North Carolina Livingstons

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Allan,

Our Clan is very familiar with some of the history of Clan McColl. THey are indeed like your Livingston family of Western Argyll origin. And a good number from Clan McColl like our Maclea (Livingstone) clansmen served under the Stewarts of Appin in their Jacobite Appin Regiment in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 led by Bonnie Prince Charlie. And one of the casualty lists of the Appin Stewart Regiment from Western Argyll shows that the greatest casualties were inflicted on Clan McColl members more than any other clan serving in the Appin Regiment during the rebellion and likely at the Battle of Culloden. THe McColl clansmans in the Appin area served loyally with their long time friends in Appin the Stewarts of Appin who raised an army when called to do so by Charles Edward Stuart grandson of the exiled king KingJames the second shortly after Bonnie Prince Charlie arrived in Scotland in 1745.
McColls are often referred to as septs of the Appin Stewarts who resided in Appin, Argyll as Maclea Livingstones have been given their long time association with and proximity to the Stewarts of Appin in Western Argyll but Clan Maclea Livingstone is understood to be the more ancient of the clans that resided in Western Argyll who had arrived in Western Argyll from the North of IReland as far back as the 6th century I think it was.

I understand that there were alot of old highland Argyll families who ended up in North Carolina in those counties around your family with names such as McCOlls, Carmichaels, Camerons, McInnis, Stewart, Campbell etc. The fact that North Carolina has a strong tradition of highland games is I think is reflective of the great connection that the descendants of these highland families feel with highland Scotland and the beautiful County of Argyll their ancestral homeland. We all greatly appreciate your obvious interest and enthusiasm in your Clan and in this Clan Society. Whether it is Livingston genealogy or highland games you are interested in you have arrived at the the right place.

regards,

Donald

[Greg Livingston]

The next Grandfather Mountain Highland Games will be 7-10 July 2016. Others in NC would be Scotland County Highland Games 1 Oct 2016, Rural Hill Scottish Festival and Loch Norman Highland Games 16-17 April 2016, Triad Highland Games 7 May 2016, Greenville Scottish Games - Memorial Day weekend, and others. I didn't dig real deep on some of the ones from a list at http://www.carolinatartan.com/links.htm that were broken links.

[Alan Livingston]

Donald,

i find it interesting that every time you give a list of surnames from western Argyll, i know people here in my county by every single name without exception, and usually mutltiple people of each name. now that i am so interested in Scottish heritage, i have numerous possible resources to learn more. hope i can come up with some facts of interest for you and other clan members.

Alan

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Allan,

Well actually I think from the earlier research of Duncan and Hugh Livingston of Richmond County, NC in 2009 I noticed that North Carolina was a significant settlement point in the 1700's and early 1800's for highland families from Western Argyll and became aware that in addition to some Livingstons there were other families such as those I mentioned. Livingston, McInnis, Cameron, Carmichael, McLean, McColl, Stewart, McLachlan, McKinnon, Black, Ferguson, Morrison and more probably. These are some of the common names of some old Western Argyll families and many of these you may have come across among your neighbours in your County.Some of our Maclea Livingstone ancestors may well have married someone from one or more of these families quite possibly as many of them would have neighbouring tenants back in Scotland. Nova Scotia and neighbouring Prince Edward Island was settled in the late 1700's and early 1800's by a large influx of Argyll settlers and as result you have today a very large community in Atlantic Canada of Scottish Celts who are proud of highland heritage.

regards,

Donald

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Allan,

Indeed a great number of highland Argyll scots might have settled in North Carolina had the American Revolution not occurred and the British eventually in the years following the American Revolution and the War of 1812 began encouraging greater settlement of British North America including locating a large number of Highlanders in Nova Scotia and the neighbouring province of Prince Edward Island. Many of those were from Mull or Morvern in Western Argyll There are A significant number of highland Livingstones also settled in Upper Canada (province of Ontario) in the 1820's 1830's 1840's.

I don't know much regarding North Carolina highland Livingstones/Livingstons except that their ancestors all almost certainly came from the County of Argyll in Scotland in the 1700's or early 1800's. I do know for certain from past research and working with a descendant that one old Livingston family that of pioneer James T. Livingston settled in Montgomery County and that James Livingston's old tombstone is still standing and clearly states he was a native of the Isle of Islay in Argyll. Yet another pioneer cemetery in North Carolina, well preserved. His family however does not share the same ancestral line as yours, though I would imagine some have tried to make a connection. DNA testing has proven there is not a connection between your Livingstons and this other family as may have thought by some in the past. I thought I should tell you this before before you run into any confusing or conflicting information regarding this in the future when doing your family research.

I know there was another old Livingston family possibly also of highland origin that lived in Lilleville, Anson County with an ancestor also named Duncan Livingston but I have no evidence that his family is connected to your Livingston ancestral line that we know is connected to the Duncan Livingston who lived for many years in Richmond County and is the father of your ancestor Hugh Livingston. I dont think we have anyone in the dna project connected to the Anson County Livingston family but I will check to be certain I am correct regarding that. There could be possibly an ancient family connection back in Argyll between the Anson County Livingstons and the Richmond County Livingston however without testing we could not have any certainty of that and I don't have any information where precisely they originated.

Your highland Livingston line and that of DUncans is probably connected to a family that lived in Appin and Lismore or Mull/Colonsay or Morvern Parish in Western Argyll I am pretty certain though I can't tell you precisely where unfortunately. I would imagine a signicant of these other Scottish families of highland origin you mentioned probably had pioneer ancestors who also originated from one of these general locations in Western Argyll I have mentioned.


regards,

Donald

[Alan Livingston]

Donald,

i am actually quite pleased to have virtual certainty that my ancestors were from the Argyle area. although it would be nice to know even more, i am satisfied that i have a better trace to my roots than most people are able to accomplish. it is great that we are confirming Duncan Livingston of Richmond County as my great, great, great GF, which i was not at all certain of when i started corresponding with you.

my DNA kit is at the post office today, and i am heading over there right now to pick it up. give them a few weeks, and we will have definite proof, although i am sure it will just confirm what you have already told me. i am thankful that this DNA project is available.

thanks so much for your interest and your help.

Alan

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Allan,
And your new found interest in your Clan, your family history the Forum and in the DNA project is likewise greatly appreciated. It has been a bit quiet here I must confess lately but if you have had a chance to skim quickly through both versions of the forum new and old you and see the width, length and breadth of what has been accomplished here since 2004 and the variety of Livingston families discussed and vast scope of Livingston related topics we have covered I think you would agree it probably has all been worthwhile and helpful to many people. As mentioned I have not been able to reach Duncan Livingston whom I presume is a second or third cousin of yours, but I am going to check with another North Carolina researcher and see if they have been in touch with him.

regards,

Donald

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Allan,
Math was never my strongest subject at school. I did a recount. There are at the moment actually 17 Livingstons in the dna group that your 2nd or 3rd cousin Duncan is in, a Parker whose ancestor was a Livingston, 4 or 5 others from other families who are a close match possibly through a clan adoption way back when and a number of Fergusons and Morrisons who have some distant ancestral connection to Western Argyll Maclea Livingstones. I forgot to include my Livingston cousin. So if our family research is correct then you should be Livingston number 18. Duncan has not done the 67 marker test but you can compare your results with his 37 marker results. Your 37 marker results you will probably receive from ftdna by e-mail before they complete your 67 marker results. As most of these Livingstons have already done the 67 marker test and some have even upgraded to a 111 marker test, you can compare your 67 marker results with almost everyone in Livingston group plus some of the other families that are matching up with yourself. As Duncan has not done the 67 marker test I will be really interested in seeing how your results as a descendant of Duncan Livingston and his son Hugh Livingston of Richmond County, NC matches up with the other highland Livingstons in this dna group who have done the 67 marker test.

regards,

Donald

[Alan Livingston]

Donald,

i just finished reading a book "Culloden and the Last Clansman" by James Hunter. have you read it? very interesting history of Culloden, the events preceding, and the execution a few years afterwards of James Stewart (of Appin) for the murder of a Campbell. i learned a lot of information very specific to the Appin and Argyll area. interestingly, the author, who lives in Appin, visited Scotland county in 1996, and in the last few pages mentions having visited Stewartsville Cemetery in Scotland county, and basically says that all the names in the cemetery show this is where a number of the Appin emigrants ended up after the beginning of the Highland clearances.

any other books on Scottish history you would recommend?

i will let you know as soon as my DNA results get back.

Alan

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Allan,
Yes I think it is pretty safe to assume that most of your neighbours with highland ancestry had ancestors that originated from Western Argyll with Appin, Lismore,Morvern, Mull and Colonsay being possible places of origin for them. I think am pretty comfortable making that assumption. No I have not read it but it on my list of books to read in the future. I have quite a few good books actually on the 1745 Rebellion in which our clan participated as members of the Appin Regiment commanded by Charles Stewart of Ardsheil including one written by the late Alastair Livingston Baron of Bachuil the father of our current Clan Chief Niall Livingstone Baron of Bachuil. Although our clan has a fascinating history and the Maclea Livingstones are among the oldest clans in Western Argyll there has been no complete history of the Clan published as yet surprisingly. THere is the odd book or periodical over the years that has featured an article or short bit on our Clan but sadly not much more that than. There was one good book on highland clans published in the 1960's which featured a chapter on our Clan that I think you would find an interesting read. Our Clan Chief Baron Neil Livingstone who is most familiar with our highland Clan's ancient origins and history not so long ago put together a collection of his writings and research over the years on Clan Maclea Livingstone which is very good. I am not certain whether it is still available or out of print. I must check with him on that. Some of that information is also been included on our Clan website.

Also I should mention that if you join our Clan Society which I think you were considering, you will receive as a benefit our official Clan Maclea Livingstone Society Newsletter The Parnassus which often includes articles related to history and genealogy of the Clan and Clan members families which you might find of some interest. And we encourage our clan folk to contribute any Livingston related photos, articles they have written to the Parnassus.

As it turns out with unfortunately having seemingly lost the means of communication with your 3rd cousin Duncan and his kin your arrival in the DNA project was quite timely and will now allow us to better understand any possible shared ancestral connection of your Richmond/Scotland County North Carolina Livingston family with Livingstons and others already tested and part of the Parker Livingstone group. You should hopefully get the first of your results within a few weeks. THere is not too much significance close matching with the 12 or 25 marker tests but the 37 and in most importantly the 67 marker test is what will provide you with a better sense regarding the possibility of any more relatively recent shared ancestry.


More on the books later. I'm off for lunch.

regards,

Don