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Messages - Sapientia

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Argyllshire / Re: Niel Black (1804-1880) Argyllshire-Australia: 'Black' Ancestors/Family Tree
« on: Tuesday 03 April 18 03:11 BST (UK)  »
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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Argyllshire / Niel Black (1804-1880) Argyllshire-Australia: 'Black' Ancestors/Family Tree
« on: Tuesday 03 April 18 01:41 BST (UK)  »
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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Argyllshire / Re: inverchaolin
« on: Thursday 29 March 18 00:56 BST (UK)  »
Hello everyone,

This is my first forum post here, and I was wondering if anyone may have some information or clues for me. I know this is quite a long post (sorry!) as I am at a brick wall!
 
I have been deep in research, exhausting everywhere I know of, trying to find ancestors of an Archibald Black (died 1808) and his wife Janet (MacChananich - in various spellings) /Buchanan, their marriage being in Inverchaolain in 1775 and I have found only two sons though have heard of there being more children but with no solid evidence; Walter Black (1797–1878) and Niel Black (1804–1880).

As far as I can tell, they and their descendants lived in Inverchaolain, but I just cannot find solid evidence of their parents! Or even their siblings. I am wondering at least for Janet if it is due to her surname being recorded differently, so I can't get the right spelling or version matched. For Archibald I found a possible parental connection but can't tell if it's correct, which would put his birth in Cowall, 5 JAN 1767 - Walter Black and Anne/Ann McLean. Even if anyone knows locations of the area as I'm not from Scotland myself, to say that Cowall may be nearby or not. There appear to be a lot of Archibald Black's from Inverchaolain born around the time I am searching for.

I have read through this thread and saw that there is mention of them from some time ago, which was very exciting but I haven't found much more.
So, if anyone has even tidbits of information or any sources I may be able to look into. I am desperately trying to find Archibald's birth year and parents, and the same for Janet.

The family line stopping at 1808 would be rather disappointing, as I have found further back in all of my other lines. Any help would be greatly appreciated (more than you know!). If anyone knows anything at all, please don't hesitate, any and all info is great. 

Thank you Kindly

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