My Livingston(e) Line

[Canadian Livingstone]

HI Kyle,

I look at this as a learning experience not a setback. We have established I think that there is at least two old Livingston families not one that lived near the Ballachulish slate mines. One probably very old the other not as old. And then we have Donald David's family who lived outside of Ballachulish actually nearer to neighbouring Lettemore that was actually a family from Morvern that arrived as late as the late 1860's so I think this is good example of just how hard is will be for you and Andrew to pin people down to a specific origin point in Western Argyll. And this is I think an perfect example to proove my point of the challenges. But as you have pointed out the more Lettermore-Ballachuish-Glencoe area Livingstons we test the more clearer I really think this be for you Andrew and the rest of us regarding this group of Livingstones that resided in this section of Western Argyll. I refer to it as Lettermore-Ballachulish-Glencoe because the proximity of these villages to one other.

regards,

Donald

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Ginger,
I am sensing a massive Livingston family expedition to Ballachulish in the near future to look for your roots. Dont forget to ask about old West Laroch slate Village at Ballachulish and the housing for the slate workers where your family lived and the slate quarry where your ancestors worked.

regards,

Donald

[Margaret Stewart]

I am not sure if this will help because it is much later than the time scale you are researching but I have two families of Livingstons who lived and worked in Ballachulish from 1872 onwards. They were Duncan Livingston married to Minnie Johnson (b. Appin) and Alexander Livingston married to Christina McDonald (b. Ballachulish) and came from Kilbrandon.

I also have a small booklet telling the 300 year story of Ballachulish slate in which is a group photograph of the slate quarriers among whom are John Livingston (En Ban Eeideal), Dugald Livingston (Dughall Leigh), Charles Livingston (Tearlach Dhomhnuill Aonghais). Unfortunately the photograph is not dated but I suspect it was taken in the late 1800s.

Kind regards


Margaret

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Margaret,

I am sure that our clan members of Ballachulish Livingston origin would find those photos of old Ballachulish Livingstons of great interest.
Thanks for that information.

regards,

Donald (Livingston) Clink
Historian
Clan Maclea Livingstone Society

[Kyle MacLea]

That would be great, Margaret! If you email commissioner -at- clanlivingstone.com (where -at- = @), I'll add them to our user gallery, if you'd like.

Those old pictures are always of interest--thanks for getting in touch and sharing!

Kyle=

[Andrew Lancaster]

I am not sure if this will help because it is much later than the time scale you are researching but I have two families of Livingstons who lived and worked in Ballachulish from 1872 onwards. They were Duncan Livingston married to Minnie Johnson (b. Appin) and Alexander Livingston married to Christina McDonald (b. Ballachulish) and came from Kilbrandon.

I also have a small booklet telling the 300 year story of Ballachulish slate in which is a group photograph of the slate quarriers among whom are John Livingston (En Ban Eeideal), Dugald Livingston (Dughall Leigh), Charles Livingston (Tearlach Dhomhnuill Aonghais). Unfortunately the photograph is not dated but I suspect it was taken in the late 1800s.

Kind regards


Margaret

Margaret

Sorry I just saw this message and I am fascinated. Please tell us more about this photo. I know a man in Queensland Australia, well, see our DNA Project summary...

Livingston 74255 is an Australian family which has been traced back to Balluchulish and Glencoe in the mid-1800s. James Ban Livingston had worked at the slate quarry in Ballachulish and lived in Laroch in Glencoe. He emigrated on the Marco Polo in 1852. It seems he also had a brother named John Ban Livingston in Ballachulish.

Where is this photo from and how old is it? Where do the names come from? Are they written on the back?

Best Regards
Andrew

[Kyle MacLea]

Margaret sent the photo and I will post it soon. I'll forward it to you now, Andrew, for your edification.

Interesting that John was called "En Ban Eeideal"--anyone know what this means. This "Ban" in common with our earlier information on a John Ban Livingstone is fascinating. I've always wondered about the "Ban"--we need a Gaelic expert here!

More soon,
Kyle=

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Kyle,

I think it was probably originally used among the ancient Ballachulish Mconleas and other Scottish gaelic speaking peoples in the area to indentify some of their clansmen by hair colour. I guess kinda like a norseman that was referred to as Eric the Red. We have seen a little of this I think in some of more ancient records associated with the clan. Obviously they continued this into modern times. I think by referring to him as John Ban Livingston perhaps they mean John Livingston with the white or fair hair or something like that. I thought that Ban meant white or fair haired in Scottish gaelic but I could be wrong. Maybe it they had dark brown hair you would see "Donn" and it they had redish brown hair "ruadh".I think that Jill Richmond or Margaret Stewart our Scottish folks might be able help us on this one better than I. I am not familiar with the language regretably. Anyone out there fluent in Scottish Gaelic and the people of Ballachulish and Appin?

regards,

Donald

[Margaret Stewart]

Hello Andrew,

The photograph comes from a little book "The 300 year story of Ballachulish Slate" which I came across in the Tourist Office in Glencoe. I bought it because of the group photograph with the names attached. I have emailed a copy to Kyle who will load it on to the gallery but I can forward a copy to you directly if you wish.

Unfortunately the photograph is not dated, nor is there any clue in the narrative, but my instinct is that it was taken in the late 1800s. There are some more photographs in the book but no names attached.

The following MIs I noted in St John's churchyard in case they are of interest to you.

St John’s Episcopal Churchyard, Ballachulish, Glencoe


In loving memory of John Livingstone, died at Glencoe, 25th January 1924 aged 83, his wife Mary McColl, died 20th April 1928 aged 85 years.
Their two daughters, Mary Livingstone McLaughlin died 10 June 1898 aged 4 years, their daughter Sarah died 18 November 1953 aged 73 years.
Their son Alexander died 15 January 1966 aged 74 years.
Their son John died 29 April 1955 aged 88 (or 82?)


In loving memory of Allan Livingstone who died at Laroch, Glencoe, 15 June 1942 aged 73 years also his wife Mary Ann King who died 23 January 1970 aged 93 years.


Erected by Allan McKenzie and his wife Janet Livingston in loving memory of their son Alexander who died 7 December 1890 aged 10 years 8 months, also their son, Dugald died 2 May 1922 aged 46 years.
Said Janet Livingston died 2 November 1926 aged 91 ½ years.
Said Allan McKenzie died 28 January 1933 aged 92 ½ years.


Erected by Donald Livingston in loving memory of his Father and Mother, Duncan Livingston died 4 December 1919 aged 74, Mary Livingston died 14 September 1926 aged 84.
The above Donald Livingston died 8 August 1956 aged 66, his sister Janet Livingston died 9 September 1947 aged 76.


Erected by Dugald Livingston and his wife Ann McEachern in memory of their three daughters who died at Ballachulish in their infancy.
Also their son John who died 25 October 1896 aged 31, the said Ann McEachern who died 1 February 1914 aged 78 and the said Dugald died 24 September 1926 aged 88. His son Donald died 19 August 1920 at Victoria BC aged 52.


Sacred to the memory of Alexander Livingston died 16 January 1849 aged 4 years.
Christina Livingston died 8 July 1850 aged 13 years
Angus Livingston died 6 August 1871 aged 37 years (I have photograph of this one)


Erected by Donald Livingston in memory of his wife Margaret McIntosh who died 7 January 1885 aged 48 years, also his daughter Christina who died 10 August 1879 aged 2 years and Annie who died 28 February 1875 aged 3 years.
Said Donald Livingston died 13 August 1913? aged 85 years, also his son Angus died 10 June 1925 aged 47.


Kind regards

Margaret

[Margaret Stewart]

Hi Kyle

Not being a Gaelic speaker I can't confirm but I believe it means "fair" - either in colouring or handsome!
Eeideal I think will refer to the island of Easdale where many of the quarriers (mine included) came from.

In fact in the book it states that the West quarry was opened in 1693 and the East quarry in 1694 and that there is a tradition that it was some slate quarry workers from Easdale passing through the village who first observed the type of rock at Ballachulish. It should be said though that slate workers from Northumberland and Dunkeld also claimed they had noticed the slate.

Margaret