Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull

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Canadian Livingstone
Posts: 2770
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:00 pm

Re: Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mu

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi James,

I have been going the list of Livingstones you sent me. Ancestry.com genealogies often contain Livingston family trees linking a Livingston family with Dr. Livingstone's family. My own family had a story that our Livingston relatives were related somehow to Dr. Livingstone. It is actually quite common amongst Livingston families I have found over the years.

1. John Livingston of the Low Point, Cape Breton, N.S. Livingstons I can confirm was definitely not of a Mull Livingston family connected to Dr. David Livingstone's Mull, Argyll family though John is known to have originated from Mull, Argyll according to his Son John Jr's obituary. The Low Point Livingstons are apparently distantly related to other Maclea- Livingstons of Mull and neighbouring Morvern Parish, Argyll in the 1700's and other Livingstons in Western Argyllshire but Y DNA testing has also verified and confirmed that the Low Point Livingstons are not related to the Livingston family of Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison and Dr. Livingstone. The Low Point Livingstons are distantly related to other Livngstons families of Mull origin in particular that settled in Cape Breton and more distantly with Livingston families of other neighbouring parishes including Morvern and with my Livingston family group that resided in Morvern Parish, Argyll in the 18th Century and likely before that. These Mull and Morvern Livingstons do not share the same Y DNA results as those Livingstons who are somehow related to Dr. Livingstone's Livingston ancestors in Scotland in past centuries.

2.Agnes Livingstone b. 1796 daughter of Dr. Livingstone's grandfather Neil Livingstone and Mary Morrison did not marry as far as I know and there is no family information on her to my knowledge.

3.Donald Livingston 1802-1888 m. April 8, 1828 Church of Scotland, Bowmore, Kilarrow Parish, Isle of Islay Southern Argyllshire, Scotland Mary Brown. Arrived in Canada by 1830's as did many other Islay, Argyll families during this decade of the 19th century. Settled firstly in Huntingdon, Quebec and then later settled in Vespa Township, Simcoe County. As you mentioned information that this Donald Livingston b. 1802 was a son of Dr. Livingstone's grandfather Neil Livingston and wife Mary Morrison is definitely incorrect. There does appear likely that Neil Livington and Mary Morrison had a son Donald born in the 1780's possibly and not included in the surviving Kilninian Parish Argyllshire Church of Scotland records where most of their other children were recorded. The family of Neil Livingston and Morrison left highland Argyllshire in 1792 for Blantyre, Lanarkshire and there is definitely no record of them having a son named Donald in 1802.
It is possible however that this Islay Argyll Livingston Donald Livingston b.1802 might have a more distant ancestral connection to Dr. Livingstone's grandfather's family and there is one Livingston family of Islay Argyll origin whose descendant was a relatively close match with a descendant of Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison. So I think it worthwhile for a "Livington" descendant of Donald Livingston b.1802 to consider doing the Familytreedna Y chromosome test which a proven descendant of Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison a great nephew of Dr. Livingstone has already done some years ago. Most Livingston of Argyllshire ancestral Maclea-Livingstone descent that have been tested via familytreedna Y CHromosmome test have not had test result consistent with those of a proven descendant of Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison and relative of Dr. Livingstone's family. A Y chromosome test with familytreedna of a proven "Livingston" descendant of Donald Livingston and Mary Brown sometime in the future would very easily help the descendants of Donald Livingston and Mary Brown to within a few months establish from the test results whether or not their ancestor Donald Livingston is distantly related to Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison or connected with another highland Livingston DNA match group associated with the Maclea Livingstones who resided in parishes of Argyllshire in the 18th and 19th centuries and before that.
jae47
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 8:08 pm
Location: California

Re: Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mu

Post by jae47 »

There is an ancestry.com (U.S.) user named Tyler Livingston who descends from Donald L. and Mary Brown of Islay (and then Simoce Co, Ontario). He and I have a very small DNA connection via the ancestry.com testing. He would apparently fit your criteria for the Y testing. I sent him a link to the website.
(I know of no male-line descendant form my Lanark County Livingstones. Duncan, son the Alexander, had 2 sons (John and Alex) and they landed with aunts in Hibbert Twsp, Perth Co, Ontario in 1871, after their parents died(?) in Minnesota -- or were unable to care for them. I lose them after the 1881 census, and have hope for years a descendant would find my tree and make themselves known.)
Canadian Livingstone
Posts: 2770
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:00 pm

Re: Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi James,

Yes it is disappointing that Livingston descendants of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton are so difficult to locate. Interesting that the basic ancestry.com test seems to perhaps link you to Donald Livingston and Mary Brown of Islay Argyll who later settled in Ontario. 3 livingston's descended from another 19th century Islay Argyll Livingston have done another type of test testing paternal Y DNA offered by familytreedna and they are matching with a known descendant of Dr. Livingstone's older brother that some years ago did they same test Although you did do another type of test with ancestry.com it is interesting that another Islay Livingston family was linked by ancestry.com with your results.

I looked at that earlier list you shared with me from ancestry.com I assume and it does definitely refer to among others the Donald Livingston and Mary Brown of Islay Argyll who settled firstly in Quebec and later in Simcoe County, Ontario.

Yes I would most definitely encourage the Livingston gentleman you mentioned who is a descendant of Donald Livingston and Mary Brown to contact the forum and consider doing the YDNA test with family treedna to help confirm or rule out a possible distant Livingston family connection with Dr. Livignstone's Mull, Argyllshire family. Many Livingston families have an old family story that they are related to Dr. Livingstone in some way but very few actually are so the family tree Y DNA is one way we are able to determine whether that is the case or not. The only difficulty regarding the test is that the Y Chromosome test for the Livngstons requires a male Livingston because they possess the Y Chromosomes necessary for this particular kind of DNA test and quite often as in the case of the family line of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton there may be few or no male descendants with the name Livingstone existing today.

regards,

Donald
Canadian Livingstone
Posts: 2770
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:00 pm

Re: Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi James,
One of the problems I do have with the notion that Duncan Livingston Sr. of Lettermore Mull was an Uncle of Dr. Livingstone and brother John Livingstone who lived in Canada is Duncan would have had to be a son of Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison of Lettermore Mull born sometime after their marriage in 1774 in Kilninian Parish, Mull. According to Dr. Livingstone's brother John Livingstone in an 1890's interview he stated he had an Uncle named Duncan son of his grandparents Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison. Given the fact that they married in the year 1774 then in order for your ancestor Duncan Livingston of Lettermore to be Dr. Livingstone's grandfather's son he would have to be born then in a period between 1774 and the 1790's. We do not know when your ancestor Duncan Livingston was born in Mull but given that his first child Jean or Janet Livingston was born abt. 1788 then your ancestor Duncan Livingston could not be the son Duncan Livingston of Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison thought to have been born in the early 1780's. Even if your ancestor Duncan Livingston had been born to Neil Livingston at the year of their marriage in 1774 your ancestor Duncan Livingston of Lettermore, Mull would still be only about 14 at the time of the birth of his first child Jean or Janet Livingston. This was my concern in the past though I do think and have thought in the past that your ancestor Duncan Livingston Sr. of Lettermore and his family could still be related to Dr. Livingstone's Grandfather Neil Livingston and his family. My earlier thought was that Duncan Livingston Sr. was not a son of Dr. Livignstone's grandfather Neil Livingston but a brother or first cousin of his which would still make Duncan Livingston's son Alexander and John Livingston of the Highland Line, Dalhousie township, Lanark County second cousins and years later John Livingston, Dr. Livingstone's brother would still be correct referring to the Highland Line Livingstons as his cousins. John did not indicate whether his Highland Line Dalhousie Township Lanark County cousins were first or second cousins. This was my original thoughts but over the years i had forgotten the earlier math I had done regarding the possibility of your ancestor Duncan Livingston being a son of Dr. Livingstones' grandfather. The possibility of being a cousin with Dr. Livignstone and his brother John is there for the children of Duncan Livingston Sr. and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull that settled in the 1820's at the Highland Line in Dalhousie township, Lanark County, Ontario and they could have been cousins of John Livingstone as he indicated just not first cousins if you follow my logic.

regards,

Donald
jae47
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 8:08 pm
Location: California

Re: Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull

Post by jae47 »

Yes -- agreed that the dates / generations do not work out for "my" Alexander (settled in Dalhousie) to be a first cousin of Dr. David. I've done that math numerous times over the last few decades! The *closest possible* seems to be 2nd cousins (connection being a brother to Dr. David's grandfather), as you say:
"...Duncan Livingston Sr. was not a son of Dr. Livignstone's grandfather Neil Livingston but a brother or first cousin..."
Canadian Livingstone
Posts: 2770
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:00 pm

Re: Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi James,

Dr. Livingstone did not say any thing in accounts I have seen about his Livingston cousins. He visited Mull and the Isle of Ulva on his last return trip to the Britain from Africa in the 1860's and only found one elderly woman who had some recollection of where his Grandfather and the Livingstone resided on the Isle of Ulva before he and his family departed their small tenant farm for Blantyre, Lanarkshire in 1792. His brother John in 1872 to a newspaper journalist he only mentioned that he had a Livingston cousin who had lived along the Highland Line section of Lanark Township in Lanark County, Ontario. Regretably and most foolishly I misplaced
that the source of the info I had on that and during a move in 2019 seemed to have misplace info on that Livingston family bible that an elderly descendant of Duncan Livingston and Chrisitan Beaton had in the 1950's in Ontario. I hope to yet find it. I had refound it in 2019 as my organizing and sorting some research documents for the move but since the move I have not been able to find the special file where I put it.

A proven descendant of Dr. Livingstone's brother was tested some years ago so it can be determined from those results if any Livingston who does the Familytree Y DNA test is a close or more distant match with this Livingstone family group.
I was in contact a while back with another descendant of the Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton family that settled in Lanark township but Alexander's descendants departed from Ontario and moved to the States and I have no info on any Livingston descendants who could do the Y DNA test. So it doe not look hopeful that in any time soon we can find a descendant of Duncan's son Alexander for testing.
It would be nice if you could contact that descendant of Donald Livingston and Mary Brown of Islay, Argyll as Y DNA testing by Familytreedna could very confirm if he is related through his father's Livingston line with Dr. LIvingstone and his Livingstone ancestors. I am familiar with Donald Livingston and Mary Brown's history somewhat and would like to see if that Livingston family line is related to Dr. Livingstone's family line as the testing results for Dr. Livingstone great nephew indicates that some Islay,Argyll Livingston are distantly related to Dr. Livingstone's Livingston ancestors at some point in time.

Regarding your Livingston ancestors without the Y DNA test with a proven Livingston descendant of Duncan Livingston Christian Beaton I cannot say for certain whether or not their Livingston familes are somehow ancestrally connected unfortunately With the test I could tell you in matter of months whether or not the two families shared a Livingston ancestral connection.

regards,

Donald
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