Stuart Alias McAlay in Banffshire

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Juno53
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Stuart Alias McAlay in Banffshire

Post by Juno53 »

Stuart alias McAlay, Mortlach

In the OPR births for Mortlach, Banffshire in 1793, 1797 and 1801, on the baptism records of some of his children, my 4xg-grandfather's name is written as 'Robert Stuart Alias McAlay'. It is spelled the same way each time, and written in two different hands.

I had read somewhere that such aliases were rife in the Banff area from around the 1740s to the 1820s and that the Stewart or Stuart name had been seen in records with the aliases "McAlay/McLea, More/Moir, Bain and Dow". I can vouch for the validity of the Moir alias, since 'Robert Stuart Alias Moir' was one of the witnesses named on the abovementioned 1797 baptism (of my 3xg-grandfather, James Stewart, who was later declared an "outlaw and fugitive" and "put to the horn" in 1816)!

But I digress. Sorry for rambling on a bit, but can anyone here tell me if they have seen 'McLea' spelled as 'McAlay' before? Or am I simply jumping to the wrong conclusion based on the Appin Stewart/MacLeay clan connection d'you think ..?

Any suggestions or help would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

June
Canadian Livingstone
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Re: Stuart Alias McAlay in Banffshire

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi June,

Just a guess but it may be that the family in older times are connected to one of the Macleays that could be found in Northern Scotland. I thinking there might be connection with the Contin Macleays associated with Ross the Cromarty Macleays rather than the Western Argyllshire Macleas Maconleas which later by the mid 1700's had much pretty abandoned the name Maclea or Maconlea for Livingstone or Livingston. Sometime the old western Argyllshire Maclea are referred to as Macleays in tartan book clan biographies but in the old 18th century Western Argyll records the spelling was generally McOnlea, Maconlea or Maclea. I have yet to find that spelling in old 18th century record when the Clan members referred to themselves as Macleas or Mconleas/Maconlea. We haven's of course used the name since the mid 1700's when clan members and their families were all referred to in the parish records as Livingstones or Livingstons.

The Macleay spelling seems to have been however quite common along with other Macleas outside of the County of Argyllshire as well it should be noted amongst the Ross and Cromarty Macleays who were closely associated with Clan Mckenzie. That being said I really have never come across a Banffshire Macleay or Maclea of North East Scotland in my research and am not familiar with them. I will when I have chance see if I see anything on the Banffshire Macleays, but I don't have any knowledge of an old Banffshire Macleay family at the moment that might be of help to your family research sorry to say. And there is also a chance that someone out there researching the Cross and Cromarty Macleays may have seen some information Macleays migrating over the centuries into Banffshire which might explain some families of Macleays in 18th century Banffshire if that is the case. That would be just a hunch on my part anyways and in the record you found a spelling variation appeared as " Mcalay" . It is quite true that the Appin Stewarts had a long history and association with the their neighbours in clan Maconlea/Maclea in Western Argyll. Maclea Livingstons served in the Appin Regiment commanded by Appin Stewart officers in the 1745-1746 Rebellion. It might also possible that this Stuart ancestor of yours was born in Western Argyllshire and migrated later to Banffshire later in life. I have seen a few of those "alias" names in my own Maclea Livingstone research, particularly 18th century as the use of patronymic naming system was beginning to be abandoned in the highlands. Stuart alias Mcalay sounds something connected to the last vestige of the old patronymic system perhaps like referring to a highlander in the early 1700's (in scottish gaelic of course) as "Stuart or Stewart son of Maclea or Macleay". Just guessing anyways. It is very interesting that you found your ancestor referred to like that and appreciate you sharing that info with the Clan Maclea Livingstone Society Forum.

regards,

Donald (Livingstone) Clink
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Kyle MacLea
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Re: Stuart Alias McAlay in Banffshire

Post by Kyle MacLea »

Hi June,

There are some McAulays who appear to not be closely related to McLays and have a separate history. That being said, even carefully passed-on spellings are sometimes wrong or misleading, so I don't think you can completely rule anything out either way.

I will also say that my own McLeas have DNA matches to McColley, McCauley/Macauley, and McAulay, so there are clearly examples of men with similar names being related to our own Clan.

I think Donald's thought that your man may be of the Northern McLeays is a sound one as well.

Kyle
Kyle S. MacLea
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kyle -dot- maclea -at- gmail -dot- com
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Re: Stuart Alias McAlay in Banffshire

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi June,
On second thought I think your ancestor 4th great-grandfather Robert is indicating a family connection with someone from the old Clan Mcaulay or Macaulay.
I am thinking that your ancestors possible Mcalay family connection refers to a family connection to a member of Clan Mcaulay which is not connected to our ancient Western Argyllshire Clan Maclea Livingstones or the Ross and Cromarty Macleays as far as I know. Their last Clan Chief Aulay Mcaulay of Ardicaple, Dunbartonshire died in 1767 apparently. Before that however his clan members seemed to have dispersed and their families could be found in Perthshire, Edinburgh, Stirlingshire and some in Banff.

Interestingly there a Mcaulay also sometimes spelt Mcalay in the earlier Banff records as well I am looking at a small family group of Mcaulay's that lived in the Banff area starting around the 1730's in a place called Inveravon, Banff. The earliest records I found that might be some connection to your later Macalay family is a Aulay Mcaulay and his wife Helen Stuart a son Donald was born June 29, 1749. in Inveravon. Earliest Stuart family and Mcaulay family Banff parish record I noticed before the one for your ancestor you have located years later in Banff. Also a Lewis Mcalay is the father of a daughter Elizabeth born Feb. 2, 1740. Oct. 28, 1736 a daughter Anne Mcaulay born to father Alai Mcalay. Before the 1730's I am not seeing the family in Banff, but earlier in the year 1722 I see another Aulay Mcaulay mentioned in Dull, Perthshire. I am wondering if Dull, Perthshire Maculay's are connected to the this Inveravon Banff family group and ultimately both groups to Maculays that lived in Perthshire. Looking at a map of Scotland, I could see how a family of Perthshire Mcaulay's might later up in the County of Banff.

In the 1600's and 1700's there were a significant number living for some in the reason also in the village of Gargunnock, Stirlingshire. Also some families during this lived in Edinburgh. I am not getting so much in Ross and Cromarty actually in the parish records spelling with Mcaulay. So perhaps the Banff group is more connected to a family group that lived in these area I mentioned from at least the early 1600's. I need to acquaint myself with the history of the Maculay which I not familiar with. Last chief was also named Aulay Mcaulay died in 1767 and his ancestral home was in Ardincaple in Dunbartonshire.

I would assume that your Stuart ancestor has a family connection with a member of this Clan Mcaulay, a clan with it's origins and interesting history apparently connected to its Chiefly line that lived for centuries at Ardincaple, Dumbarton rather than with our Western Argyll Maclea Livingstons. The name though is very similar and often linked with our Argyllshire Macleas and the Ross and cromarty Macleays sometimes referred and spelt as Maclea as well census records. I am thinking in the case of your Stuart ancestor that there was some family connection I would assume from the "alias" to a family member of Clan Mcaulay in the case of your ancestor spelt with one of the Mcaulay spelling variations I noticed in a study of the Mcaulay records "Mcalay".

http://www.electricscotland.com/webclan ... aula2.html

There are also a ton of Macaulay surviving birth entries not surprisingly from the Church of Scotland records for Dumbartonshire parishes of Dumbarton, Bonhill and Cardross parish from the 1670's onward.

Robert may have been born in Mortlach in the 1760's to Patrick Stuart of Mortlach who was born in the 1740's in Mortlach. No records of Stuarts that I noticed in Morlach before that. No mention anywhere that could see of another Stuart with a Mcalay or Macaulay alias, but it must be of some significance to your ancestor Robert Stuart of Mortlach, Banff but can only guess what that might be.

regards,

Donald
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