David Livingstone

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi John,
Thanks for that. Looks like the surviving parish records leave one with a good idea of where Solomon Livingston resided from the time of his first marriage to his later life. Before that I am relying on information from Solomon's census records.
Been awhile since we worked on this one but as I recall we did not make any head way on locating Solomon Livingstons parents Donald Livingston and Agnes Stevenson as indicated in Solomons 1886 death record. We know only from the census records that he was born somewhere in the Isle of Luing/Kilbrandon Parish area in Western Argyllshire. The death record is helpful in that it verifies that his first wife was Catharine MacLachlan and second wife Euphemia Murray as stated in the parish records. I am not certain exactly when the first wife died but he remarried in 1854 in Barony,Lanarkshire in the vicinity of Glasgow as you mentioned to Euphemia Murray. The actual Feb. 9th 1845 marriage entry for Solomon first wife and Catharine in the old Kilbrandon and Kilchattan Parish record book is sparse in detail just mentioning that Solomon is of Kilbrandon Parish and his wife Catharine MacLachlan of Jura Parish. A year or two after their marriage Solomon and first wife Catharine must of set off from the highlands to lowland Lanarkshire where their firsr child Agnes was born in 1847 at Gorbals Lanarkshire. I would suggest to Hugh then that there is more likely a connection with Livingstons that lived in the Gorbals around 1841/1851 rahther than with Dr. Livingstone's family which lived in Hamilton Lanarkshire area by this point of time. Dr. Livingstone's mother and father and family had left Blantyre before 1841 for neighbouring Hamilton where the family attended Church. Been a while but I think we had agreed that "TS Ling" is probably Is Luing or Island of Luing in one of the Solomon's census records. If so this would be the clearest indicator of where his family lived at the time of his birth in the 1820's. Unfortunately I have found not trace of his parents Donald Livingston and Agnes Stevenson as indicated in his 1887 death record anywhere the earlier census records of 1841 or 1851 in any Island or village in Kilbrandon and Kilchattan Parish or in the parish records.



regards,

Donald

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi John,

Something important that I missed in our earlier discussions about your Colonsay ancestor Angus Livingston and his wife Margaret. The likely reason that the Uragaig or Urigaig,Colonsay info is list in the 1841 Census as being in Jura is that the Island of Colonsay and the Island of Oronsay were considered a part of the old Parish of Jura up until 1861. And it would make sense then that the Presbyterian clergyman at Jura would have Colonsay Island baptism and marriage records prior to that and the Colonsay information would be mentioned under Jura Parish. I have been puzzled about that for a while and think this is the answer.

regards,

Donald

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi John,

The 1851 Scottish Census info I have for Solomon Livingston is curious to say the least. He is apparently listed in the information I have as Solomon Longston age 30 born Kilbrandon Parish and his wife only listed as Mrs Livingston age 31 born at Jura. Also listed a son Solomon age 7, Agnes age 3 and Margaret age 3 months. Agnes must be named after Solomon's mother Agnes Stevenson no doubt. I noticed that this Longston name has been identified as an error either by the census taker or some other copier in my census information and that it should read Livingston. Mrs Livingston I assume would be Solomons first wifeCatharine McLachlan and she likely came from somewhere in Jura Parish in close proximity to the neighbouring Island of Luing where the 1861 Census seems to clearly indicates he was born at. It is important to note in that regard that the original parish entry for their 1845 wedding in Kilbrandon and Kilchattan parish lists Catharine as being of Jura Parish so that seems to verify the 1861 Census information on Catharine McLachlan as correct. Curiously enough the Isle of luing is close proximity to Belnahua and other islands which are a part of Jura Parish. I am going to see if we have any Catharine McLaughlin or Maclaughins born around 1820 or thereabouts in the Jura Parish records. She may have resided on Jura itself or one of these islands part of Jura that was in close proximity to the Isle of Luing where it seems Solomon Livingston originated. I suspect she may have been connected to a MacLachlan family on Belnahua Island and perhaps Solomon himself is connected to the Livingston quarriers on Belnahua Island and in particular those Livingston quarriers and related families at nearby Cullipool on the Isle of Luing in Kilbrandon and Kilchattan Parish.
regards,

Donald

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi John,
Regarding Catharine MacLachlan wife of Solomon Livingston.
I could not find Solomon's Livingstons wifes birth or baptismal record but it could be she is somehow connected to a family of McLachlans that were living on Belnahua Island and working as slate quarriers there in the early 1800's. The 1851 Census indicates that a small family group of 3 McLachlan slate quarriers and family resided at the cottage worker houses on Belnahua Island of Jura Parish and adjacent to Isle of Luing. There are also Mclachlans living throughout Isle of Luing probably some of them related to these Belnahua Island McLachlans. The scenario in my mind is that Solomon whom the 1861 Census info states was born on the Isle of Luing married one of these McLachlans from Belnahua, Jura adjacent to the Isle of luing. Unfornately this is just speculation without documentation. The 1861 Scottish census info tells us that there was a Neil Mclachlan born 1781 in Jura Parish a slate quarrier residing in Belnahua Cottage no.3 Belnahua Island with his wife Catharine Mclachlan age 70 born Kilchattan Parish. Next door in Belnahua Cottage no. 4 is a Peter McLachlan born 1795 in Jura Parish a Fisherman with his wife Matilda age 60 born in Jura Parish. Solomon's wife might have been a daughter of Neil and Catharine McLachlan. Certainly these McLachlans lived in close proximity to Livingstons both at Belnahua and nearby Cullipool, Isle of Luing in Kilbrandon and Kilchattan Parish.

regards,

Donald