Barra MacLeans & Camerons

[ammac11]

My first post on this site. I have been following the various messages on Barra MacLeans but did not wish to intrude on an ongoing Thread. Like many others, I have had no success in tracing ancestors who at one point in time passed thru Barra. I basically gave up on the search about two years ago having checked all likely sources of information, including visiting Barra and getting great help from Calum MacNiel & Mary MacKinnon, but to no avail. I have been trying to trace my gg.grandmother's parents Archibald MacLean (Master Tailor) & Marion Cameron. Their daughter Jane MacLean (born abt. 1811 Barra) married my gg.grandfather Ewen MacLellan (b.abt.1806 North Uist?). Ewen was a Shoemaker recorded in the Census 1841 thru 1881 living at Cnoc a Lin & Cl. Kyles, North Uist. Interestingly, in the 1841 Census his PoB is given as 'South Uist' but all subsequent Census' give 'North Uist'.  Ewen's  younger brother Hector was born 1814 at Griminish, North Uist. According to LDS records Ewen & Marion were married in 1827 at Lochaber, Inverness-shire and their first born Marion was also born at Lochaber in 1828. My g.grandfather Donald was next born in 1830 in North Uist and all other siblings likewise born in North Uist.  Now I know that there were Camerons living in Barra in the early 1800s who were born in Lochaber and contrarily Camerons in Lochaber who were born in Barra but I have unable to link anybody with my andestors.  Any suggestions?     

[Rosinish]

Hi ammac,

"Archibald MacLean (Master Tailor) & Marion Cameron. Their daughter Jane MacLean (born abt. 1811 Barra)"

Done a quick scan 1805 - 1817 (good margin) and there is no Archibald MacLean nor a Marion Cameron at all i.e. no Jane MacLean.

However, I did find an Archibald Cameron & Margaret (Marion?) MacKinnon with a few offspring up until 1819 and my opinion is that Archibald MacLean may have been a 2nd husband?

Do you know if Jane/Jean had any other siblings?

The Jean Cameron I have was baptised 12 Jan 1819 (Borve, Barra)

If you can let me know re siblings and in the event that you don't have any can you give me a few prominent forenames running in the family please, male & female.

There are as you know other Camerons on Barra and the names are consistant for a relationship and Marion being an "In-Law"?

Something to consider although you may have been up that avenue already?

Just checked the Craigston Marriages 1812 -1857 and no Archibald MacLean. Am I right to assume that he is Protestant? If so, I have almost nothing on Protestant BMD's so it's more likely now that the marriage was Protestant and Births same but the other Cameron births were all Catholic. On saying that, Marion possibly was Catholic? Is there anything to suggest their contrasting religion?

Regards,

Anne Marie.

[ammac11]

Hello Anne Marie, Many thanks for your efforts on my behalf. I'm a little rusty on this topic and need to do a quick swot and get back to you. I intentionally left the topic in an 'Open' status hoping that somebody might come up with a clue. You mentioned 'Ann' but this should be 'Jane'. A simple typo methinks! I'm happy to think about any possibilities. I do not know if Jane had any siblings. The parents details were taken from Jane's death cert. d.11Nov1887 North Uist. The 1881 Census has a Jane Cameron(56), a widow, born Barra & dau. Mary Cameron(26) born Kilmonivaig, living at Unachan (Spean Bridge). This just might be the link to Marion Cameron's CAMERON family. I can't find the details at the moment, but in the Barra OPRs there is a Christian Cameron, born Lochaber who married a MacDonald in Barra. I traced this family thru to about 1901 in Barra but went no further with this line of research. I think Calum MacNeil confirmed that there were MacLeans, tailors who lived in the Allasdale area of Barra and it's interesting that the 1841 Census records a Niel MacLean (40), tailor, with family, living there. Could Niel be a brother of Jane? Again, I did a lot of checking but to no avail.   I will get back to you again once I refresh my memory on the various aspects of this research. Thanks again, Sandy MacL.