ANDREW MACKERRAL. C.I.E.,M.A., F.S.A. SCOT.
Andrew McKerral, whose work on the history of Kintyre is well known to members of the Society, was born in Southend of parents whose families had been established in that parish for generations. He became a Pupil Teacher in Southend school, encouraged by his paternal grandfather, but he made up his mind to seek a wider field, and by his own efforts worked his way through University. After being appointed to the Indian Civil Service, he spent his working life as field adviser in the Burmese Agricultural Service and as head of an Agricultural College.
On his retirement he returned to Scotland and lived near Edinburgh, where his family were then farming, and spent the rest of his long life studying the history of Kintyre and its peoples and examining all the available documents. He died in 1967 in his 91st year.
In an obituary in the "Scotsman" of 19th September 1967, it was stated that Mr. McKerral had produced a series of papers between 1943 and 1955 on the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, convincingly elucidating such difficult topics as Old and New Extent, tirungs or ounce-lands, pennylands, marklands and davachs, topics of crucial importance for the rural history and place nomenclature of Scotland.
In the same paper A.J.A. writes: "These papers immediately became, and still are, the standard topic an these subjects. Along with their clarity and apparent simplicity of the solutions propounded the other striking feature of these and other writings of McKerral is conformity to the highest "professional" standards of research, the constant recourse to original document and meticulous accuracy in citation and reference. For an amateur taking up this work for the first time in his retirement, this was a remarkable enough achievement. Yet during the same period he also turned, out a succession of interesting and useful contributions to other aspects of West Highland history. After 1955 he retired in more earnest, but as a result of a chance meeting he became acquainted with the work of supplementing the collections of "The Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue" which was then proceeding, and to this he gave seven years of voluntary work.
Outwardly somewhat reserved and aloof, he proved on further knowledge, a companionable person, with a store of amusing reminiscences, of simple taste, greatly enjoying the friendship of other scholars.
On its publication in 1948, his "Kintyre in the Seventeenth Century" was immediately recognised as an outstandin work on local history, and of much value to Scottish history in general. The people of Kintyre, whether at home or abroad, regard with affection this book, and its place will be assured wherever they and their descendents live. No one could have honoured his native place more than did Andrew McKerral by providing this enduring memorial to the country of his fathers.
Note: The editor is greatly obliged to Mrs. A. Aikman Smith for getting the extracts from "The Scotsman."
The Great Pestilence in Kintyre References.
(1) McKerral.A. A History of Kintyre in the 17th Century. 1948)
(2) Johnson K. "Southend through the Ages."
(3) McIntosh Peter. "History of Kintyre." (1861)
(4) McTaggart. C. "Life in Campbeltown in the 18th Century."
(5) Manson-Bahr. P. H "Manson's Tropical Diseases." (1954)
(6) Smout. T.C. "History of the Scottish People." 1560-1830 (1970)
(7) Shrewsbury. J.F.D. "A History of Bubonic Plague in Britain." (1970)
(8) Creighton. C. "A History of Epidemics in Britain." Two vols. 1891-1894.
(9) Comrie J.D. "History of Scottish Medicine to 1860." (1927)
(10) Campbell Lord Frederick. "Records of Argyll."
(11) Cartwright F.F. "Disease and History." (1972)
No 6 Autumn 1979
Page 2: Janet and Marie Morrison's 1993 Trip to Scotland - Part 3
Page 3: David Whitehead's Genealogy Special - Part Four
Page 4: John and Mary Morrison of Rocky River - The Third Part
Page 5: Campbeltownese for Beginners
Page 6: The Flora of Kintyre - A Supplement
Page 7: Andrew MacKerral. C.I.E.,M.A., F.S.A. Scot.
Page 8: By Hill and Shore - Part 2
Page 9: Extracts from the Records of the Kintyre Farmers' Society // A Kintyre Visitor in 1833