Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull

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Canadian Livingstone
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Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Around 1821 three Livingston brothers said by kin to be sons of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull,Argyllshire are known to have settled in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Upper Canada (Ontario, Canada). They were Duncan Livingston b.1791,John Livingston b. 1792 and Alexander Livingston 1797-1840. Alexander Livingston I discovered is buried in the Highland Line Cemetery in Dalhousie Township, Lanark Township, Ontario and his now broken tombstone states that he is was a native of Mull. Given the sorry state of this pioneer Livingston tombstone of Lanark Settlement in Dalhousie Township one would hope that a descendant someday soon makes some effort to protect the stone from further damage.

It seems to me that Duncan Livingston of Lettermore, Mull the father of those Livingstons who settled in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Upper Canada (Ontario) around 1820 was most likely a brother of Dr. Livingstone's grandfather Neil Livingston b.in the 1740's? and therefore Duncan's children Duncan Jr. Alexander, John, Hugh and Mrs Duncan Stewart (Catharine) who settled at the Highland Line, Dalhousie Township, Lanark County would probably have been in my opinion more likely second cousins rather than first cousins of Dr. David Livingstone and his older brother John Livingstone who himself later settled nearby in Lanark County around 1840 1841.

I believe that Duncan Livingston a resident of Lettermore, Mull was likely in the area when Dr. Livingstone's grandfather lived in Lettermore in the 1770's before Neil Livingstone Sr. moved on to the Isle of Ulva by the late 1770's and is likely related but think he likely was too old to be a son of the grandfather Neil Livingston Sr. given that Dr. Livingstone's grandfather youngest child Neil Jr. born in 1788 was born the same year as Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton's oldest daughter Jean. It strikes me then that Duncan might have been a brother of Dr. Livingstone's Grandfather. Some of Duncan Livingston's daughter Catharines' descendant's understood I think that Catharine (Mrs. Duncan Stewart) 1800-1885 was
a first cousin of Dr. Livingstone and her father Duncan Livingston of Lettermore, Mull was an older brother of Dr. Livingstone's father Neil Livingston Jr. 1788-1856 but others have suggested the connection was a generation earlier making Catharine Livingston (Mrs DUncan Stewart) of Lanark County and later Perth County, Ontario actually second cousins rather than first cousin. Either way I definitely believe they were cousins with a family connection to Mull Argyll originally.

Dr. Livingstone's older brother JOhn Livingstone 1811-1899 who lived in Lanark Township, Lanark County for several years in the 1840's before resettling around 1860 in Listowel, Ontario probably stated in 1872 that Alexander and his brother John Livingston of the Highland Line of Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Upper Canada were his cousins, though he does not mention the actual family connection regrettably. I suspect by highland line Lanark County Livingstons he was acknowledging that this Livingston family that lived in Letermore, Mull back in Argyllshire were some sort of relation to his Grandfather Neil Lavington who he may have known also lived in the Lettermore, Mull area apparently before moving to the Isle of Ulva where John's father Neil Livingston was born in 1788.

Interestingly a few years ago I received a copy of an old newspaper clipping connected to an old Lanark county Livingston researcher from the 1950's which quoted and older newspaper article from the Winter of 1872 where Dr. Livingstone's brother John Livingstone of Listowel, Perth County, Ontario was interviewed for a London Ontario,newspapers and John did refer to both Alexander and his brother John Livingston of the highland line, Lanark County as his cousins. I can state for certain that Dr. Livingstone's brother in the 1870's when he was being interviewed about his famous brother acknowledged Alexander or John Livingston of the Highland Land in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Ontario (I forget which one or the other) he believed was a Livingston cousin. That is all he said about that possible Livingston connection and no mention of how they were connected or the Lettermore connection that revealed by a examination of the Kilninian Parish records of Mull of the 1700's.

I became interested in the Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Ontario Livingstons as an old Ontario,Canada newspaper article mentioned that John Livingstone (1811-1899) of Listowel,Perth County, Ontario, Canada older brother of Dr. Livingstone had stated in the 1870's to a journalist that he had a cousin named Alexander or John Livingston I forget which whom lived at the highland line of Dalhousie Township, Lanark Township, Ontario. As Dr. Livingstone's brother John Livingstone had lived briefly in Lanark Township, Lanark County,Ontario in the 1840's with his wife Mary Mackenzie when the family first arrived in Canada I had always wondered if he had any family connections to the other Livingston families that settled in Lanark County earlier as pioneers in the 1820's.

In fact some information has emerged regarding the Dalhousie Township Livingstons which seems to possibly link them to Dr. Livingstone and his brother John's family. It is known that three Scottish settlers Alexander, John and Duncan Livingston settled in Dalhousie Township by about 1820/1821 and received land grants from the Government of Upper Canada as they opened up settlement in what was then the Lanark Military settlement in Upper Canada. All three Livingston were assigned land grants in close proximity to one another. Alexander was first located at Concession 11 Lot 5 East in 1820, then John was located at Concession 10 Lot 6 East August 30th 1821 and Duncan Livingston at Concession 9 Lot 7 a few days later on September 1st 1821. After the War of 1812, this part of Upper Canada was opened up to settlement and British settlers, and military veterans were offered 100 acre land grants. In 1820/1821 Scottish weavers and others from Lanarkshire were encouraged to settle in what became Lanark County, Upper Canada and number of them were known to have settled in Dalhousie Township. Many of these Scots who may resided in Lanarkshire or Perthshire Scotland in the lowlands were actually of highland Scot origin in Argyllshire as was the case we have found of all the Livingstons who settled in Lanark County, Upper Canada at this time. We dont precisely where the three Livingstons that settled in Dalhousie Township in 1820/1821 resided at the time they received their 100 acre land grants and it could have been in a lowland county where they were working. We do however have information linking them to highland Livingston family origins.

Given that Dr. Livingstone's brother John referred to ALexander and John Livingston of highland line, Dalhousie Township as his "cousins" it is especially interesting that these Livingstons apparently have a Lettermore, Mull connection. It is clear from the Kilninian Parish, Mull baptism records that Dr. Livingtone's grandfather Neil Livingstone and his wife Mary Morrison lived at Lettermore for a few years in the 1770's before moving on the nearby southern shore of the Island of Ulva.


The Kilninian Parish records back in Mull, Argyllshire Scotland indicate that Duncan was the eldest of the sons of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton born abt. 1791. John was born abt. 1792 a date which seems to be confirmed in the 1851 Dalhousie Township census which records him as age 49. He was married to Catharine. Alexander was born abt. 1797 and does not appear in the Kilninian parish records but is almost certain he is a son of Duncan and Christian Beaton. He died in 1840 in Dalhousie Township and was married to Mary Currie. Alexander is buried in the Highland Line Cemetery in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Ontario and is almost certainly the Alexander Livingston that Dr. Livingstone's brother believed was a "cousin". There is or was a cemetery stone in the old Highland Line Cemetery in Dalhousie Township which stated Alexander Livingston died April 11, 1840 Native of Isle of Mull.

There was also a sister Catharine Livingston born abt. 1800 to Duncan and Christian Livingston at Lettermore according to the kilninian parish, Mull records who was married to a Duncan Stewart and in 1800's lived near to Alexander and John Livingston in Dalhousie Township. She appears as Catharine Stewart age 50 in the 1851 Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Ontario residing with husband Duncan and appearing to be neighbours to Alexander Livingston's widow Mary and her son Duncan Livingston Farmer. Presumingly the younger Duncan was named after his grandfather back in Lettermore, Mull.

Known Children of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull
Jean [Janet] (bap) 26 Nov 1788 d. Feb.9,1864 Brock, Ontario married Neil McNeil b. Oct. 28,1786 Mull d. June 28,1870 Brock, Ontario
Duncan (bap) 15 Apr 1791 - ?
John (bap) 22 Aug 1792 - ? married Catharine Sinclair
Alexander born abt. 1796 in Lettermore, Mull? d. April 11, 1840 m. Mary Currie b. abt. 1795 at Bailibeg, Strachur, Argyllshire d.
Catherine [/born Lettermore, Mull abt. 1800 (bap) 10 Sep 1800 - d. 1885 Fullerton Perth County, Ontario m. Duncan Stewart

Despite what some later published Canadian genealogy information regarding Duncan, John and Alexander arriving at Quebec in 1821 with other Livingstons aboard the David of London, interestingly the original passenger list (PRO CO 42/189 ff 512-69) which includes the nine lowland Emigration societies that were aboard the David of London does not list the Duncan, Alexander or John Livingston that settled in Dalhousie Township. I checked the original list and the children of Duncan Livingston and Chistian Beaton that arrived about 1821 in Lanark County do not appear to have been passengers aboard the David of London and with the other Livingstons from Perthshire on that boat traveling to Canada who also settled in Lanark County in 1821.



1. Alexander Livingstone arrived Quebec with wife probably about 1820 rather than 1821 as has been indicated elsewhere Located at Lot 5FE, Con. 11, Dalhousie Twp., Lanark County, Ontario.
2. Duncan & John Livingstone, arrived Upper Canada about 1820 ( Note: Duncan and John Livingstone and other family members are not listed on the list that saw of persons in the the Emigration Societies aboard the David lot London in 1821.)
Duncan was accompanied by his wife & 6 children, John by his wife.
3. Catherine Livingstone from Isle of Mull about 1820 to Lanark County 1850, moved to Perth County 1852, & married Duncan Stewart

Catharine and her husband Duncan Stewart were neighbours of her brother Alexander Livingston and his wife Mary Currie in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada. After Alexander Livingston died in 1840, his son Duncan took over the farm with his mother Mary. Alexander and Catharine;s brother JOhn and his wife Catharine are also living on a farm not far from them. Alexander, John and Catharine also had a brother Duncan who settled with them in 1820 or 1821 in Dalhousie Township but I dont know what became of him. He is not in 18511852 census only his nephew Duncan Livingston son of late Alexander According a descendant of Duncan and Catherine Stewart, Alexander, John, DUncan Livingston and Mrs Duncan Stewart were all children of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Kilninian Parish, Mull. From the information I have looked at I believe she is correct.

John Livingstone found some info on Jean Livingston, suggesting that Duncan and Christian's eldest child Jean Livingston b. 1788 also settled in
Ontario:
"I've come across another probable daughter, Jean b. abt. 1788, who married Neil McNeil, b. abt 1786 at Kilninian & Kilmore, Mull, no marriage date available at present.
They had four or five children born at Kilninian & Kilmore, the last child listed, Hugh was baptised on 19 March 1823, religion Presbyterian at Perth, Lanark, Ontario."

More info that was found by John Livingstone:
The reference ICS refers to "Immigration: Canada from Scotland." Selected records in the Ontario Department of Public Records and Archives (not The Archives of Ontar
jae47
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Location: California

Re: Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mu

Post by jae47 »

Thank you for this helpful summary of your best understand of the Mull-to-Dalhousie Livingstons. (Sorry I didn't find it for over a year!)

I agree with your conclusions -- but just a few comments:

Once in a while you have a typo and refer to (patriarch) Duncan Livingston and "Donald". (As in Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Isle of Mull -- "Donald" slips in now and then.)

I recently encountered some ancestry.com trees that tie a Duncan Livingston who died in Glencoe, Grey, South Australia in 1867, age 77, to this Mull family (as a sun of Duncan L. and Christian Beaton). The trees give no supporting evidence or helpful notes, and I have no reason to believe they are accurate. Users may have just linked up to any Duncan Livingston online record they could find. However, it does remind us we don't know much of anything about the Duncan from the Kilninian (Mull) parish baptisms, or the one who settled in Dalhousie and disappeared from the record in the 1820s.

Another researcher recently sent me a note that raised the question: Could the Duncan Livingston that settled in Dalhousie Twsp. near John and Alexander actually be their father? He was listed as arriving with several children reportedly over 12 years of age. It is possible he and Christian Beaton could have had more children after 1800 -- or that he could have married a younger second wife after 1800. It's an interesting possibility that I hadn't considered. (The absence of OPR death records is such a frustration!) With the known Livingston sisters (McNeil and Stewart) also settling nearby, it's tempting to think the entire family, including parents over 50, emigrated together.

Food for thought.

James
Canadian Livingstone
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Re: Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mu

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi James,
Nice to hear from you again. Hope you had a good Easter.
Quite possibly other family researchers may have speculated also in the past that Duncan Sr. and and his wife also left Mull along with their children for Upper Canada in the 1820's, but I myself have not seen any such speculation or any information from old family researchers to support that possibility. A livingston researcher in Ontario not related to this Lettermore Mull family but who had been given some old research notes from and old descendant of one of the sons or the daughter of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton sent me the old notes of this old family researcher and I looked though it for any info I was not aware of and filed it away somewhere and am not sure where i put it. Hopefully a major spring cleaning someday may help to turn it up once again. As you can imagine I have a lot of family research files pertaining to Livingstons and other related families I did years earlier. I try to transfer most of the most important details on to the computer so one way or another the essential info is easily available and not lost. But from time to time something goes missing.

There are no death records that I know to prove what became of the parents Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton his wife after the children left Lettermore in N.W. Mull in the 1820's, but as far as I know from one old relative of whom research info was passed on to me, she apparently found no info that the father and mother joined them In Lanark County, Ontario. As far I know the Duncan who received a land grant in the 1820's near to John and Alexander Livingston son of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton is there brother Duncan who according to Mull Kilninian Parish records was the son of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton baptized in 1791 while the family were residing at Lettermore, Mull. I am reasonably certain that the Duncan Livington who received land nearby to JOHn and Alexander and Hugh? was their brother.

Yes whatever happened to poor Duncan and also who was this Hugh Livingston who also received land with Alex, John and Duncan at th Highland Line in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County. Was he an unknown son of Duncan and Christian Livingston? All I know is that he received his lot near to the others and then John Livingston ended up with is land. So assume from that John took possession of land that had been his brother Hugh, but there is no surviving baptism record indicating there was a brother Hugh but then again there is no surviving baptism record for Alexander Livingston of Highland line in Dalhousie township either just to be clear on that. So no one really knows what became of either Duncan or apparently this largely unknown son Hugh?

Known Children of Donald Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull
Jean [Janet] (bap) 26 Nov 1788 d. Feb.9,1864 Brock, Ontario married Neil McNeil b. Oct. 28,1786 Mull d. June 28,1870 Brock, Ontario
Duncan (bap) 15 Apr 1791 - ?
John (bap) 22 Aug 1792 - ? married Catharine Sinclair
Alexander born abt. 1796 in Lettermore, Mull? d. April 11, 1840 m. Mary Currie b. abt. 1795 at Bailibeg, Strachur, Argyllshire d.
Catherine (bap) 10 Sep 1800 -? m. Duncan Stewart

Duncan Livingston was located on Con.9 Lot 7 100 acres around the same time as his two brothers Alexander and John were located on their lots in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Upper Canada. Before 1824 we had Alexander on 11-5 W, Hugh on 9-6w, John on 10-6 e and Duncan on 9-7w in close proximity to each other. Studying the deed abstract for Dalhousie Township and the 1842 Dalhousie Township Census it is clear Duncan sold his lot in 1827 and Hugh's lot ended up in the hands of John Levington with Hugh disappearing from scene and is not listed in the 1842 Census in Dalhousie Township. By the 1851 Census, Alexander has been deceased for more than 10 years and Duncan the mysterious brother apparently left Dalhousie Township around 1827 a few years after he received his lot. I wonder what happened to him.

Early on here at the forum, I discussed the notion that the family of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton that settled in the 1820's in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County along with mentioning other Livingstons that settled in the 1820's throughout Lanark County. I made the mistake of the not later clarifying that while Dr. Livingstone mentioned that there were some relatives in Lanark County, comments by his brother suggest that these related Livigstons were the Livingstons that settled at the Highland line, Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Upper Canada. I was at the time speculating on what Dr. Livingstone had said in an old letter that some Livingston relatives located themselves in Lanark County by which he means prior to his brother's arrival there in the early 1840's. By 1860 the brother moved to LIstowel in Perth County. I noticed since my earliest mention of the comment by Dr. Liviingstone in the 1850's of some Livingston relatives located in Lanark County, Upper Canada, that it has been assumed apparently by many of the original Livingston families that settled in Lanark County are possibly related to Dr. LIvingstone. Actually i think I need to clarify with folks doing their Perth County Livingston family research that I pretty certain that the family connection likely only pertains the descendants of the sons and a daughter of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull whose children settled in Dalhousie County, Lanark County, Upper Canada an not those other LIvingstons that settled elsewhere in Lanark County in 1821 who originated from Perthshire, Scotland. That includes William Livingston and his wife Isabella Bremner. Two of their Livington descendants have done a familytreedna test and distantly related to my own Livingston relatives and are no DNA match to a documented relative of a brother of Dr. Livingstone. None of the other Livingston families that settled in Lanark County in the 1820's with Perthshire origins are likely related to Dr. Livingstone. I probably should have made this clear as a followup to the early posting of this subject some years ago now. I should try and make it clear to any Livingston historians that neither Dr. Livingstone or his brother John ever stated that all Livingston families that settled in Lanark County, Upper Canada were related to them. I think Dr. Livingstone's brother john later clarified this when he referred specifically to one of the "highland Line" Livingstons of Dalhousie Township in Lanark County being a "cousin". Dr. Livingstone's brother in the 1870's mentioned either Alex or his brother John I forget which. Alex of course was long since dead by the 1870's.


regards,

Donald
Canadian Livingstone
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Re: Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mu

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi James,

I finally found the old research papers passed on to me several years ago by another Canadian Livingston researcher that had been part of a collection gathered over the year and passed on to her by another old Mull LIvingston researcher descended from one of the children of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton who left their parents who resided in Lettermore, Kilninian Parish, Mull in the early 1800's for settlement in Upper Canada locating in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Ontario. I have found over the years that a great many Mull and neighbouring Morvern Argyll Livingston families settled in British North America in the early 1800's with a good number locating in Nova Scotia and PEI while others located in Upper Canada (present day province of Ontario, Canada.

Over the years a great number of Livingstons and those related to Livingston families have contacted the forum with old family stories of a family connection to Dr. LIvingtone the renowned missionary, Doctor and African explorer but very few have actual documented evidence to support this. It it my understanding that Duncan Livingston Sr. Lettermore, Mull was possibly a relative of Dr. Livingstone's grandfather Neil Livingston born in the 1740's whose earliest Argyllshire record indicates that at the time of his marriage in 1774 to Mary Morrison he was also residing at Lettermore, Mull where Duncan Livingston Father of the Dalhousie Lanark County Livingston settlers of the 1820's had resided and where they were born. Most interesting, Dr. Livingstone's older brother John Livingston 1811-1899, in an interview with a correspondent with the London Evening Herald visiting John Livingston in Listowel, Perth County, Ontario, Canada in the Winter of 1872 the travelling journalist stated that John had told him that he once kept store in the County of Lanark (Ontario, Canada) and that his cousins John and Alexander Livingston, once lived on the Highland Line in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County,Ontario.The interviewer in 1872 only referred to as the "Traveller" mentions that he knew both Alexander and John Livingston as a boy so it is clear that he was from Lanark County, Ontario or had lived there and was a correspondent for I assume a London Ontario newspaper at the time named the London Evening Herald unless he was a local journalist hired by a British Newspaper the London Evening Herald.

John and Alexander of the Highland Line, Dalhousie Township Lanark Township, Ontario as mentioned in my previous postings were indeed the sons of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Kilninian Parish, Mull and John and Alexander who with some other siblings settled in Dalhousie Township in the early 1820's from Mull, Argyll. It has been my belief for sometime based on this info that their father Duncan Livingston was either a cousin of Dr. Livingstone' and his brother John Livingstone's father Neil Livingston Jr.b. 1788 or his Uncle. Thus this Alexander and John Livingston of the Highland Line, Dalhousie Township Argyll may be either first cousins or perhaps second cousins of Dr. David Livingstone and his older brother John Livingstone. John firstly settled at Lanark Township, Lanark County, Ontario in the early 1840's and later in 1860 moved himself and his family to the town of Listowel in Perth County, Ontario.

I have not had too much luck finding more recent Livingston descendants of Duncan Livingston Sr's children who settled in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County as most of their Livingston descendants either died out or left Dalhousie Township apparently. Today there is at Highland Line Cemetery in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County a single gravestone of one of original Livingstons of Lettemore, Mull mentioned by Dr. Livingstone's brother in that 1872 newspaper article and that is Alexander Livingston. The stone is sadly been neglected over the years perhaps because no descendants live in the area or have lost interest and consequently the gravestone is in fragments and lying half sunk into the ground. Despite the unfortunate condition of the gravestone one can still quite clearly read "Alex Livingston native of Mull Scotland died April 11, 1840.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/593 ... ivingstone


regards,

Donald
Canadian Livingstone
Posts: 2763
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:00 pm

Re: Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mu

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi James.
Here is an update. I have gone over the earlier info and the info of earlier research regarding the children of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull and their possible family connection to the Dr. Livingstone or more specifically to Dr. Livingstone's grandfather Neil Livingstone. I now am pretty much convinced that the family connection is through an unknown older brother of dr. Livingstone's grandfather Neil Livingstone who possibly lived in the same Mull area as Neil Livingstone prior to the 1770's and was the father of Duncan Livingston Sr. of Lettemore, Mull father of Duncan jr. Alexander, John, Hugh? and Catharine (Mrs. Duncan Stewart) who settled in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County in the 1820's. There are good clues suggesting that these above mentioned children of Duncan Livingston Jr. are likely cousins of Dr. Livingstone and his brother John Livingstone who also settled years later in Lanark Township,Ontario before moving on to Perth County, Ontario. I would though suggest they were second cousins rather than first cousins as some might have thought.

Refreshing my memory regarding Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Kilninian Parish, Mull and their family plus a few more interesting details regarding the family.

Children of Donald Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull
1.Jean [Janet] (bap) 26 Nov 1788 b. Lettermore, Mull d. Feb.9,1864 Brock, Ontario married Neil McNeil b. Oct. 28,1786 Mull d. June 28,1870 Brock, Ontario
2.Duncan (bap) 15 Apr 1791 b.Lettermore, Mull - d.? sometime after receiving land at Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Upper Canada
3.John (bap) 22 Aug 1792 - ? married Catharine Sinclair
4.Alexander born abt. 1796 in Lettermore, Mull? d. April 11, 1840 m. Mary Currie b. abt. 1795 at Bailibeg, Strachur, Argyllshire d.
5.Catherine (bap) 10 Sep 1800 b. Lettermore Kilninian Parish, Mull d. Oct. 30,1885 Fullerton Township, Perth County m. Duncan Stewart b. abt. 1794 Argyll, Scotland d. Feb. 15,1859 Fullerton Township, Perth County, Ontario
6. Hugh b. Lettermore Mull. d. sometime after receiving land at Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Upper Canada

I became interested in the Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Ontario Livingstons as an old Ontario,Canada newspaper article mentioned that John Livingstone (1811-1899) of Listowel,Perth County, Ontario, Canada older brother of Dr. Livingstone had stated in the 1870's to a journalist that he had a cousin named Alexander or John Livingston I forget which whom lived at the highland line of Dalhousie Township, Lanark Township, Ontario. As Dr. Livingstone's brother John Livingstone had lived briefly in Lanark Township, Lanark County,Ontario in the 1840's with his wife Mary Mackenzie when the family first arrived in Canada I had always wondered if he had any family connections to the other Livingston families that settled in Lanark County earlier as pioneers in the 1820's.

In fact some interesting information has emerged regarding the Dalhousie Township Livingstons which seems to possibly link them to Dr. Livingstone and his brother John's family. It is known that three Scottish settlers Alexander, John and Duncan Livingston settled in Dalhousie Township by about 1820/1821 and received land grants from the Government of Upper Canada as they opened up settlement in what was then the Lanark Military settlement in Upper Canada. All three Livingston were assigned land grants in close proximity to one another. Alexander was first located at Concession 11 Lot 5 East in 1820, then John was located at Concession 10 Lot 6 East August 30th 1821 and Duncan Livingston at Concession 9 Lot 7 a few days later on September 1st 1821.

The Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Ontario Livingstons are recorded in Section 62 and 63 of Volume 421 list of settlers who are in the process of patent on their land grant after having done the required clearing of the land and residing on it for a while. The first collection is dated January 1, 1825 and tells us that Alex's brother John Levingston is located on Concession 10, Lot 6 east 100 acres and that Alex's brother Duncan Levingston is located Concession 9 Lot 7 West 100 acres and Alex's brother in law, Duncan Stewart Concession 11 Lot 5 W. in Dalhousie Township and in 63 dated December 27, 1824 we find listed ALexander Levingston at Concession 11 Lot 5 west 100 acres and in addition an unknown Hugh Levingston Concession 9 Lot 6w 100 acres Dalhousie Township located beside the other Livingston brothers. Their brother in law Duncan Stewart who was married to their sister Catharine also I think was located in this same Highland Line of Dalhousie Township, Lanark County (Hugh might be another brother or relative of Alex, Duncan and John but I was not aware of him.) So what this land info tells us is that they were all located a few years earlier in close proximity to one another in the Lanark Military Settlement. I also noticed at the end of 62 and 63 and with the lists of these particular settlers importantly indicates that "the persons recorded on this list had not belonged to Societies of Emigration from Lanarkshire Scotland." This confirms what I suspected that info suggesting they arrived with Emigration societies that were originated from Lanarkshire is incorrect. The only thing they share is that they settled in Lanark County, Upper Canada in the early 1820's.


For some time now I have suspected that these family members of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull who settled in Dalhousie Lanark County, Upper Canada (Ontario, Canada) in the early 1820's might be cousins of Dr. David Livingstone since there is some credible information that supports that notion I think. It is known that the earliest surviving record of Dr. Lvingstone's grandfather Neil Livingston Sr. a marriage from 1774 from the Kilninian parish, Mull Church of Scotland records him marrying Mary Morrison in 1774 and residing at Lettermore, Mull. By the late 1700's Dr. Livingstone's grandfather and family had resettled to southern end of the nearby Isle of Ulva and finally in 1792 Neil Livingston Sr. ended up in Blantyre Lanarkshire. All that we know of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton is that in the 1780s and 1790's they seem to be residing in Lettermore, Mull where earlier Dr. Livingstone's grandfather had also resided. As mentioned around 1820 1821 Duncan and Christian's children Duncan Jr. Alexander, John, Catharine and Hugh? settle in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Upper Canada.

Then the early 1840's Dr. Livingstone's elder brother John Livingstone 1811-1891, his wife Sarah McKenzie and his eldest children left Lanarkshire, Scotland and decide to settle in Canada and located in Lanark Township, Lanark County not far from Dalhousie Township where the children of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull were residing. Later in a newspaper interview in the Winter of 1872, John Livingstone brother of Dr. Livingstone confirms that years earlier he had resided in Lanark County and that he had at one time, two cousins Alexander and John Livingston residing at the Highland Line a location in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County where the early land records confirm this location. It seems quite likely he knew of their sister Mrs Duncan Stewart who later also lived in Perth County and was alive until the year 1885. In her 1885 obituary I understand it was mentioned that she was a cousin of Dr. Livingstone, but I have not seen a copy of the original obituary.

Also an interesting story originates from one some old newspaper clipping collected by an Dalhousie Livingston researcher. The London Ontario Free Press of Tuesday Feb. 13, 1951 mentions that an elderly Hugh Livingstone Stewart 1884-1956 of St. Mary's Perth County, Ontario states in an article that his grandmother Mrs Duncan Stewart 1800-1885( Catharine a daughter of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mull) was a first cousin of Dr. David Livingstone. He is pictured with an old gaelic bible published in 1826 signed by Neil Livingston presumingly Dr. Livingstone's father Neil Livingston Jr. and presumed to have been at one time in the possession of Dr. David Livingstone. It was not clear to Hugh Livingstone Stewart how his father or his grandmother ended up with the bible just that the bible was owned by his Father Alexander Livingstone Stewart. I assume the signature is more likely that of Neil Livingston Jr., Dr. Livingstone's father as it likely that Dr. Livingstone's grandfather was deceased by the year 1826. An earlier article apparently from the 1920's or thereabouts confirms that this Gaelic bible was owned by St. Mary's resident Hugh Livingstone Stewart's father Alexander Stewart of Mitchell Township, Perth County old-timer b.abt. 1840 and the article back then confirms that this gaelic bible includes a signature Neil Livingston said to be the signature of the Dr. Livingstone's father Neil. It was presumed that this bible was owned by Dr. Livingstone's father Neil while the father and family were still residing at their home in Blantyre, Lanarkshire. The article also states that Hugh Livingston Stewart and his father Alexander Livington Stewart's ancestor Catharine Livingston 1796-1885 (daughter of Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore Mull who married Alexander's father Duncan Stewart was the one who acquired this gaelic bible apparently from Dr. David Livingstone.

One can not be entirely certain this bible is authentic, but I suspect there is very good chance that it likely is given all the information I have mentioned in this posting. It should also be noted that Dr. Livingstone's father would have signed his name without the e in the 1820's which is exactly how the bible was signed. Many people are not aware that the Dr. Livingstone's family did not in the 1820's sign their family name with the e so more than likely most fake Livingston bibles or letters out there pretending to be signed by Dr. Livingstone's father would likely have been signed by mistake with the e. Dr. Livingstone himself doe not refer to himself in correspondence as Livingstone with an e before 1856. Perhaps he preferred the spelling preferred by the highland Argyllshire Maclea Livingstone Clan Chief as his Grandfather and Father originated in highland Mull, Argyll. Again something that very few people are actually aware of regarding the history of the spelling change. So perhaps the Neil Livingston signature without the e is yet another important clue that this is likely an authentic gaelic bible originally owned by Dr. Livingstone's father Neil Livingston 1788-1856 when he was still residing in Blantyre, Lanarkshire and later apparently owned by his famous son Dr. David Livingstone who if I am correct was probably a second cousin of Mrs Duncan Stewart (Catharine Stewart) 1796-1885 of Dalhousie Township, Lanark County and later Fullerton Township, Perth County, Ontario, Canada daughter of Duncan Livingston and Catharine Beaton of Lettermore, Mull.

Whether or not Neil Jr. or his son David Livingstone were fluent in gaelic I am not certain of. IN any event it is conceivable that Neil Jr.owned a gaelic bible for one reason or another and at some point gave the book to his son David livingstone and he took with him to Africa. It is unfortunate that Hugh Livingstone Stewart had no detailed information on the history of this bible and how and when the Livingstone-Stewarts received it. Certainly a valuable family heirloom if it indeed it can be proven to be have been a bible that was at one time owned by Dr. Livingstone. One wonders what became of it after Hugh Livingstone Stewart died in 1956. Also Mrs Duncan Stewart's grandson Hugh Livingstone Stewart had in his possession a large framed 19th century picture of a middle aged lady whom he stated was Mrs Duncan Stewart his grandmother and the apparent Livingston from which the Stewarts later of Mitchell Township, Perth County, Ontario her son Alex and his son Hugh Livingstone Stewart ended up with the Neil Livingston gaelic bible thought to have been given to Mrs. Duncan Stewart by Dr. David Livingstone. To me the most probable scenario of Mrs Duncan Stewart of Fullerton Township, Perth County, Ontario received the Neal Livingston Jr's gaelic bible that had been in the possession of Dr. David Livingstone is that it was given to her by David's older brother John Livingstone who after 1860 moved from Lanark County, Ontario also to Perth County, Ontario where Mrs. Duncan Stewart would also move to. I know for a fact that John Livingstone at one time at numerous letters, african artifacts and other items sent to him by Dr David Livingstone during his years in Africa and during the time he had returned to Britain. John actually in later years in his older age expressed some regret apparently having given away so many of the letters and other items of Dr. Livingstone, and particularly after his brother died tragically in Africa on his final expedition in search of the source of the Nile River.

regards,

Donald
jae47
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Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 8:08 pm
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Re: Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mu

Post by jae47 »

I certainly hope I thanked you for this information last year! But I find no evidence that I did. I'm grateful for the newsclipping citations, and fascinated by the Gaelic Bible story. Perhaps it will surface in the family one day.


Some interesting DNA connections have surfaced via ancestry.com. Their algorithms have recently found small amounts of shared DNA between myself (descended from Alexander Livingstone of Mull and Dalhousie Twsp, Lanark Co., Ontario, Canada) and the people descended from the following Livingston(e)s. (Info from online family trees – no work to confirm their accuracy has been done by me!) While these, at face value, appear to reinforce the old family claim (and other positive clues you’ve enumerated) of being cousins of Dr. David, I've now actually debunked every purported connection to David's grandparents Neil Livingston and Mary Morrison. So, this is just an assortment of Livingston(e)s with an apparent DNA link to my Dalhousie Twsp. family.

• Match 1: descended from John Livingston (1784? 0r 1777? -1859) Died Cape Breton, Nova Scotia; and his son John (1807-1891), born and died in Cape Breton, N.S. Alleged son of Neil L. and Mary Morrison (but not.)
• Match 2: descended from James Robertson (1813-1891) of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, apparent son of Agnes Livingston (1796-1890) born Blantyre to Neil L. and Mary Morrison. (Possibly, I suppose, but I could not confirm that their Agnes is from this family.)
• Match 3: descended from Donald Livingstone (1802 {not 1816} -1888), died Simcoe, Ontario. Allegedly son of Niel (1788-1856), son of Niel L. and Mary Morrison, but 15 years too old to fit into this family. (See Match 6, below)
• Match 4: descended from Katherine Livingstone (1785-1872), allegedly daughter of Niel L. and Mary Morrison in some trees, but is not. She is a native of Islay, born and died. She married a Gilbert Currie and had son Hugh Currie (1814-1898), who died Williamstown, Victoria, Australia. (Note: I also have Currie ancestors, so possible DNA connection could be there – but these don’t have geographical proximity to mine in Scotland.)
• Match 5: descended from Johanna Livingston (1827-1889), born and died in Nova Scotia. Married to Donald McIntyre. Daughter of John Livingstone (1784-1859) – same family as Match 1, above.
• Match 6: descended from Donald Livingstone (1801-1888), died Simcoe, Ontario. Same family as Match 3, above. Family apparently came to Canada between 1829 and 1832 and were in Huntingdon, Quebec in the late 1830s to mid 1850s, then Nottawasaga, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada.

Regards,
James Eason
Last edited by jae47 on Sun Apr 26, 2020 9:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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 »

P.S. --
I have now read replies on another thread in this forum about John Livingston(e) of Cape Breton (Match 1 above) NOT being a son of Neil and Mary Morrison -- and there often being attempts to fit him into that family. Just acknowledging that -- and that this DNA match is only a general indication he's from the same Mull family as my ancestor (Alexander) and apparently Dr. David's ancestors.
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 »

Having done more investigation of these ancestry.com trees today, I have edited my posting, above, about DNA matches to better express the doubt about any direct connection to the Neil Livingston/Mary Morrison family of Ulva, Blantyre, and Dr. David Livingstone.
Just a few unexplained DNA crumbs!
JE
Greg Livingston
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Re: Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mu

Post by Greg Livingston »

James, Thank you for the update. I'm sure that Donald will be following up before to much longer.
Greg Livingston
Clan Commissioner
Northglenn, Colorado, USA
Canadian Livingstone
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Re: Duncan Livingston and Christian Beaton of Lettermore, Mu

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi James,
Nice to hear from you again. Not a problem. Theres not a lot of activity here lately though I do try and check from time to time for any inquiries. Sorry I missed yours.

My wife and I each did a few a years ago as a Christmas gift the ancestry.com DNA test which gives you a general idea of your ancestral origins with a combined percentage break down of your Father and Mother's families likely origins for example in Western Europe, Ireland, Britain etc. Also they somehow determine from your test results which ancestry.com test participants that have been tested are in all likelihood cousins either rather close or more distant to you. There were a few names that I knew immediately from families connected to both my Mom and Dad family branches that I knew to be cousins but most of the rest I did not know, but they could be in someway distantly related to me possibly.

If your father was not a Livingston but connected ancestrally to the Livingston in order to prove that your Livingston ancestors were related to Dr. LIvingstone's family group connected to an old Mull, Argyll Livingston family of the 18th century, you would have to find a relative of yours whose father was a Livingston and was willing to do a Y chromosome DNA such as that offered by familytreedna. Since around 2005 a significant number of male Livingstons have been doing the Y Chromosome Paternal DNA test offered by Familytreedna including one Livingston known for certain to be descended from Dr. Livingstone's brother which I brought into the project. I was interested in finding a Livingston descendant of your Alexander and the other Livingston brothers who settled in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County but from my own research of the family and from familiarity and contacts with a number of Livingstons who had taken the familytreedna Y chromosome test over the years, none of them indicated they were connected to Dalhousie Township Livingstons.
So the best means however of determining if your Livingston ancestor was actually related to Dr. Livingstone would be a Y Chromosome test with a "Livingston" descendant of your Dalhousie Livingston ancestors. I was unable to find any Livingstons at least none in Canada, who are direct descendants of the Livingston brothers who settled in Dalhousie Township in 1821 and I don't if there any in the States. Didn't Dalhousie Township Alexander Livingston's widow move to the states with a son. Not sure about the son or whether the son had family and if whether there would be any living descendants who are "Livingstons" you would do a Livingston Y Chromosome DNA test. But this is only way that I know of we can prove a possible shared ancestry between your Dalhousie Township, Lanark County ancestors and Dr. Livingstone's Livingston ancestors.

I am interested in that list of Livingstons you sent me here and I am hoping to discuss in further about that information as I had some questions to help clarify things in my mind. One of those families descended from John LIvington 1784-1859 of Mull Argyll who settled in Low Point, Cape Breton in the early 1800's had a descendant who I know actually did the Y chromosome test with familytreedna more than 10 years ago and he is match with my own Livingston cousin and he is not showing up as a match with the DNA Match group that are a match with the documented descendant of Dr. LIvingsstone's older brother who was more than ten years ago also tested with the Y chromosome test with familytestdna with my encouragement. More on the other Livingston families on your list later.


regards,

Donald
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