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Hi guys,

I am very new to this genealogy stuff. Been tracing my grandfather line back lately to see how far I could get back and hit a brick wall so thought I would post to see if anyone that reads this forum may link into the same ancestors or have some further info. My McLay family has been in Victoria Australia since migrating in 1852. Prior to my ancestry in Australia this is what I have found:

John McLay (Great grandfather x5) b. 1775 Ireland m. Margaret Gillies b. 1775 Ireland

William McLay (Great Grandfather x4) b. 1796 Ireland d. 1868 m. Mary Howie b. 1791 Irvine, Scotland d. 1885

John McLay (Great Grandfather x3) b. 1826 Galston, Scotland d. 1890 m. Janet Galloway b. 1825 Dalry, Scotland d. 1906

John and Janet migrated to Melbourne Australia on board the "Norna" arriving in Melbourne (from Glasgow) on 26 December 1852.

Hello,

Welcome to the Clan Maclea Livingstone Society Forum.

I suspect that your ancestor John McLay born in Ireland was himself likely of earlier Scottish family ancestry, perhaps connected to one of the Scottish McLay, Macaulay families who settled in Ireland in the 1600's rather than Maclea Livingstones of Argyllshire. Some Mclays or Maculays perhaps from Stirlingshire or elsewhere this family lived in lowland Scotland in the 17th century seems to have settled in one or more of the counties of Ireland. I don't have much luck with researching Ireland because so many of the records such as the census records and other old records were destroyed in a fire in 1920's

regards,

Donald