Clan Maclea/Livingstone and O'Neill connection?

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi John,
Great that you checked that out.
I was wondering to be honest whether or not James Livingston and Janet Brown were John Livingstone's parents but I only noticed their marriage 1763 in the parish records. I couldnt find a birth record for John was my problem and I just calcualated an approximate birth date of abt.1766 from the 1841 Scottish census information of John Livingstone or Livingston of Aberdour Parish, Fifeshire. Yes I see that is obviously the John Livingstone b. abt. 1766 of Wester village, Aberdour Parish 1841 census.

regards,

Donald

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi John,

LDS familysearch.org has John Livingstone born March 4,1764 baptised March 11,1764 but March 3rd I think is the correct date in the original birth entry as you have stated. This was a submission to the LDS I think the question of James Livingstone and Janet Brown as the next generation of Steven's ancestors has pretty much been answered as a yes. This is great as we can probably take Steven;s family line back yet another generation in Aberdour Parish, Fifeshire which adds more creedence to notion that Steven's Livingstone ancestors have roots Aberdour Parish,Fifeshire going back at least to the 1700's and probably 1600's if not earlier.

Jill's suggestion of checking the Robert Sewell site on the Callendar Livingstons is a good one. A lot of good info on Callendar Livingtons there. I think I will also check the old Barones Armorial books that I checked out a few years back and see if I can find the info I found on of the coat of arms for some of th lesser known Livingstone families in lowland Scotland since the 1600's. I thought I had information around and probably do somewhere if I look for it. Otherwise its of to the library.

[Canadian Livingstone]

James Livingstone and Janet Brown of Aberdour Parish,Fifeshire SCotland
1.John Livingstone Sr.b. March 3,1764 Linen weaver m. Agnes Black or Blaick
2. Robert Livingstone b. June 29,1766 m. Elizabeth Bruce
3. James Livingstone b August 20, 1768 m. Martha Henderson
4. Andrew Livingstone b.January 13,1771

John Livingstone Sr. Linen weaver and Agnes Black of Wester,Aberdour Parish, Fifeshire
1. James Livingstone b. abt. 1791 m. Janet?
2. John Livingstone Jr. Linen weaver b. abt. 1796 m. Janet Oct. 16,1818
3. Hugh Livingstone b.1804 m. Cecilia Henderson 1825

This is kinda a work in progress to get some sense of Steven's early Livingstone kin in Aberdour Parish and be useful if anyone else out there is researching this Aberdour Parish,Fifeshire Livingstone family group.

James Livingstone husband of Janet Brown was probably born in the 1740's or 1730's in Aberdour Parish and his father might have been David Livingstone as there is a James Livingstone born 1739 to a David Livingstone but I dont know for certain this is the right James Livingstone.

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Steven,

Regarding the ancestral roots of your Aberdour Parish, Livingstones of Fifeshire I am not certain, but you should be aware that Aberdour,Fifeshire is only 12.58 miles from Linlithgo,West Lothian where the lowland Livingston Earls of Linlithgo lived until the family lost their title in 1715 after the families support and participation in a failed Jacobite rebellion against King George the First. James Livingston was the 5th and last Earl of Linlithgo and 4th Earl of Callendar. The 7th Lord Livingston of Callendar became the Ist Earl of Linlithgo in 1599 or something like that. About 10 miles south of Linlithgo,West Lothian is the town of Livingston. Your ancestors could perhaps be somehow related to the Linlithgo/Callendar Livingstons or conceivably sometime in the middle ages one of your ancestors adopted the name of this local aristocratic family. Regardless of which scenario is correct, it is quite reasonable to assume your Livingstone family have lived for many years in relative close proximity to the aristocratic Livingstons of nearby Linlithgo,West Lothian and their name one way or another was connected to this old Scottish family which figured prominently in Scottish history and who were ardent supporters of the Royal Stuarts.

For many years persons by the name Livingston were employed as tradesmen or laborers in Aberdour Parish. You might find it interesting that in 1671 for example a Thomas Livingston was employed as a wright in Aberdour and did some work on the old Castle of Aberdour. In 1855 a Hugh Livingston was a gravedigger at the New churchyard of Aberdour Parish Church.

As for your Livingstone family, your 5th great grandfather John Livingstone Sr. b 1764.of Wester,Aberdour Parish FIfeshire was a Linen weaver in the early 1800's. His son Hugh Livingstone your 4th great grandfather born in 1804 was a laborer and quarryman. His son James Livingstone Sr. born 1833 was as a young man a farm laborer at Aberdour Mill, Fifeshire and later a laborer at an Iron Works in Wishaw, Cambusnethan Parish,Lanarkshire. His son James Livingstone Jr. b.1871 was a carter in Wishaw,Cambusnethan Parish, Lanarkshire before he left Scotland for America in 1895.

regards,

Donald

[jmlivingstone]

Donald/Steven,

This is the earliest Livingstone I can find in Aberdour so far, unfortunately work requirements keep interfering,

John

marriage:11th. Sept. 1664 - Aberdour

groom's name:Allane Livingstone

bride's name:Elspeth Angus

marriage date:1th. Sept. 1664

marriage place:Aberdour, Fife

indexing project (batch) number:M11401-4

source film number:1040144

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Steven and John,

The 5th Earl of Linlithgo was captured in the 1715 Rebellion, lost his title and his estates in Scotland and escaped in 1716. He joined Bonnie Prince Charlie's father, the old Pretender,James the Third in exile in Europe at Urbino, later part of Italy. He died in 25th April 1723 in Rome.

The Coat of arms design of the Earls of Linlithgo,West Lothian and the Callendar,Stirlingshire Livingstons is basically the same isn't it as they are basically the same aristocratic lowland family. The cinquefoils, the guy holding the club and the motto SiJe Puis. What you have on the wall Steven is probably based upon this.

regards,

Donald

[Steven Meyer]

Wow this is all really interesting! Thank you all for your research so far, so it is probable that my family and these lowland Livingstons are connected?

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Steven,
Your Livingstones were definitely of an old lowland Scotland variety in my oppinion from the Fife and neighbouring West Lothian and Stirlingshire area, though not neccessarily related or a blood relative to the Callendar/Linlithgo lowland Livingstone titled family but I suspect lived originally in the Stirlingshire area and took on their name centuries ago.
It is probably not likely your descended from the Earls of Linlithgo, but from old family of Fifeshire perhaps connected to Livingstons of West Lothian and Stirlingshire that I would assume long ago adopted the name Livingston at a time when common people in the area took on last names. The 5th Earl of Linlithgo James Livingston died in 1723 a Jacobite in exile in Rome with no son and heir. Your ancestors likely have long history in FIfe and possibly neighbouring Stirlingshire area but more likely as common folk who lived in the vicinity of the old aristocratic lowland Livingstone family. It is believed that the aristocratic Callendar,Stirlingshire/Linlithgo,West Lothian Livingston family has essentially died out with a few possible exceptions. Nether the less I am always hoping to discover a Livingstone or Livingston that challenges some of our assumptions.

regards,

Donald

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi John,
Thanks for that.
Yes Allan Livingston is one of the earliest recorded in the old Aberdour Parish book. It is possible that they were in Aberdour Parish before the 1660's and we dont have access to the records. These Aberdour, FIfe Livingstons must be connected other Livingstons in nearby West Lothian and in Stirlingshire I would imagine.

regards,

Donald

[Steven Meyer]

Do you believe perhaps these two families eventually connect at some point during the middle ages, not descended but the possibility of some kind of connection?