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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Argyllshire => Topic started by: Sapientia on Tuesday 03 April 18 01:41 BST (UK)
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BRICK WALL!
Hello,
To warn you, this is a bit of a long one, and quite likely a long shot but I am at a brick wall with my family history research. I have tried to be specific below so as to not create confusion.
I am looking for any family trees (ancestors, not descendants) or hints of Niel Black, an Australian notable "pioneer pastoralist and politician", as written about by a Russell Ward in an Australian Dictionary of Biography in 1969.
Niel Black "born on 26 August 1804 at Kilbridemore in the Cowal district, Argyllshire, Scotland, the second son of Archibald Black, farmer, and his wife Janet, née Macchananaich (Buchanan). His father, a tenant of the Duke of Argyll, was killed by a fall from his horse in 1808. Niel's native language was Gaelic but he early became fluent in English. In youth and early manhood he gained a thorough knowledge of practical farming in Argyll."
He then travelled to Australia (where myself and my ancestors since then are from) and "he bought in 1840, in the Western District near Lake Terang, the stock and rights to a 43,520-acre (17,612 ha) run which he renamed Glenormiston. "
There is a lot of information about Niel himself but it is the generation above that I cannot seem to find a single piece of information on! I have searched everything available to me and have searched in variants of the Black family name (Blake, Blac etc), variants of Buchanan and various spellings of the Gaelic Macchananaich. There is even less about the Buchanan side it seems. I have searched every single site I can think of with just about every variant name, and I can't find them on any grave search websites.
I am thinking that as Niel was a native Gaelic speaker and his mothers name is even written in the biography as Macchananaich, that perhaps the (often changed around) Black surname was a different version before he reached Australia. It all seems to check out area and clan-wise (Lamont; and MacPherson for the Macchananaich branch of Buchanans) but I perhaps need help from someone who knows the area or has done Black or Buchanan family research.
The only things I know are that both surnames are seemingly localised to the Inverchaolain/Kilmodan/Kilbridemore areas and before the 1700s there are no searchable Black family members at all in those areas. Which hints at a surname variant.
It doesn't help that Archibald is a localised popular Argyll name (the Dukes of Argyll having been named Archibald for several generations) so there are a lot of Archibald Black's to confuse it with and to try and research. None have fit quite right yet.
If anyone has any information at all it would be greatly appreciated as I have spent many hours trying to decipher this one. Archibald Black is a direct line from me and it would be a shame to not ever learn any more of the Black's. Please don't hesitate to let me know if you may have any ideas, clues, facts, trees or if I have missed anything as I am not local.
Thank you Kindly in Advance
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I have searched every single site I can think of with just about every variant name, and I can't find them on any grave search websites.
ScotlandsPeople is the only place you should be looking
https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search
Debra :)
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"In the 1850s he visited Scotland again, remaining for five years until he had found a bride, Grace Greenshields Leadbetter, barely in her twenties, accomplished and attractive. They were married in 1857."
This makes it sound as though he was married in Scotland, but it was in Warwickshire.
Debra :)
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Hi Debra,
Thank you for the response!
Yes, I agree! There are some interesting bits and pieces about him out there and a little like that which does conflict slightly.
I have used https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk but haven't found anything I can be sure of. It is mainly his parents (Archibald and Janet) and grandparents I am looking to find at the moment. There happens to be very little about them and absolutely no marriage records anywhere that I have found! I had hoped if I could find a marriage record there would be at least one parent's name, but no such luck.
Thank you for your trouble!
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Hamilton Spectator 1 May 1872 p4
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/194846581?
This article, written during his lifetime, has Neil BLACK arriving in Adelaide 1839, names his business partners in Scotland. He had farming interests in SA and VIC. While he was in Europe he left his estate in the management of his nephew Archibald.
(not sure if that is SA or VIC). Is nephew Archibald a BLACK or a BUCHANAN.
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Have you found the births of Neil ( born 1804) and his older siblings? They are all recorded in Kilmodan parish and can be viewed in the OPR's on Scotlandspeople. One sibling (Jane/Jean) born 1791 appears to have married Lachlan McNeil. She died in Arrochar in 1862 age 70 ( mmn given as Buchanan on SP). A brother Archibald ( b1799) is possibly the Archibald who died in 1860 in Kilmodan ( no age or mmn on SP unfortunately) but he appears to have left a will, which names brother Neil, and can be viewed on SP.
Isobel
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The only things I know are that both surnames are seemingly localised to the Inverchaolain/Kilmodan/Kilbridemore areas and before the 1700s there are no searchable Black family members at all in those areas. Which hints at a surname variant.
Inverchaolain registers start in 1735, Kilmodan in 1737, Kilmore and Kilbride in 1782 so you won't find anything before those dates.
As Niel and his siblings were all baptised in Kilmodan have you tried putting all the BLACK baps, marriages and burials into family groups to see how or if they may have been connected?
As Isobel has said, you need to try and follow his siblings forward to see where they may have ended up and find as much as you can about them. The more you know about them the more likely you are to find clues.
Debra :)
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BRICK WALL!
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I am looking for any family trees (ancestors, not descendants) or hints of Niel Black, an Australian notable "pioneer pastoralist and politician", as written about by a Russell Ward in an Australian Dictionary of Biography in 1969.
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Here's the online entry from the Australian Dictionary of Biography :) http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/black-niel-3003
That link includes links to additional resources including a newspaper cutting re his will and probate. The cutting details the beneficiaries, by name and relationship ;D
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10458075 The Argus 5 Sept 1910.
Cousin : Annie Marion LEADBEATER
Cousin : Margaret Jane LEADBEATER
Each of the Children of his Cousin : Archibald Syme BLACK of the Isle of Bute, Scotland [/size]
Each of the Children of his Cousin : Peter Laurie BLACK of New Zealand
Cousin : George HUTTON
Cousin : Maude HUTTON
Brother : Archibald John BLACK
Brother : Steuart Gladstone BLACK
£230,000 plus realty plus personal value noted for the probate.
As you are seeking Niel 's ancestors, I wonder if you have the parents of the cousins and know how they are his cousins :)
Likely the ADB article by Russel Ward - was by a significant Australian historian :)
https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/16/1052885396799.html
JM
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Hello Sapientia,
In case it helps I just became aware of Niel Black myself and was curious about his ancestors as well, as I do a lot of research on the last name Black as well. I was "told" he is related to the Blacks of Garvie, Glendaruel, Scotland. It is my impression that they are the oldest line of Blacks who are directly related to the Lamonts. This line of Blacks goes pretty far back and I think the last name is consistent, except maybe direct gaelic translations. It is my impression that most of the Black name variations, english and gaelic, alike, are found elsewhere. However, I could be wrong about this, just my impression.
Thank you,
Jay
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I have searched every single site I can think of with just about every variant name.
It is quite probable that their records, if they ever existed, have not survived.
See https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=714261.0
The long and short of it is that if it's not on Scotland's People, it's very unlikely to be on any other site, because the vast majority of the information on other sites is either indexes to or transcriptions of the original records on Scotland's People.
You have, I assume, searched for Black as Dubh or Dow?
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Archibald Black and Janet McChananich (Buchanan) are my 3rd great grandparents through Jane Black their daughter who married Lachlan McNeill as mentioned earlier in this thread.
As it happens I was researching Janet this past weekend. There is a OPR for a Janet McChannich on Scotland's People "Janet daughter of Duncan McChannich of Auchdethnanbeg (or something like that)and Jane Smith baptized 19th January 1761." Duncan and Jane Smith also have a daughter Margaret baptised on 14 Dec 1762.
There is also a Mary McChannanich born to a Duncan McChannanich and his spouse Catherine Nic Muire in Auchdacheerenbeg in on 26th March 1738. Presumably a different Duncan.
A possible candidate for the father of Janet is Duncan McChananich born to Neil McChananich and Elizabeth McChallum in"Auchnalebaile"baptised on May 28th 1744.
Finally Scotland's People has a will of Donald Mc Ochananich feuar of Auchdacheranbeg who died "in the month of Apryle one thousand six hundred and ninety four years" in favour of his son Duncan McOchananich and John McOchananich (though I can't quite make out whether John is another son or some other relation)
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The ADB piece on Niel Black is wrong on several counts. NB was not the second son but the youngest of 6 sons and 3 daughters born to Archibald Black and Janet McCannanich. The youngest three were Niel, Walter and Archibald. The oldest was Duncan who was 21 when he inherited the two Black tenancies in Cowall, Kilbridemor and Kilbridebeg, when his father fell off his horse and died in 1808. There was also two sons John, one of whom died and was replace in the family line by another, and three daughters, one of whom was Jean, married Lachlan McNiel.
The family of Janet were low ranked heritors. They had been taxgathers for the Campbells in the late Medieval and were granted land-so minor nobility. The house is still in existence, I visited it in 2010.
The house in which Niel was born is still extant too, as is the farm. The current owner sent me some photos of the place.
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I would recommend two books for any one interested in Niel Black: Men of Yesterday by Margaret Kiddle. Published 1961. (Review from JStor : https://www.jstor.org/stable/3020331).
The other book is Maggie Black's Up Came a Squatter: Niel Black of Glenormiston, 1839-1880. Maggie is a great grand daughter of Niel Black. The book was published 2016.