An Interesting Family

Betty MacDougall

Students of family history are fortunate if they come upon an entry in 1855, the year that Statutory Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths started. Prior to that date, information was found in the old parochial records (OPRs) but these held only marriages and baptisms, deaths were not recorded. Because 1855 was the first year of official registration, a wealth of information was given, not equalled in later years.

On February 1st, 1855, the death was recorded at Benmeanoch of a Donald McLean, farmer, age 92. He was born at Feall and his parents were John McLean, tenant and wife Effy. His children were listed as Dugald 48, Alexander 46, John 44, Donald 42 and Neil 40.

The population list compiled by the minister of the time in 1776 shows a family at Feall of John McLean, tenant married to Christian McKinnon with a son Archibald over 7 years of age, also Donald, Catherine, Mary and Dugald, all under 7. This looks like the origin of Donald McLean, 92 years old in 1855.

The OPRs show a marriage on 20th August, 1804, of a Donald McLean, his place of residence is not specified, to Catherine Johnston of the noted Ballyhough family. There is no baptismal record for the Dugald listed in the DC as the oldest son but the 1805 records show some confusion. The rest of the family appear as Alexander 6/9/1806, John 5/1/1809 both of Ballyhough then Donald 5/1/1812 followed by Neil 14/3/1816 both of them at Breacachadh.

The first census of 1841 shows this McLean family at Ballyhough, Donald a farmer age 70 with his son Donald 25, married to a Mary and the youngest son Neil, 20, a wheelwright. They are still at Ballyhough in 1851: Donald a widower of 80, a crofter employing two men with his son Donald, 38, daughter-in-law Mary and grandson John, aged 5. The youngest son Neil is still unmarried and is a wheelwright.

I had always understood that Benmeanoch House had been built by this family and as Donald died there in 1855 it must date from after the 1851 census. Today it is a roofless ruin, well built on a rock with a lovely aspect overlooking Ballyhough Loch and further out to the Atlantic.

The 1861 census gives Benmeanoch House as the home of the surviving son Donald, 50, a farmer of 45 acres, his wife Mary and son John 16. The house is listed as having three windowed rooms. The son John was known locally as lain na Boinneag, John of the Ben. Donald McLean had married Mary McLachlan in 1840 and they had only one son. Donald died in 1865.

In the 1871 census John and his widowed mother are still at Benmeanoch but Laird Stewart wanted them nearer to Breacachadh and rehoused them at Uig in the house now known as Heather Cottage. John was the head joiner and carpenter to the estate and made the wood panelling in the castle dining room. His apprentice at that time was Andrew Kennedy at Acha. The house at Uig was known as the Mission House, as the Free Church regularly held meetings there. John and his mother were still there in 1881 and 1891 but they both died in 1896.

When they left Benmeanoch House it was occupied for a time by Ursula Baxter, widow of the recent factor and vet to the Estate. When she left to return to her native town Campbeltown, the Kennedy family from Clabach moved in. They were the last occupants.

The Coll censuses make no mention of the three older sons listed in the old man's Death Certificate, Dugald, Alexander and John. This was because they had all emigrated to Australia at different times.

The ship George Fyfe sailed from Tobermory in September 1839 for Australia and the shipping list includes John McLean from Coll, age 29, a turner. It was in this same ship that the widow and family of the famous Coll Cooper sailed.

Information recently received from Australia gives more information on the emigrant sons. On October 14th 1870, Dugald McLean died near Geelong. He had been a farmer but died intestate, so at the request of his brother John, the Curator of the Estates of Deceased Persons took over the administration of his estate. Dugald had owned and cultivated 307 acres of land, with a 4 roomed wooden house, stables etc with an estimated value of £400. There were also personal effects valued at £42.70. His Death Certificate indicates that he spent 20 years in Western Australia and 5 years in Victoria, so he may have arrived in Australia about 1845 or earlier.

The Curator, after 'careful enquiries' established that Dugald had three brothers living: John McLean a turner in Victoria, Alexander McLean of the Agricultural Reserve in Queensland and Neil McLean of Tobermory, Scotland. There was also a nephew John, son of Donald McLean, a deceased brother of Dugald.

The youngest son, Neil the wheelwright, got married quite late in life in 1857 to Janet, daughter of Donald McLean, land Steward in Coll. They had only one child, a daughter Catherine, born at Benmeanoch in 1858. Thereafter, Neil removed to Tobermory in Mull and later censuses show the family living at Bridgend House in Shore Street there. By 1881 they were joined by Alexander who had returned from Australia and was Sheriff Officer in Tobermory. Catherine was a dress maker and was known in Tobermory as Kate an Tuairnear.

When John McFadyen's father married in 1874 he had a spinning wheel made by Neil McLean the Turner as a present for his young wife. When John MacFadyen (lain Hyne) left Coll he gave the wheel to Mrs Stewart, the Laird's wife and it is now in her house at Kelso.