www.clanlivingstone.info

My great great grandmother was Isabella Livingstone, born 1817 Oban Seal, Isle of Seil, Argylshire, Scotland. (source: obituary Ellsworth Reporter, Kansas, USA, 15 Dec 1892)
Isabella was baptized 24 Feb 1817 daughter of John Livingstone and Mary McIntyre (source: Kilninver and Kilmelfort parish records)
John Livingstone, servant man in Ardencaple, was married in Easdale to Mary McIntyre, daughter of John McIntyre, 5 June 1806. (source: Kilbrandon and Kilchattan parish records)
Mary McIntyre was baptized in Easdale 16 July 1783, daughter of John McIntyre and Mary Liviston(?). (source: Kilbrandon and Kilchattan parish records )

Isabella Livingstone married Francis James Conway in Glasgow, 27 Mar 1845 (Barony Parrish records).
Isabella Livingstone and Francis (Frank) Conway had children:
1. Francis James Conway – born ?, died young in Scotland.
2. Mary Conway - born Glasgow (1845), died Indiana, USA (married Christ Schafer)
3. Marjorie McDonald Conway - born Glasgow (1846), died Osceola, Arkansas, USA (married Alex Goodrich)
4. Isabella Conway - born Glasgow (1848), died young in Scotland
5. Margaret Bowman Conway - born Glasgow (1850), left behind with grandparents when parents moved to America, according to Elizabeth Sheddan (Mrs. Duncan Conway); Margaret lives with Isabella’s brother at Oban Seil Farm in 1861 census.
6. John Conway - born Illinois, USA, died young in Illinois (?), 5 years old in 1860
7. Duncan Livingstone Conway, born Illinois (1857), died in Osceola, Arkansas, USA, (Jul 1897) my great grandfather

Frank and Isabella eventually settled in Ellsworth, Kansas, USA. Isabella died 14 Dec 1892. Frank's obituary in Ellsworth Reporter 14 Jan 1904 says Frank was born near Balmoral, Scotland 15 September 1819 and died at the age of 84 years, 3 months and 26 days. Both are buried in Ellsworth cemetery. Only Frank has marker.

My clue that John Livingstone and Mary McIntyre was the correct Livingstone family for my Isabella is that I found Isabella's daughter, Margaret Conway, who was left behind when the Conway family moved to the US, with Duncan Livingstone in Oban Seil Farm House, ED 1, Household 1, in the 1861 census. Margaret Conway is his niece, making Duncan Livingstone Isabella's brother, he was baptized in Kilninver and Kimelford (1 Aug 1818) son of John Livingstone and Mary McIntyre. In 1861 Duncan is farming 150 acres at Oban Seil Farm. Household:
Duncan Livingstone 42 head of household born Kilninver, Argyllshire
. . .
Margaret Conway 10 neice born Glasgow, Lanarkshire

I have significantly more information concerning the family in the United States, if anyone is interested. I am especially interested in finding John Livingstone's ancestors.

Hi Mary-lou

The Lanarkshire parish records list:
Children of Francis Jame Conway and Isabella Livington
1. Mary born 07/08/1845
2. Majory McDonald born 03/11/1846
3. Isabella born 05/07/1848
4.Margaret born 18/03/1850

1851 Census Glasgow College parish, Glasgow Lanarkshire 76 Havannah Street.
? Conway age 32 born Bayar? Aberdeenshire. that seems like a spelling mistake I suspect. Balmoral where his obituary says he was born is also in the County of Aberdeenshire.
Isabella Conway age 33 born Lorn, Argyllshire ( Isabella Livingston was born in the County of Argyllshire)
Mary age 5
Marian? age 4 perhaps Majory?
Margaret age 1

Your ancestors John Livingston and Mary McIntyre are located in the 1841 Census in Kilninver parish with some of their youngest children however the ages of John and Mary dont seem to be correctly recorded in the census. The rest of the information however for the most part seems to be correct. See my other Livingston information that you have. After the 1841 Census they seem to disappear from Kilninver parish and from the county of Argyllshire.

I am now fairly certain that your belief that your ancestor John Livingstone was the son of Alexander Livingstone and Mary Buchanan is possible correct. John Livingstone born or baptised in 1779 at Easdale where your John and his wife Mary McIntyre were wed in 1806 makes sense to me. He is the only one from the general vicinity where your ancestors lived that fits to my way of thinking. ALso there is the fact that there is a Mary McIntyre was born or baptised in 1783 and resided in Easdale. ONe more interesting piece of evidence I liked was the fact that i found tonight another birth or baptism record from 1786for a Isabella Livingstone daughter of Alexander Llivignstone and Mary Buchanan of Easdale. Isabella was the name of your ancestor s John Livingston and Mary McIntyre,s eldest daughter. So while not 100% proof certainly there some information to support your notion.

Hope this is some help.

regards,

Donald (Livingstone) CLink
Historian
Clan Maclea Livingstone SOciety

Welcome Mary Lou!

If anyone can help you find your family it's the people here. I came in a little over a year ago and what a great time I've had.

The people are a lot of fun, really some of the nicest I've ever met!..... and really helpful.

Ginger Livingston Sanders

Hi Mary Lou,
Regarding Easdale in Kilbrandon parish,Argyllshire where we assume your ancestor John Livingston and his wife Mary McIntyre seem to have originated this from the 1882-1884 Frances Groome's Ordinance Gazetteer of Scotland:

Kilbrandon and Kilchattan Parish
A united parish in Nether Lorn District of Argyllshire comprising the pre reformation parishes of Kilbrandon, Kilchattan, Kilbride and Kilchoan. It comprehends a sector of the world with the inhabited islands of Seil, Luing and Easdale the last with a post and telegraph office under Oban...

regards,

Donald (Livingstone) Clink
Historian
Clan Maclea Livingstone Society

Hi Mary Lou

I was very interested to read your family history. My Great Great Grandfather is Duncan LIVINGTON of Oban Seil farm, he is the brother of your Great Great Grandmother, Isabella. So it seems John Livingstone is our Great, Great, Great Grandfather.
According to the records I have (from Old Parochial Records Kilninver (524/1)), Isabella was born to John Livingston tenant Dauchy and his spouse Mary McIntyre on 28th July 1816.
I did not have the date of the wedding of John Livingston and Mary McIntyre nor details of her parents, so thank you for helping me fill in these gaps.
You will note LIVINGSTON has no ‘e’ on the end, I read somewhere that the e was often added by the English when families moved out of Scotland. In my family line it starts with my Grandfather who was born in 1898 in England.
I have been to Seil and found the graves of my Great Grandparents, Duncan and Ann (McDougall) and also have photos of Oban Seil Farm which is now used as a holiday cottage. I can e-mail you these if you are interested.
Kind Regards
Andy
North Yorkshire
England

Hi Andy,

Welcome to the Forum! Glad we could help you find your cousin Mary Lou. Excellent!

I'll stay out of the particulars of your family, but I did want to point out that there are many different Livingston/e families out there with many different explanations of the 'e' on the end. One thing is certain: The 'Livingston' spelling was more common before Dr Livingstone and 'Livingstone' appears to have become more popular after him. Whatever the particular explanation of each spelling, they both derive from the same names and are often intermingled in single families, so I wouldn't worry too much about the particular spelling. People often switched back and forth, and the spelling changed in the Doctor's own family as well!

Again, welcome, and we hope you'll tell us a little more about your branch of the family as well!

Nollaig chridheil huibh,
Kyle=

Hi Andy,

Pleased to hear that you have a found an Oban Seil Livingston cousin through the Maclea Livingstone Forum. This kind of thing happens from time to time and is one of the benefits of having Livingstones or Livingstons contacting us from around the world with information and inquiries. A great many Livingstons spell it a Livingston, though the Livingstone has been since the origins of useage among our highland clan in the mid 1700's the preferred spellling by our Clan Chiefs located on the Island of Lismore in Western Argyll and related kin ever since. As Kyle pointed out Dr. Livingstone's family originally spelled the name Livingston, but by the time Dr. Livingstone had made his first return from Africa in 1856 he was signing his correspondence Dr. David Livingstone interestingly enough. R.J. Campbell author of "Livingstone" published in the late 1920's suggests about 1855. It is also my sense as the fame of Dr. Livingstone increased in the nineteenth century, many Livingstons considering their families ancestrally linked with the Doctor, added the e to their name. I noticed a definite increase in the Livingstone spelling in the later 19th century records following the death of Dr. Livingstone.

regards,

Donald (Livingstone) Clink
Historian Clan Maclea Livingstone Society