Blantyre Parish, Lanarkshire, Scotland. A letter written to the London Missionary Society by Neil Livingstone in 1838 indicates that he and the family are still living at Blantyre Parish but by the time of the subsequent 1841 census Neil and family are located in nearby Hamilton Parish at Hamilton residing at 46 Almada Street. Neil Livingstone's death record states: Neil Livingstone, Tea dealer died February 10,1856 age 67 Hamilton, Lanarkshire Parents: Neil Livingstone and Mary Morrison Burial Place: New Cemetery Hamilton. His wife Agnes died June 18, 1865. Dr. Livingstone had a memorial stone created for his parents which read:
"To Show the Resting Place of Neil Livingstone and Agnes Hunter his Wife and to express the thankfulness to God of his children John, David, Janet, Charles and Agnes for poor and pious parents." Sadly,Dr. Livingstone never got to see his father again after he first departed for Africa in 1840 as he died a few weeks before his first return in 1856. Neil Livingston did however learn of his son's accomplishments as his fame by this time had spread all the way from South Africa to the Livingston's Hamilton,Lanarkshire home prior to his death and by all accounts he was proud of his Davie. According to one of his daughters as the father lay near death he was heard to have uttered "I'll know whatever is worth knowing about him. When you see him tell him so."

End of Part One of The Family of Dr. David Livingstone




Children of Neil Livingston Jr. and Agnes Hunter
John son of Neil Livingston Tailor and his spouse Agnes Hunter at Blantre Works, Blantyre Parish was born on the 15th May 1811. According to his obituary, John Livingstone the eldest son of Neil Livingston and Agnes Hunter settled firstly in Lanark Township,Ontario, Canada in the 1840's with his wife Sarah Mackenzie and later Listowel,Perth County, Ontario in 1860 where he became a prominent local merchant and died in 1899. John Livingstone married Sarah McKenzie in June 24th,1835 in Gorbals Parish, Glasgow City, Lanarkshire. Unlike his brothers David and Charles he had no inclination to become a doctor, missionary, explorer in Africa or minister. A letter addressed to John Livingstone of Listowel, Ontario was given to Stanley the journalist/explorer from the New York Herald by Dr. Livingstone in Africa. Following Stanley's return, Dr. Livingstone's older brother became something of a celebrity with the media of the time once Stanley's story of locating Dr. Livingstone in Africa was proven to be true. Several letters survive today of correspondence between Dr. Livingstone and his brother John while the Doctor was in Africa. Dr. Livingstone's older brother John helped him financially when David was struggling to make ends meet while going to school and from all accounts they remained close though many miles separated them. In the 1850's John went back to Scotland to visit with his brother upon the Doctors first return from Africa. He is buried in the Listowel Cemetery and in 1999 to mark the 100th aniversary of his passing, a memorial stone by the family was erected and inscribed "In Memory of John Livingstone Sr. Born Blantyre Scotland 1811 Died Listowel 1899
Elder Brother of African Missionary/Explorer Dr. David Livingstone"

David Livingston born the 19th March 1813 at Blantyre Works, Blantyre Parish, Lanarkshire. From humble beginnings working as a child laborer at the Monteith family owned cotton mill in Blantyre Works, Lanarkshire, Dr.David Livingstone arose from poverty to become one of the most significant historic figures in 19th century Great Britain. He left England December 1840 arrived in South Africa July 1841. Dr. Livingstone married his wife Mary Moffatt daughter of the famous missionary Robert Moffat, January 1845 Mabotsa? Africa. Mary Moffatt b.1821 and died April 27 1862 in Shupanga,Africa. Dr. Livingstone died May 1,1873 at Chief Chitambo's village near Lake Bangweulo in Zambia, Africa,Interred in Westminister Abbey April 18,1874.

Janet Livingston born March 3rd 1818 Blantyre Works, Blantyre Parish, Lanarkshire d. November 23, 1895 Edinburgh, Scotland

Charles Livingston born February 28 1821 d.1873 married Harriet Ingram b. abt. 1825 d.1900 abt. 1850 in NY, U.S.A.
Charles Livingston spent his childhood as did his older brothers working long hours at the cotton mill in Blantrye Works.
He later settled in the United States in 1839 where he went to school in Ohio and New York State studying to be a minister. He preached to congregations in New york State, Vermont and Massachussetts where his family resided in the mid 1800's. Dr. Livingstone tells us that brother Charles was a pastor at a church in Lakeville, Livingston County, New York in 1850. In 1856 he became a naturalized American citizen. In the 1860 U.S. census Charles Livingston is listed as a traveling clergyman born in Scotland living at Attleboro, Bristol, Massachusetts. Joined his brother on his second African expediton but left in 1863 due to a severe attack of fever. In 1864 he becomes British Consul for Fernando Po. Credited by Dr. Livingstone as the Co-author of "Narrative of an Expedition to the Zambesi".By 1871 he is back in Scotland and living at Ulva Cottage, Hamilton, Hamilton Parish, Lanarkshire with wife Harriette and a daughter Harriet. Also at residing at Ulva Cottage, Hamilton at the time were Charle's and David's sister's Janet and Agnes Livingstone who are living with Dr. Livingstone's son Thomas Steele Livingstone and a daughter Anna Livingstone. Charles Livingstone died in 1873. In her final years the widow of Charles Livingston, Harriett Ingraham lived with her son Charles H. Livingstone a smelting manager and her two daughters Mary and Harriet Livingstone in Denver, Colorado and died around 1900. Source:Steve Wilson, Livingstone Relations

Agnes Livingston born 1823 Blantyre Works, Blantyre Parish, Lanarkshire d. March 1,1895 at Kendal, Westmoreland, England

Neil Livingston born July 22,1825 Blantyre Works, Blantyre Parish, Lanarkshire d. in childhood

[Kyle MacLea]

An excellent summary of things, Donald. I think we should publish this in The Parnassus!

Kyle=

[Andrew Lancaster]

Good point Kyle

It is always great when someone takes the time to summarize things at length like this in a clear way!

Andrew

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Guys,

Well I guess I have been "Mulling" over this question of Dr. David Livingstone's ancestry for some time and this week started to put all the pieces together and try to make them fit. I am big fan of Steve Wilson and the comprehensive work he has done digging up all manner of records pertaining to Dr. David Livingstone's family. I guess I am trying to make sense of all the information out there on Dr. Livingstone's family and see if I have any new insights to offer.
As you know I am curious about what happened to Dr. Livingstone's Uncles that he mentioned served in the Army and Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and regret that the Livingstone biographer William Garden Blaikie was not able to find out anything more on them in 1880's or for that matter that Dr. Livingstone did not provide us with more information in his biographical account in the 1850's. As John Livingston recently reminded us at the forum the CHelsea Pension Records will soon be available with the information on Livingstones/Livingstons that served in the 19th century so that may prove helpful in not in helping us find out what happened to Dr. Livingstone's Uncle at least in finding out about many of the Livingstons who served during the Napoleonic Wars.
regards,

Donald

[Kyle MacLea]

I think the answer is clearly yes--even just summarizing and analyzing what's out there is very useful, especially for the novice. Keep going in this direction, Donald!

Kyle=

[Canadian Livingstone]

HI Kyle,

Dr. Livingstone is someone that all Livingstones seem interested in.

regards,

Donald

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Kyle,

As I have pointed out in the case of one other Livingston family departing from Kilninian Parish which ended up in possession of a similar letter of reference and settled in Inverness County, Cape Breton, they are an excellent source of determining where the family originated from. At least one Livingston family from Kilninian Parish, Mull that settled in INverness county, Cape Breton kept this letter from parish officials. I pointed out to Dr. Sinclair that I thought this quite a significant clue as to the origin of this Livingston family. They were given to this family before they left for Nova Scotia/Cape Breton much as Dr. Livingstone's grandfather Neil Livingston received one before he left Ulva for Blantyre.

regards,

Donald

[Kyle MacLea]

I wish we all had such letters--would help genealogy immensely!

Kyle=

[Aussie Livingstone]

Hi everyone,
I have posted on the clan site before with most of the info I have on my family's connection to the Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Livingstones and Dr David Livingstone. Re comment that Donald Livingston would have only been 14 when his daughter was born..I did read somewhere that one or both of them were only 13 when they married, maybe a pregnancy the reason for them marrying that young and why they weren't doing well where they were and decided to move.

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hello Aussie,

Clearly there was a fourth son that accompanied Dr. Livingstone's grandparents Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison from Ulva to Blantyre according to the official document from Mull officials in 1792 and from Dr. Livingstone's great grandson David Livingstone Wilson who sadly passed away in March in Scotland. It is quite clear from Dr. Livingstone's brother John in an 1891 letter to historian Sinclair Maclean that this fourth son was either named Duncan or Donald. John believed there was a Duncan and a Donald which in addition to John b.1777 and Charles born 1779 makes five. It is all a bit of a mystery. I have not really located any tangible info on Donald and Mary Livingston's sons Duncan or Donald regretably to be certain of anything regarding them.

We have been in the past contacted by an Australian doctor and later on by a lady from another Livingston family who have contacted the forum regarding the Cape Breton Livingstons. The lady mentioned documentation in Australia indicating that she is a decendant of a grandson of Angus Livingston pioneer settler of Boularderie Cape Breton Nova Scotia who left for Cape Breton in the 1840's or 1860's for Australia. The information she gave matched a grandson of Angus from what I could tell.

There is regretably some confusion regarding an Angus Livingston of Cape Breton a veteran of British Navy and a Angus Livingston of Jura, Scotland a former Soldier Chelsea pensioner both Napoleonic War veterans who have nothing to do with each other but seem to be mixed up before my time here. I am doing everything i can to sort out the confusion. One is liviing in Scotland in 1841 according to the Scottish census records the other a sailor is listed in the Cape Breton Census of 1841 with sons Alexander and Archibald. Someone contacted a month or two ago about this and I mentioned that old Angus the sailor who served aboard a Channel flag ship in the British Navy and who settled in Cape Breton around 1816 or 1819 never went back to Scotland and infact according to the 1841 census of Cape Breton is living in Cape Breton as the other Angus British Army veteran is living in Jura. Soon the Chelsea pension records for the Angus LIvingston who lived in Jura may be available on line. I look forward to seeing all the Napoleon War records for Chelsea pensioners. Angus that lived at Jura should be in there hopefully. Angus who lived in Cape Breton served in the Navy on the Royal George which was the Channel flag ship in the defending the channel from possible attack by Napoleons fleet during the Napoleonic War. But that ANgus wont be in the Chelsea pension records. He is likely recorded in a roll or pay list of the Navy pertaining to the Royal George. THere were several vessels named Royal George but only one in Britain during the Napoleonic Wars.

regards,

Donald