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The Root Ancestor (Glamis, Angus) - AI research

Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2026 8:26 am
by Ozlivingstone
Thoughts

The Root Ancestor (Glamis, Angus)
James LIVAGE (Liveage)
Birth: ~1675 in Glamis, Angus, Scotland [Clan Livingstone DNA Project]
Marriage: Married in Kinnettles Parish, Angus [Clan Livingstone DNA Project]
Significance: The absolute patriarchal head of the tree. His DNA anchors both branches [Clan Livingstone DNA Project].
Children: John (1699), David (1704), Jean (1712), and Alexander (1724) [Clan Livingstone DNA Project].

🌿 BRANCH A: The Glamis & Dundee Line (The Cousin Branch)
This branch stayed north in Angus, dropped the "Livage" spelling, and became prominent merchants [1840 Dundee Directory listings, Clan Livingstone Society].
David LIVAGE (Son of James)
Baptism: 26 Nov 1704 in Glamis, Angus [Clan Livingstone DNA Project]
Significance: Older brother to Alexander (b. 1724). He anchored the family in Angus.
William LIVINGSTONE (Grandson of David)
Birth: Late 1700s in Angus
Significance: Moved to Dundee. Established a well-known bookshop, stationer, and auction house at 75 High Street, Dundee [1840 Dundee Directory listings].
Peter LIVINGSTON (Great-Grandson of David)
Birth: 20 Jan 1823 in Dundee [Clan Livingstone Society]
Significance: A highly celebrated local Scottish poet and author of Poems and Songs [Clan Livingstone Society].
🧬 THE GENETIC BRIDGE (The Split)
Somewhere between 1695 and 1720, a son or close nephew of James Livage (b. ~1675) migrated south from Angus to East Lothian for work. Local Lowland ministers recorded the unique name "Livage" as the familiar "Livingstone." [Clan Livingstone Society research forum]
Andrew LIVINGSTONE, "The Elder"
Birth: ~1695–1705 (Likely born in Glamis, Angus or Prestonpans, East Lothian)
Marriage: Strongly tied to the Andrew Levingston & Agnes Watson line (m. 1697 in Prestonpans) [Clan Livingstone Society research forum].
Significance: Father of the Tranent brothers. He established the naming pattern for generations to come.

🌿 BRANCH B: The Tranent Line (Your Direct Branch for Philip Livingstone)
This branch moved into East Lothian, working the coal, salt, and trade industries before eventually migrating to Australia [Clan Livingstone Society research forum].
Andrew LIVINGSTONE (Son of Andrew the Elder)
Birth: ~1727
Significance: Brother to Alexander. He remained a supportive figure in the parish and stood as an official baptismal witness for Alexander's children in Tranent [Clan Livingstone, Clan Livingstone Society research forum].
Alexander LIVINGSTON (Son of Andrew the Elder) —
Birth: 1733 in Tranent, East Lothian, Scotland
Death: 6 Jun 1808 in Tranent, East Lothian, Scotland
Marriage: Elizabeth HOG (Hogg) on 25 Dec 1751 in Tranent [Clan Livingstone Society research archives].
Significance: Head of your core direct family line.
Children (Recorded in Tranent OPR):
Andrew Livingston (b. 15 Feb 1754 — Named after his grandfather Andrew)
Elizabeth Livingston (b. 1760) [Clan Livingstone]
James Livingston (b. 21 Aug 1763 — Married Sarah Wood; their descendants emigrated to Victoria, Australia) [Clan Livingstone Society research archives, Clan Livingstone Society research forum].

🧬 BRANCH C: The Duddingston/Glamis Line (The Shared Name Branch)
Alexander LIVINGSTON / LIVAGE (Son of James)
Baptism: 29 Mar 1724 in Glamis, Angus [Clan Livingstone DNA Project]
Marriage: 20 Sep 1747 at Duddingston, Midlothian
Significance: Shared a naming profile and migration pattern down south, later returning to Glamis to raise a large family [Clan Livingstone DNA Project].
Children: Helen (1748), Marjory (1749), Katherine (1751), Lauchlin (1758), Patrick (1759), William (1761), David (1763), Margaret (1769), David (1787).

Re: The Root Ancestor (Glamis, Angus) - AI research

Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2026 4:25 pm
by Canadian Livingstone
Welcome back Livingstone From Oz
Hello John,
Sorry getting a bit old these days and have not been all that well but I remember quite well our earlier discussions on this forum and I appreciated very much you sharing your research and your insights on your Livingston family. I must refresh my memory and am in the process of reread some of your earlier detailed and well researched posts on this forum. I am officially retired from the Clan Maclea Livingstone Society as their Clan Historian but still a member and remember our earlier discussions regarding your Tranent Parish, East Lothian Lowland Livingstone family research. In the final years as Clan Historian my focus began to move away a bit from Western Argyllshire Livingstones and with greater interest in getting a better understanding of little known lowland Livingston families whom YDNA testing of their descendants was clearly indicating had a different ancestral origin than the Western Argyllshire Macleas who for one reason or another by the mid 18th century adopted the lowland Clan name Livingston interestingly enough. There was not a lot of interest in lowland Livingston family research in the past so I was glad that Kevin and others like yourself were among the few who contacted this forum with valuable research info regarding little understood and researched lowland Livingston families. I was glad that there were a number of other Livingstons who were YDNA tested that matched in some way to your results and there was one I think who was closest to your Livingston ancestry if I recall correctly. Sorry but there has not been much happening here lately in regards to your area of Livingston family research.

I really know nothing about the Livage-Livington connection to contribute on that aspect of your family research but no doubt you and other related to your YDNA family group are looking into that earlier ancestral connection. Interestingly the Highland Argyllshire Macleas (McOnleas) families who lived in the parishes of Western Argylshire earlier oddly enough by the mid 1700's for one reason or another began to refer themselves in their records as Livingstone or Livingston rather than Maclea. There are a few theories as to why the Highland Argyllshire Macleas changed their name to Livingston but YDNA testing results confirms that the Maclea Livingstones who ancestors resided in the parishes of Argyllshire did not share any "paternal Livingston" results with any known lowland Livingston family. YDNA testing results I don't think support the notion that Lowland and Highland Livingston share a common paternal Livingston ancestor a notion that has been held by some over the years. One cannot however rule out that at some point in time centuries ago there might have been marriage between a Highland Argyllshire Maclea Livingstone gentleman and a lady of a Lowland Livingston family ancestral origin but there does not appear to be any surviving record of that occurring.

My great great great grandfather ancestor Miles Livingston born abt. 1775 "a native of Morvern" according to his 1812 marriage record, was by trade carpenter, barrel maker and ship builder who settled in British North America (Canada) in 1812. Oddly enough his wife in the marriage record is referred to as Janet Livingston and I have reason to believe she was actually my ancestor Miles Livingston's cousin. Miles was accompanied to British North America (Canada) by another boat builder Donald Livingstone who I suspect was his wife's brother. Anyways that is that is wee bit of my Livingston family story.

I was glad to see years ago that your efforts with YDNA testing resulted in some significant Livingston matches and was the testing proved helpful in locating some other fairly close Livingston matches for you. As I say I have to refresh my memory regarding the earlier discussions we had regarding the East Lothian Livingstons. I am a Canadian with a Maclea- Livingston ancestor of the highland Morvern Parish near the Isle of Lismore and my primary area of expertise has been for many a study y of Maclea Livingstones who resided in 18th and 19th century and earlier in the parishes of Western Argyllshire however I have been working over the years with some descendants of lowland Livingstons of whom ancestral origins little is known.Years ago I was in touch quite a bit with Kevin Livingston the former Clan Maclea Livingstone Society Australian Clan Commissioner whose ancestor James Williamson Livingston and his wife Elizabeth Lees of a lowland Livingston family of Cannongate, Edinburgh who according to Kevin settled in Hobart, Tasmania in the 1830's. He also mentioned to me that James William Livingston's parents were William Livingston and Jean Liddell of Prestonpans in East Lothian. I understand that the Parish of Prestonpans is near Tranent Parish. Unfortunately Kevin Livingston died some years ago now otherwise I would get him in touch with you



Something from an earlier post of mine
Tranent Parish, East Lothian
Alexander Livingstone in Tranent and his wife Elizabeth Hogg had a son James born August 21st 1763, Baptized said day August 21st by Mr. Cunningham Minister of Tranent, Witnesses: Andrew Livington and James Hogg


Alexander Livingston and Elizabeth Hogg married December 25, 1751 , Tranent Parish, East Lothian Witnesses: John Boswel, Janet King. There is a name of a town or village where they lived at the time of their marriage but I can't quite read it. I thought it was Eden but I am sure that is correct.[/b]
Children of Alexander Livingston and Elizabeth Hogg
1.Charles Livingston born July 5, 1757 baptized July 10, 1757 Tranent Parish, East Lothian
2. Elizabeth Livingston born July 28, 1760 baptized July 28, 1760 Witnesses Andrew Livingston and James Hog
3. Jean Livingston born Sept. 22, 1761 baptized Sept. 27, 1761
4. James Livingston born August 21, 1763 baptized August 21, 1763 later married Sarah Wood


James Livingston and Sarah Wood Children's records (Could not locate a marriage record)
Tranent Parish, East Lothian
1. Alexander Livingston 29/03/1789
2. Janet Livingstone 12/06/1791
3. James Livingstone 16/03/1794
4. James Livingstone 03/07/1796
5. John Livingstone born 24/09/1798 baptized 04/10/1798 This must be the same John Livingston who died age 74 in Chester Hill, Cranston Parish, Midlothian, Scotland on August 21, 1875 son of James Livingston and Sarah Wood and husband of Helen Cockburn
5. David Howie Livingstone 15/05/1803

regards,
Donald

Re: The Root Ancestor (Glamis, Angus) - AI research

Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2026 1:03 am
by Ozlivingstone
thanks very much will check out

Re: The Root Ancestor (Glamis, Angus) - AI research

Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2026 11:33 pm
by Canadian Livingstone
Hi John,
Sorry I really don't have anything to contribute regarding the Livage-Livingston family group. I am not really familiar with them and their origins. Andrew Lancaster of the Clan Maclea Livingstone YDNA Project however I know did some research on some Lowland Livingstons years ago who were thought might have an earlier Livage family connection information which you seem to be familiar with. I wonder if the Livage family name may actually have some Norman roots in early lowland Scotland possibly and is interestingly also a French family name.

Here is bit more that I had around the house regarding the Trenant, East Lothian Livingstons and Livingstouns. The unfortunate situation is that I have found is that 17th century records of Lowland Livingstons back then often referred to the records "Livingstouns" is not as abundant as in the case of later 18th and 19th century Scottish records but in the last few years I noticed Lowland Livingstons in 17th century records and in a few early 18th century Scottish records interestingly referring to themselves as "Livingstouns". That Livingstoun spelling seems to disappear after the early 1700's in lowland Scotland I have found searching through many lowland Livingston records. Only a few but I was interested to find the odd surviving Livingstoun record of a Livingstoun family that lived in the early 1600's in Tranent Parish confirming that there were indeed at least two Livingstoun families residing in Tranent, East Lothian as far back as the early 1600's which I was not earlier aware of.

Early Tranent Parish, East Lothian Livingstoun/Livingston Parish Records
1600’s

Nicoll Livingstoun Father
Jennet Livingstoun baptism Aug. 24, 1617 Tranent, East Lothian
Jennet Livingstoun married Tranent, East Lothian Dec. 28, 1641 spouse David Landillis

Margaret Livingston married Johne Nesmithe Feb. 2, 1642 Tranent, East Lothian

Robert Livingstoun Father
Robert Livingstoun baptism Feb. 6 1621 Tranent East Lothian, Scotland
John Livingstoun and Elizabeth Merstoun
George Livingstoun born March 15, 1674 Tranent, East Lothian, Scotland
James Livingstoun and Kathrine Grimlaw
Marion Livingstoun baptism July 28, 1695 Tranent, East Lothian


William Livingston and Margaret Innes
William Livingston married May 8, 1730 Tranent, East Lothian, Margaret Innes
Thomas Livingston Dec. 17, 1727 bap. Dec. 31, 1727 (Parents listed on 1727 original document are William Livingston & Margaret Innes married 1730 oddly enough.)
Jasper Livingston Oct. 4, 1730 bap Oct. 18, 1730
Margaret Livingston July 8, 1733 bap. July 15, 1733
Helen Livingston May 10, 1735 bap. May 18, 1735
Elspeth Livingston March 8, 1738 bap. Mar. 12, 1738
Jasper Livingston June 25, 1740 bap. July 6, 1740
Janet Livingston Aug 4, 1745 Bap. 11 Aug. 1745

Alexander Livingston and Jean Cuningham
Robert Livingston born Sept 15, 1751 Tranent East Lothian

Andrew Livingston and Margaret Tylor
Margaret Livingston born March 30 1753 bap. April 1 1753 Tranent, East Lothian


Alexander Livingston and Elizabeth Hogg
Marriage December 21, 1751 Tranent, East Lothian
Andrew Livingston Feb. 15, 1754 Baptism Feb. 17, 1754
Alexander Livingston Feb. 15,1754
Charles Livingston July 5, 1757 Baptism July 10 1757
Elizabeth Livingston July 28, 1760
Jean Livingston Sept. 22, 1761
James Livingston Aug. 21, 1763

Livingston Marriages Tranent, East Lothian 1723-1766
Elspeth Livingston married Nov. 28,1723 Tranent, East Lothian, David Montgomie
William Livingston married May 8, 1730 Tranent, East Lothian, Margaret Innes
Jannet Livingston married March 24, 1738 Tranent. East Lothian George Wilson
Alexander Livingston married December 21, 1751Tranent East Lothian Elizabeth Hogg
Helen Livingston married May 12, 1759 Tranent, East Lothian John Williamson
Ann Livingston married Dec. 1761 Tranent East Lothian John Profet
Jean Livingston married Nov. 15, 1762 Tranent, East Lothian William Williamson
Jasper Livingston married August 1, 1766 Tranent, East Lothian Agnes Chambers

Alexander Livingston and Elizabeth Hog
Charles Livingston July 5, 1757 bap. July 10, 1757
Elizabeth Livingston baptism birth date? July 28, 1760
Jean Livingston Sept. 22, 1761 bap Sept 27, 1761

regards,
Donald