Robert Campbell alias Macarlishicicalister

[Isabel Griggs]

I am looking for a birth record for Robert Campbell. He married Catherine Campbell alias Grange on the 5 Dec 1783-Durness, Sutherland, Scotland. I have found one daughter, Barbara born 21 Sep 1784, Keoldale, Durness. She married John MacLeod alias Macnishmacuilammachustian, b: 9 May 1779

[djct59]

Hello

Robert was born before Reverend Thomson started the parish records. At best he must have been born around 1760. His first marriage was to Catherine Grange as you know. She appears to have died around 1800-1802

His later marriage was to Janet "Banton" (probably Bannatyne) from Glasgow. The date of marriage is not recorded but it was presumably when he was on military service. They had three children; two daughters called Janet (bapt. 30th November 1804), Janet (bapt. 18th November 1810, which suggests theelder Janet had died) and a son Charles (bapt. 24th March 1816)

Robert's father Charles "Tearlach MacAllister" Campbell was a weaver in Sango and an elder in the church at Balnakeil. He made the cloths in which the deceased of the village were wrapped (and indeed had to pay the standard five shillings to wrap his own wife Catherine Grange in 1803) and is known to have been alive in 1812. He was my great x4 - grandfather. Robert was my ancestor Donald MacHearlish's elder brother.

[djct59]

The Barbara Campbell who married John MacLeod was not the daughter of this Robert (she would have been fifteen when she married) but the daughter of Robert MacHearlish's uncle Robert MacAllister - he was born c.1733 so she was likely to be in her twenties in 1799.

[Isabel Griggs]

Wow! Thank you for the information.
1) Regarding Robert and Janet Campbell's children... I have a record for William b 1804 and Janet b 1810. I did not know about Charles b 1816 but I will now go looking. Thank you for letting me know about him.

1804 -Births 048 / Durness, Page 99 of 184.
Robert Campbell, alias Macarlishicicalister, Soldier, and Janet Banton from Glasgow or thereabout, had William baptised on the 30th Nov. Janet Roberts, wife sponsor.
This information was given to me by a lady that did some research in Inverness for me. Not sure what Janet Roberts, wife sponsor means. I know about sponsors/godparents. But Janet Roberts, wife??? Could "Roberts" be Janet Banton's middle name? This entry for William was not in the Parish Register of Durness. -Baptism 1764-1814.

But I did find this entry which I believe was a mistake.
Parish Register of Durness.-Baptism 1764-1814, Page 48, No. 20-1804
 Robert Campbell, alias Macarlishicicalister, and Janet, Betty Banton from Glasgow or thereabout, Janet 30 Nov. I think Janet may be a mistake. Whoever transcribed saw the Janet Roberts and put that name instead of William. (Just my thoughts).


Now this Janet, I have her married on 23 Dec 1831, Dunnet, Caithness to Donald Simpson.
Parish Register of Durness.-Baptism 1764-1814, Page56, No. 23-1810
 Robert Campbell, out-pensioner of Chelsea Hospital, and .... Janet Banton (from Glasgow or thereabout), in Durin, Janet 18 Nov.

I would be really interested and appreciate your thoughts on this information. And hear about any other information on this family from you or anyone else.
Thank you.

This is the marriage I found for Robert and Catherine Campbell...
Parish Register of Durness -Marriage 1764-1814 Page 66, No. 8- 1783
Robert Campbell, alias Macarlishmhicalister, in Saingo... Catharine Campbell, alias Grange, in Keoldale 5 Dec.
 
Now! regarding Barbara Campbell alias nin Robmacicalister. I have the following information.
Parish Register of Durness -Baptism 1764-1814 Page 20, No. 31- 1784
Robert Campbell, alias Macarlish, in Keoldale, and ... Catharine Campbell, Barbara 21 Sept.

Parish Register of Durness -Marriage 1764-1814 Page 72, No. 1- 1799
John MacLeod, alias macnishmacuilammachustian, in Balamhulich, R. F. recuit .... Barbara Campbell, alias nin Rob macicalister, in Balamhulich 5 Feb.

I also have her sister's marriage, but I cannot find a birth certificate for Christian.
Parish Register of Durness-Marriage 1764-1810 Page 69, No.3-1790
Alexander Mackaiskil, weaver in Balamhulich... Christian Campbell, alias nin Robmacicalister, in Balamhulich 12 Feb.

Now, I know that you stated that Barbara would only have been 15 years. But I believe that girls married around that age and often younger. Not that I state to be an expert on that comment.
Barbara married in 1799. I found a child born 1803, but not one before that date. I will certainly look again.
 Parish Register of Durness -Baptism 1764-1814 Page 46, No. 16- 1803
John MacLeod, alias Macuilammachustian, in Balamhulich, and ... Barbara Campbell, Mackay 5 Aug.
I have found 5 other children to this marriage.

Once again, thanks and would appreciate your thoughts or this information.
Isabel.
P.S.I have Donald Campbell alias Macarlishicicalister married to Margaret Campbell, alias nin Iye Grashih in 1795, Durness. Is this your family?

Also, was Iye a actual name or is this short for Mackay?

[David Nicoll]

Hi, have you seen this and the follow on thread about Durness registers?
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,45412.0.html
There is a lot of information about interpreting the alias names.
Also it is not clear, have you looked at the original records on Scotlands People?

[djct59]

Isabel:

Yes, Donald MacHearlish b. 1765, d. after 1841 was my ancestor.

 "Iye" is a phonetic translation of Aiodh, a common name on Clan MacKay (sons of Aiodh).

Marriage at the age of fifteen (indeed under twenty was regarded as young) in crofting communities was so rare that it would have been remarked upon; it is far more likely this was the marriage of Tearlach's brother Robert MacAlister than his son Robert MacHearlish. Indeed, when Donald MacHearlish married in 1795 aged 29 he was still regarded as "young", as he had not yet established a trade for himself. I have only found one local marriage where the spouse was under twenty, and that is the subject of comment on a gravestone, details of which I cannot recall, and which are sadly no longer online as Fotki closed the site some years ago following the death of the photographer.

This does leave the difficulty that Robert MacAllister's daughter Barbara's birth (presumably around 1770-75) is missing from Hew Morrison. It's perhaps dangerous to presume that handwritten 18th century records will be 100% accurate.

I will look at my tree later on and revert.

[Isabel Griggs]

Hi David,
Thank you for your response. I will have a look at that information.
Much appreciated.
Isabel

[Isabel Griggs]

Hi djct59,
Sorry, I am confused , which, I can tell you doesn't take much to confuse me 

You mentioned that Robert and Catherine Grange had a son Charles (bapt. 24th March 1816)
I found this on Scotlandspeople just now. I didn't buy it as I wanted to ask a question first.
CAMPBELL CHARLES, ROBERT CAMPBELL OR MC SHEARLES, M 24/03/1816 048 10 / 116 DURNESS

Robert Campbell or Mc Shearles
Robert Campbell alias Macarlishicicalister- are they the same person:-\

I really don't understand all these alias' and how they work.

Isabel

[djct59]

It's helpful to remember that the Ministers were not native Gaelic speakers and tended to write names phonetically, so there are variations in spelling. The post-1811 Register written by Reverend Findlater was of far lower quality both in terms of record keeping and the paper used to Reverend Thomson's register. The page containing Charles' birth is low quality and contains no more information than is contained in the SP summary - Janet Banton is not mentioned so her maternity must be assumed (given the poor record keeping Robert could have been onto a third wife, but there's no evidence to verify that).

MacHearlish = son of Charles, but you will see it spelled MacCarlish or McShearles. The non-pronounced letters in Gaelic often defeat those who don't speak Gaelic.

For more about the events of Robert Campbell's time in Ireland, you migt want to look at this book - https://electricscotland.com/history/scotreg/mackay/MackaysHighlanders.pdf

It's lengthy and detailed, and includes the name of everyone who enlisted