Argyll research

[marcie dean]

The O'May clan owned the Mull of Kintyre, how strange is that. The lands around Keil which is now where Campbeltown is situated.

I cannot think of anything except to visit there, for the local parish church records to find out any more, or to write to Lord Lyons office to see what records they hold to get back in time further than has been achieved so far.  Does anyone have any suggestions that would help with this quest.
Malcolm and Sarah are already from the era of 1730 so his father has to be late 1600's and it looks as though the land was sold around 1680 to Mr Ralston.  Janet O'May was my grgrgrandmother.

I am not a direct descendant, so land and Laird does not matter.  And those people who draw up crests etc. they are not necessarily the correct ones.  Lord Lyons office do this sort of work if and when you can prove your lineage.  At a charge of course.  That site is also very interesting.

[Allan Mac]

Hi Marcie Dean
just a wee bit of info.  the term 'Laird' generally means the owner of a property e.g. farm etc.
From the early 1100's Argyll and the Isles (the ancient kingdom of Dalriada) was controlled by the Irish/Celtic Prince Somerled and his sons.  His eldest son Dougal - progenator of the Clan MacDougall (some say this Clan is the oldest Scottish Clan - being a MacDougall who am i to disagree!!) inherited northern Argyll on the demise of Somerled.  Somerled's second son, Reginald inherited southern Argyll (including Kintyre).  I'm unaware of any O'may control of these areas unless it was Pictish prior to Somerled.
i have also found an interesting site regarding Keil Cemetry at Southend, Campbeltown:
http://wwwralstongenealogy.com/cemetry.htm
This site lists all the gravestones at Keil.
hope this is helpful
Allan Mac

[Allan Mac]

Hi Marcie Dean - just another bit of interest.
if you access the following website you'll get a wee bit more info about the Keil area near Southend outside Campbeltown.  if you do access it, the massacre at Dunaverty Castle they refer to was General Leslie's atrocity against the MacDougall's and their supporters. 
www.walkhighlands.co.uk/argyll/southend.shtml
There is also a Keil near Oban (Benderloch).  I'm not a Gaelic speaker but it may be that Keil is a Gaelic term e.g. Tarbert/Tarbet - land area between two stretches of water etc.
Allan

[marcie dean]

Hi Allan Mac

You should read the Argyll herald which this person Gavin Ralston ? (my memory) has written and writes quarterly.  My feelings are that he is probably an American.
I must say that I have nothing against Americans, but they do seem towant to find a connection to Royalty etc. and have found that they change things on Ancestry for instance so that it read Paisley in North Carolina or some such.
I do not totally believe the article which is why I would like to try and go back further to see what I can find.  For instance I found a 81 yr old Euphemia Omay definately Irish.  I have also found Omay in London stating irish.
It is nice to think that at one point we may have been the owners of Kintyre, but I do not hold my breath.  Will look at your suggestions and see what they say.  Want to find out the first Omay to be resident in that area.  If Burkes peerage of the Lord of Lyons records office cannot remember her name but she is a Bruce maiden name, see what she has to say.  marcie

[marcie dean]

Hi Allan Mac

The first item was full of information, said a lot about the Omey family, mentioned names which are in my family tree, but Duncan, Donald, John and James still brothers.  Yet does not mention Malcolm Omay McIlchattan or his father Malcolm and his mother Anne Sinclair or his spouse Sarah McCallum
both he and she supposedly born about 1730. I also have Archibald, Alexander, & Daniel but not Cornelius, Samuel or Robert.  There is an occasional Hugh.  Cannot find a connection between them.  Do you know what Katrine means if it has a meaning.  as in Katrine Malcolm Omay McIlchattan. This info takes me back to 1505 but no connection that I can see.  The article states that there were no living relatives so the estate was sold.  There is only one Omay in Kilcolmkill? cemetary with no first name.  Are there any other places that they would have been buried locally.
the second article was interesting makes me want to come up to stay and look around,  maybe next year.  Plenty of cottages, photographic views, beautiful scenery.  Been nearly two years since last visit near aberdeen.  marcie

[marcie dean]

Ran out of room.

Amazon had a book which they were advertising and you could do a vertual tour, looked and could not find Omay or Omey.  Scots/Irish.  The Scots book you could not do that.

The connection you gave me, happened to be the same magazine but another issue.  Fascinating.
And what is a merk?  Sounds very german to me  1mark would buy me entrance to the cinema and 1 mark would buy my ein chocolat mit nusse Lindt of course.  Saturday matinee.
So if there were no relatives left, where did my lot come from. 
I do wonder whether Omay or Omey came from another name, apparently means respect or esteem from the gaelic "miadh"
marcie

[marcie dean]

I have birth information for Malcolm 25 Aug 1794 Ref: 511/00 0010 0123 Glassary

Also Hugh O'May Lochgilphead and Catharine Johnstone No 25 in the list on the page

We have:
John Omey mentioned with a date of 1505  Tacksman (Customs & Excise? or ksomething else)
Cornelius passing khis BA at st Andrews in 1528
Duncan being a minister at Kilcolmkill in 1611 and atenant  at Keil House for many years
Donald being a minister of Kingarth Bute thken appointed ministed to the Parish of Kilkerran now Campbeltown
kkThe Bishop of Argyll granting a charter of the lands of keil to the minister as recorded in the Argyll Sasine Paticular Register 15th May 1622 before witnesses, though doesnt say who they were.
James Omey 1659
Another JAMES O'Mey in 1682 of Collinlongart (kwhere is this?)kthe above james khaving left something to him, khis heirs and his assignees.

[marcie dean]

cont....
A ronald o'mey of Keil 1717
A James and a Duncan O'Mey  in  Collinlongart

A Duncan Omey owning 1.1/2 merkland of Kilcolmkill 1751
Archibald 1780
Samuel
No mention of either Katrine Malcolm O'may Mcilchattan 1730
Have not managed to find a marriage to Sarah McCallum or a grave for both or either
No mention of Malcolm his father or his mother Anna Sincklair (as it was spelt on Ancestry)

A birth in glassary as previously mentioned of a Malcolm O'Mey 1794  and some information held at the library on the land and buildings. One of kthe graves had a Mcnab mentioned, I have a Mary McNab in a branch of my Omay tree married kto Duncan and mother of kArchibald

[marcie dean]

The other article you gave me to look at mentioned an Island.  A tidal island off of Ireland called Omey Island (or Iomaidh) near Claddaghduff on the western edge of Connemara in the county of Galway, Ireland and was almost hidden from the mainland.  It says that you can walk there or drive at low tide, as long as you follow the markers or arrowed signs, but high tide the water would cover a car
Apparently goes back as far as the 6th century, (but I take it that you already know all of this) there is still a small church there or what is left of it. St.Feichin and they found the burial of a woman, which is found to be a little strange.  Early christian, but would that be catholicism style of christianity of church of Ireland/Scotland.  Which country does the island belong to?  Ireland?

marcie