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...do YOUR families link back to first South Australian wheat growers?
Christina and Donald McLEAN from Scotland 1837
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 1818 - 1889 (71 years)
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| Documents |
 | SRO online MARRIAGE REGISTER:Adam Abercrombie m1840 Mary MCLEAN
BDM 1840 Marriage Adam Abercrombie of Adelaide, late of St Ninians, Stirlingshire, Scotland & Mary McLean on 29th September 1840 in Adelaide SA Section 52, Late of Lochaber, Argyllshire, Scotland. Source family search.org |
 | Mary McLean - baptized on 5th Apr 1818 in Duisky
"Baptisms, 1818, April 5, Mary, D. to Donald MacLean Duisgy and Catharine MacPhee" |
| STORIES |
 | 5082 - Mary McLean & Adam Abercrombie & Duncan McRae
Mary's descendants - biography as published in the BRB in 1995. |
 | J51 - Mary MacLean & Ewen Cameron
Ewen was the subject of a paternity complaint lodged by Mary McLean with the Kilmallie Kirk Sessions in 1837.
Mary asserted that fornication occurred when they were both working at Ardgour Inn at Corran, and that Ewen was living at the slate quarries in Bullachulish.
The outcome of the claim, and the confirmation of the birth, has not been found.
(Updated by Don Gordon in October 2021.) |
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| Name |
Mary b1818 MCLEAN [1] |
| Born |
2 Apr 1818 |
Duisky Scotland  [1] |
| Christened |
5 Apr 1818 |
Duisky Scotland [1, 2] |
| Gender |
Female |
| Biography Notes |
Different mothers?
There are some oddities with the name of the mother recorded in the OPRs for births of the children of Donald McLean.
* The first four, who were born in Blaich between 1811 to 1816, have the mother recorded as variations of Christina.
* The middle four, who were born in Duisky between 1818 to 1823 might have been a clerical errors with two recording the mother as Catharine (for the second Mary and the first Anne), Essie (for Archibald) and Mary (for the second Anne).
* The last four records, in Duisky from 1825 to 1836, are back to the mother being Christina.
Can we dismiss the records of the different mothers in the middle four as just clerical errors?
It would be strange for the same error (Catharine) to be made two years apart. And why would so many errors be made in those four consecutive entries and none before or after?
If the records were not clerical errors, did Donald have a series of different partners for the six years after the first four births and then back to Christina for the last children? We doubt this.
We are confident that Christina is the mother because all of them (except the first Mary & the first Anne who both died early) migrated together with Donald and Christina, and we know a lot about their lives as members of this family in Australia.
(This note by Don Gordon in April 2022.)
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| Biography Notes |
Father's Will - see Donald McLean's profile for details in Donald's Will in which Mary was a beneficiary. |
| Biography Notes |
For inheritance of part of 57 Hindley St - see E51 in Small Print. |
| Biography Notes |
Mary claimed that Ewen Cameron was the father of the child she was soon to deliver.
She lodged a complaint with the Kilmallie Kirk Sessions in 1837 when she asserted that fornication occurred when they were both working at Ardgour Inn at Corran, and that Ewen was living at the slate quarries in Bullachulish.
The outcome of the claim, and the confirmation of the birth, has not been found.
This is detailed in J51 which is attached to this profile.
(This note by Don Gordon in October 2021.) |
| Biography Notes |
00 Oct 1855 |
Homepage menu-SMALL PRINT |
Extensive,evidence,persuasive narrative in SMALL PRINT MENU on HOME PAGE MENU
Homepage menu-SMALL PRINT |
| Cause of death |
After a painful illness [1] |
| Died |
22 Sep 1889 |
Strathalbyn SA [1] |
| Buried |
24 Sep 1889 |
Strathalbyn SA [1] |
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| Person ID |
I-3869 |
Christina and Donald McLean | Mary McLean's descendants |
| Last Modified |
13 Apr 2022 |
| Father |
Donald b1779 MCLEAN, b. 26 Sep 1779, Blaich Scotland , d. 11 Oct 1855, Strathalbyn SA (Age 76 years) |
| Relationship |
-1 |
| Mother |
Christina b1787 MCPHEE, b. 28 Apr 1787, Crieff Scotland , d. 9 Apr 1869, Strathalbyn SA (Age 81 years) |
| Relationship |
-1 |
| Married |
- Assumed handfasted or/&...12months and one day as was the practise....see https://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/2016/11/handfasting-in-scotland.html
Summary cc
Handfasting rituals, especially in Scotland, has long been surrounded by mythical images of couples binding their hands and even drawing blood to form a trial marriage that would last one year, after which, the couple could in mutual consent, stay together or part. The real ritual.... There was no need for witnesses (ONLY STRENGTHENED the proof) or the consent of the parents. There was no need for a priest. .... Two people could exchange vows and that was enough. There was no need for banns or a mass to bless the marriage, just two people consenting. It wasn?t even necessary to have sexual intercourse, the marriage was binding. This legal position was made from about 1200 onwards with the support and direction of the Church.
In Scotland there was a third type of marriage called ?marriage by habit and repute.? This was a marriage established when a couple lived together as if married and presented themselves to society as married; a kind of common law marriage. .....
Like elsewhere, in Scotland, divorce wasn?t possible. A couple were married for life...It wasn?t until the Scottish Reformation in 1560 that divorce and remarriage became possible.
The common process for a marriage in the late medieval time up until the Reformation included a betrothal, a proclamation of the banns and consent in the present tense.... Though the Church and the law recognized clandestine marriages (marriages made without witnesses and the usual Church presence) they did everything they could to discourage them. ...With the Reformation many Protestant.....In 1563 the Roman Catholic Church ...... Since Scotland became a Protestant country in 1560.... So both Scottish civil law and the Church essentially kept what made a marriage unchanged. ...The only changes were to permit divorce and remarriage and a reduction in the degrees of consanguity.....By the 18th century,....the civil law continued to support it and that remained unchanged until 1940.
Though the civil law essentially remained the same the cultural customs surrounding marriage did change over the 4 centuries between the Scottish Reformation and 1940. Handfasting fell away about the late 17th century or.....?
In the late 18th century a kind of a myth arose around handfasting,.....and it continued on until the 20th century and eventually became incorporated in the neo-Pagan rituals still practiced today.
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| Children of marriage |
* OPRs: We have found birth records (OPRs) for all the 12 children, except for Margaret.
* Naming: There were Ann X 2, Mary X 2 & Hugh (Ewen) X 2. The first Mary & first Ann died as infants whereas the Hughs survived to adulthood and are diffentiated by being referred to as 'the elder' or 'the younger'.
* Mother: The mother is variously recorded as Christian X 5, Christn, Christy, Catharine X 2, Mary, and Effie (or Essie). The records with Catherine, Mary & Effie are probably original clerical errors and we are confident that they are 'our' family because the birth place is specified as Duisky in each of these cases - and the father was Donald of course.
* Place: All the births were in the parish of Kilmallie. The first 4 births are specified as Blaich and all the later births were at Duisky.
1. Allan McLean - baptism 12th Feb 1811 in Blaich - Son to Donald McLean in Blaich & Christian McPhee in Blaich
2. Mary McLean - baptised 24th Jan 1813 in Blaich - Baptism on 24th Jan 1813 - McLean, Mary daughter of Donald & Christn McPhee - Blaich
3. Ewen McLean - baptized 27th January 1814 - Son of Don'd & Christian McPhee, Blaich
4. John McLean - born 1st Feb 1816, baptized 2nd Feb 1816 - Son of Donald, Blaich & Christian McPhie his spouse
5. Mary McLean - baptized on 5th Apr 1818 in Duisky - Baptism of daughter to Donald MacLean Duisgy and Catharine MacPhee
6. Anne McLean - baptized 18th Feb 1820 - Daughter to Donald MacLean Duisky and Catharine MacPhee
7. Archibald McLean - baptised 4th March 1821 - Son to Donald MacLean in Duisgi and Effie (or Essie?) MacPhee
8. Ann MacLean - born 6th April 1823 in Duisky - Daughter to Donald MacLean Duisky & Mary McPhee his wife
9. Rachel McLean - born 13th Feb 1825 in Duisky - 1825 Baptisms - Feb 13 - Rachel dau to Donald McLean in Duisky & Christian McPhee, born 6th
10. Margaret - probably born in 1827 in Duisky. No OPR has been found - this is surprising because she is the only one of 12 siblings whose birth was apparently not registered.
11. Jane (Jeane) McLean - born 18th April 1830, baptized 16th May 1830 in Kilmallie - 1830 Baptisms May 16th, Jeane daughter to Donald McLean tenant in Duskey Ardgour & Christion McPhee, born the 18th April last
12. Ewen McLean - born 26th May 1836 in Duisky - Ewen son of Donald McLean & Christy McPhee in Duisky
* (This note was by Don Gordon on 12th April 2019.) |
| Children of marriage |
In addition to the 12 children accepted as 'our' family, some researchers have proposed 4 others:-
* RICHARD: This name appears on some 'Navarino' passenger lists [research: Which ones?], but this might not be based on the authentic record. There are no other indications of this Richard in colonial records (eg marriage, children, death, or Trove etc). However there is a Richard listed with the family in the 1841 census for Strathalbyn (BRB p13) but this is considered to be a clerical error (check this) as it should have been Rachel. He is not mentioned in Donald's will.
* ELIZABETH: This name appears on some 'Navarino' passenger lists [Barry Leadbeater & Dianne Cummings) but this might not be based on the authentic record - it might have been added later. It is stated that she was born in 1835 or 1836, and died in 1907. There are no other indications of this Elizabeth in colonial records. (eg marriage, children, death, or Trove etc). In fact there might be confusion with Elizabeth DIXON who was the second wife John McLean - she was born in England in 1835, migrated in 1858, married John in 1874, and so was known as Elizabeth McLean when she died in Strathalbyn in 1907. Donald's Will makes no mention of anyone called Elizabeth.
* HUGH: BRB p8 "The persistent inclusion of a Donald and a Hugh McLean who arrived in 1840 by ship 'Tomatin' must be an error. The listed children are the same 10 who were listed on the ship when their emigrating parents, and all appear in the father's Will. These two may have been nephews. If they were of an earlier marriage of Donald, he had three sons named Hugh which is carrying things a bit far as to names! There is a family story that 'two sons were sent to Venezuela to look for farming possibilities' referring of course to the Donald and Hugh on the 'Tomatin' of 1840. Then not discovering anything suitable followed on to SA. Nothing further is known of them although two of the same name were at Naracoorte in the South East quite early, and the names of the families were the same as those of the Donald McLeans. They were not mentioned in Donald McLean's Will." And the BRB p544 has, in 1864 "Hugh McLean of the ship 'Tomatin' of 1840 and his wife Elizabeth (nee Scott) were staying at 'Ardgour Cottage' in Strathalbyn with Hugh the Younger and Margaret. According to a 'Register' newspaper of Adelaide a little daughter of Elizabeth and this particular Hugh McLean, died at 'Ardgour Cottage' on 23/7/1864. She was named Mary and was aged 2 years & 2 months. This has caused some confusion concerning the deaths of the two infants. The Hugh of the 'Tomatin' must certainly have been kin to the Strathalbyn McLeans, but certainly not a third son of Donald & Christina, named Hugh".
* DONALD: See the quote for Hugh, above (BRB p8).
(This note was by Don Gordon on 30th July 2018). |
| Family ID |
F-1 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family 2 |
Adam b.1804 Snr ABERCROMBIE, b. 16 Mar 1804, Stirlingshire Scotland , d. 23 Jul 1849, Adelaide SA (Age 45 years) |
| Married |
29 Sep 1840 |
Adelaide SA [3, 4] |
- MARRIED Holy Trinity Church Adelaide SA
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| Children |
| | 1. Christina ABERCROMBIE, b. 5 Aug 1842, Adelaide SA , d. 23 Jul 1849, Adelaide SA (Age 6 years) [] |
| + | 2. Rachel b.1844 ABERCROMBIE, b. 4 May 1844, Adelaide SA , d. 6 Dec 1908, Wokurna SA (Age 64 years) [] |
| | 3. Adam b.1846 Jnr ABERCROMBIE, b. 9 Mar 1846, Adelaide SA , d. 14 Mar 1848, Adelaide SA (Age 2 years) [] |
| | 4. Mary b.1848 ABERCROMBIE, b. 24 Apr 1848, Adelaide SA , d. 23 Jul 1849, Adelaide SA (Age 1 years) [] |
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| Last Modified |
8 Mar 2020 14:02:20 |
| Family ID |
F-1257 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family 3 |
Duncan Hugh MCRAE, b. 26 Jun 1826, Kintail Scotland , d. 23 May 1901, Strathalbyn SA (Age 74 years) |
| Married |
25 Feb 1852 |
Adelaide SA [5, 6] |
- MARRIED Trinity Church Adelaide SA
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| Children |
| | 1. Duncan MCRAE, b. 29 Nov 1852, d. 2 Apr 1881, Strathalbyn SA (Age 28 years) |
| | 2. Catherine MCRAE, b. 26 Jun 1854, Milang SA , d. 20 Mar 1929 (Age 74 years) |
| | 3. Allan Mark MCRAE, b. 29 Nov 1856, Strathalbyn SA , d. 23 Nov 1905, Tapleys Hill SA (Age 48 years) [] |
| | 4. Donald Hugh MCRAE, b. 9 Aug 1858, Milang SA , d. 22 May 1927, Adelaide SA (Age 68 years) [] |
| | 5. John James MCRAE, b. 7 Sep 1860, Milang SA , d. 1880, Milang SA (Age 19 years) |
| | 6. Mary Ann Jane MCRAE, b. 7 Aug 1860, Alexandrina SA [] |
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| Last Modified |
6 Dec 2016 15:00:14 |
| Family ID |
F-1279 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| Sources |
- [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. .
- [S-87] BDM Scotlands People requires own login , https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/view-image/nrs_opr_records/3753814?image=215 (Reliability: 1), 10 Feb 2017 Researcher Lorna Mclean.
BAPTISM register page number 88. Baptism 5 Apr 1818 Mary MacLean dau to Donald and Catherine McPhee of Duisgy. Register is numbered page 88.Accurate printout of page 88. However the OPR records dont reflect what today in 2017 we would expect. Christina/Christian/now Catherine. Plus Baptism in Duisgy today we spell it Duisky.
- [S-59] Family History Group SA-COLONISTS, Barry Leadbetter, page 1.
Adam Abercrombie married Mary McLean date provided and added by researcher Lorna McLean 05/12/2016
MCRAE Duncan, Mary ABERCROMBIE nee MCLEAN married 1852-02-25 at Trinity, Adelaide SA, aged 25=Duncan b1827, 32 (w)=Mary b1820
Confirmed by the said website and NO alterations were made with citations from Website by Barry Leadbetter found by researcher Lorna McLean 05/12/2016
- [S-59] Family History Group SA-COLONISTS, Barry Leadbetter, 4.
MCRAE Duncan and Mary McLean (nee Abercrombie)
Confirmed "married on 25.02.1852 at Trinity church Adelaide SA, Aged 25, 32" by the said website and nothing altered.
Website by Barry Leadbetter found by researcher Lorna McLean 05/12/2016
- [S-11] Birth record attached to this profile.
- [S-59] Family History Group SA-COLONISTS, Barry Leadbetter, page 1.
first marriage; Adam Abercrombie married Mary McLean date provided and added by researcher Lorna McLean 05/12/2016
second marriage; MCRAE Duncan, Mary ABERCROMBIE nee MCLEAN married 1852-02-25 at Trinity, Adelaide SA, aged 25=Duncan b1827, 32 (w)=Mary b1820
Confirmed by the said website and NO alterations were made with citations from Website by Barry Leadbetter found by researcher Lorna McLean 05/12/2016
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