...do YOUR families link back to first South Australian wheat growers?
 Christina and Donald McLEAN from Scotland 1837



Robert Tannahill MCLEAN

Robert Tannahill MCLEAN

Male 1865 - 1931  (66 years)

Personal Information    |    Media    |    Sources    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name Robert Tannahill MCLEAN  [1
    Born 29 Jan 1865  Strathalbyn SA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2
    Gender Male 
    Biography Notes ROBERT TANNAHILL McLEAN born 29/1/1865 at Strathalbyn the 3rd child of Hugh the Younger & his wife Margaret.

    OCCUPATION: Butcher of Strathalbyn from the early 1900s, as shown in Directories, at High Street. Prior to that he had the licence of the Callington Hotel for a short period.

    MARRIAGE: Date not found C 1900 to Sophia Henrietta Somers of Langhorne Creek. She had sisters in the area (also married) but her parents have not been traced [Note that, in December 2016 information provided by Susan Nicholls gave the marriage date as 2nd Sept 1890, Sophia's surname spelled as SOMMER, and her parents as Frederick August Louis SOMMER and Mary Ann WATT or WHITFIELD]

    Robert was still butchering in 1929 when his younger brother Hugh died (& attended Hugh's inquest), but died 2 years later. Following Robert's death, Sophia lived with her only daughter Mrs Melba Potts at Langhorne Creek. Her grand-daughter recalls that Sophia was a very quiet person who did not talk of her earlier life or of her family, so nothing remains to record. She was hospitalized at Adelaide as Robert had been & she died there in January 1956.

    DEATHS: Robert Tannahill McLean at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in February 1931. He was buried at the West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide on 13/2/1931 aged 62 years. Sophia his wife was also Buried at West Terrace, on 15/1/1956 aged about 86 years. They left 3 children.

    CHILDREN ..............................:  [1
    Occupation 1990's  Broken Hill NSW Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Butcher 
    Occupation c1890s  Callington SA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Licencee of the Callington Hotel 
    • For a short period in the 1890s
    Residence When Sophie's parents went to Yatina Sophie may have stayed in Callington with one of her siblings. She and Robert were married in her parent residence at Yatina but how long they were there we do not know. It then appears that Sophie and Robert travelled to Broken Hill where they had two sons (1891,1893). They then travelled to Adelaide or directly to Strathalbyn.
    Their third child was born in Adelaide (1905) at Sophie's parents' home, the family may or may not have been residing in Strathalbyn.
    The fourth child was also born at Sophie's parents (1907) but given that the certificate says Father butcher at Strathalbyn and the father's residence was Jeffrey Street it is likely that the family are now established in Strathalbyn.
    Later, the family moved to Langhorne Creek.
      [4
    Died 13 Feb 1931  Adelaide SA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 3, 5
    • Royal Adelaide Hospital Adelaide SA
    • Buried West Terrace Cemetery Adelaide SA
    Buried 14 Feb 1931  Adelaide SA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Person ID I-5517  Christina and Donald McLean | Ewen (Hugh the younger) McLean's descendants
    Last Modified 18 Sep 2020 

    Father Ewen (Hugh the younger) b1836 MCLEAN,   b. 26 May 1836, Duisky Kilmallie Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 5 Jun 1921, Strathalbyn SA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 85 years) 
    Relationship -1740 
    Mother Margaret TANNAHILL,   b. 15 Sep 1839, Paisley Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 6 Apr 1891  (Age 51 years) 
    Relationship -1740 
    Married 13 Apr 1862  Strathalbyn SA Find all individuals with events at this location  [6
    Family ID F-1740  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Sophie Henrietta SOMMER,   b. 8 Jul 1869, Oakbank SA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 15 Jan 1956, Adelaide SA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 86 years) 
    Married 2 Sep 1890  Yatina SA Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Residence Sophie might not have been living with her parents just prior to getting married but the wedding was in her parent's home in Yatina. It may be that they travelled up to Yatina only for their wedding or may have travelled with the family.
    It appears that Sophie and Robert travelled to Broken Hill shortly after, as they have two sons born in Broken Hill.
    Then they travelled to Adelaide or directly to Strathalbyn. Their next children were born in Adelaide but it is not clear whether the family was living in Adelaide or maybe they were living in Strathalbyn but Sophie might have gone to her mother's house in Adelaide for the children's births.
    Later the family moved to Langhorne Creek.
    Sophie and Robert were both buried in West Terrace Cemetery because they were in Adelaide Hospital.   [3
    Children 
     1. Roy L MCLEAN,   b. 11 Jul 1891, Broken Hill NSW Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 30 Jul 1891, Broken Hill NSW Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 0 years)  []
    +2. Hugh Milne (Hughie) MCLEAN,   b. 2 Oct 1893, Broken Hill NSW Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1 Jan 1972, Parkside SA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 78 years)  []
    +3. Robert Napier (Tik) MCLEAN,   b. 9 Mar 1905, Strathalbyn SA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 25 Aug 1976, Adelaide SA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 71 years)  []
     4. Melba Agnes MCLEAN,   b. 23 Sep 1907, Strathalbyn SA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 10 Sep 1985, Langhorne Creek SA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 77 years)  []
    Last Modified 4 Nov 2017 15:26:44 
    Family ID F-1818  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • STORIES
    5212.5 - Sophie Henrietta SOMMER & Robert Tannahill McLEAN
    5212.5 - Sophie Henrietta SOMMER & Robert Tannahill McLEAN
    Biographical notes as provided by Susan Nicholls in 2016.
    5212 - Robert Tannahill McLean & Sophia Henrietta Sommer
    5212 - Robert Tannahill McLean & Sophia Henrietta Sommer
    Descendants of Hugh the younger - biography as published in the BRB in 1995.

  • Sources 
    1. [S-3] PUBLICATION BRB 'Donald & Christina McLean & Their Descendants', 1995 copies available, Copies of the BRB available Strathalbyn National Trust Museum & Library, several libraries around Australia including State Library SA, and Western Australian Genealogical Society Bayswater WA Request assistance for locating a copy through 'Contact us' on this website. .

    2. [S-75] BDM SA, 5.11.2017 Researcher Lorna Mclean.
      BIRTH:29.1.1865-provided by SA Cemeteries Board. b.29.1.1865 STRATHALBYN SA RegNo 34/437

    3. [S-61] FM Susan Nicholls, nee Moore - ID 8186 -evidence pending.

    4. [S-61] FM Susan Nicholls, nee Moore - ID 8186 -evidence pending, Email on 14th March 2017.

    5. [S-75] BDM SA, 5.11.2017 Researcher Lorna Mclean.
      death: provided by SA cemeteries board. d13.2.1931 Adelaide SA RegNo 526/422

    6. [S-38] My Heritage, my heritage (with a log in), 25 Nov 2021 Researcher Lorna Mclean.
      Margaret McLean (born Tannahill) Birth Sep 15 1839 Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland Emigration Circa 1860 Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland Marriage to: Ewan MCLEAN Apr 13 1862 Strathalbyn, South Australia