Wee Drams

 John Wallace [Morrisons, McAlisters, McIntyres]   

Mary Lewis  [McCormaig, McEachern McCormaig, McKellar]        Barbara Wright [Mcintyre]

Earle Lockerby      Harold A Ralston     Vida Preece [Milloy, McAllister, Graham]

Gordon McKechnie      Kathryn Chisholm  [Chisholm]      Cathy Goff [Watson]

Index

Subj: Campbeltown Visit
From: John Wallace johnwallacebas@btinternet.com

Ian

You may remember my e-mails of some time last year about our mutual cousins the Morrisons, McAlisters and McIntyres. Immediately after I read your account in Kintyre Mag of your visit to Campbeltown earlier this year, my wife and I spent a couple of days there. Heeding your warning, we avoided certain establishments, and booked into the Argyll for two nights and were pleasantly surprised. The food was good and the service was fine. The fact that only 6 of the 26 rooms were occupied is just one symptom of the state of the town.

Absolutely nothing is being done to promote the town. It is still impossible to find an adequate street map, and even the library has virtually no information about the history of the place. Nevertheless we found all of the places of interest to us and made contact with another distant cousin. Ian McAlister who, with his brother Cameron and his father Neil, still lives in the town. His grandfather Neil McAlister (b. 1891) was the younger brother of my grandmother Bessie McAlister, and the nephew of your great grandmother Lizzie McIntyre. His grandmother was Flora Scally (b 1899). You can probably work that one out.

Regards

John Wallace

I wrote back to John:

Hello John,

I'm sorry to take so long to get back to you but this time of year sees me pretty well backlogged.

I'd heard that the Argyll was quite nice (I have a sister-in-law working there) but I've never tried it for myself. On your recommendation I'll give it a wee go when I'm up in June, 2004.

There's a fair bit about Campbeltown and Kintyre on the web but, as for the town itself, I fear that it may not recover unless someone invests in it. You may not have seen the folded A3 sized, coloured street map of the town produced by the Oban Times when you were up. If you'd like a copy, let me have your snailmail address and I'll get one off to you. Remember also that my brother, Alex, still lives in the town and he would have been more than happy to assist you. For future reference, his number is 01586 554313.

I've printed out your email and sent it up to my mother. She'll enjoy reading about the old days and connections.

Until we e again, all the very best to you and yours, John, and the compliments of the season from Helen and me.

Ian

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From:  Mary Lewis     A321Mary@aol.com

I read with great interest the article on-line that was printed in the Jan. 1999 issue of your magazine. I am very interested in the article Largieside and its People as I am a direct descendent of the John McCormaig and Barbara McEachern McCormaig mentioned there. I also am descended from Neill McEachern, Duncan McCormaig the brother of John, and Peter McKellar.

Do you know of any way I could communicate with Ian McDonald the author of the article above?

Mary Lewis, Columbia, SC, USA.

I replied:

As I was putting the Mag together I noted that I had not answered Mary's question re. Ian MacDonald, so I sent her the info. A similar querey had arisen from Vida Preece - Ian

Hello again Mary,

I can't remember if I answered your question re Ian MacDonald. I'm so sorry if I didn't.

Here's the address I think you're looking for:

38 High Bank Park
Lochgilphead
Argyll
PA31 8NN

Tel: +44 (0)1546 602261

A Happy New Year,

Ian
 

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From:  Barbara Wright  BWRIGHT1416@aol.com

Hi there, I've just seen a link to this page on the [AOL] 60's Uk board. I have descended from the Mcintyres - my Scottish grandfather moved to Yorkshire, England after the first World War to find work. I would like to hear anything that may be of interest!

Barbara Wright

I replied:

Hello Barbara,

Nice to hear from you. I'm assuming that, if you've been to the latest issue of the Mag at www.KintyreMag.co.uk you'll have seen - and had a look at - the Surnames and Searchers Archives. There's a lot about McIntyres in there.

It'll be a wee while yet, but I'll post your query in the next online edition up in January '04.

Until the next time, all the very best,

Ian

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From: Earle Lockerby   lockerby@nbnet.nb.ca

Hi, Ian

My subscription to the hardcopy edition of The Kintyre Magazine has lapsed and I must renew it. In the meantime it is interesting to read your on-line version.

In the Nov. 1997 issue of KintyreMag, there is pen and ink skethch of the Annabella leaving Campbeltown in 1770. Since my ancestors came to Prince Edward Island on the Annabella, I'm interested to learn more about this sketch. Who has done it? Is it a modern impression of how the scene probably would have appeared? Has the artist been aided by a painting of the departure of the Annabella - a painting which has survived from 1770?

I've been looking at the subject matter of KintyreMag over the past few years, and have concluded that it is a mixture of new material and reprints of articles which have appeared some years ago in the hardcopy version. Is this correct?

Best regards,

Earle Lockerby

I got back to Earle:

Hello Earle,

Thanks for taking the time to email me.

Way back in 1997, whilst on holiday in my native town of Campbeltown, I chanced upon a hard-copy version of the Kintyre Antiquarian and Natural History Magazine. At that time I was a 'net newbie and was looking around for something to fill my megs of free webspace. I thought that the Mag might be a good idea and bought up all the back issues I could find.

When I returned to my home in England, I wrote to the Society asking their permission to post some of their articles on the 'net. They gave me full permission and so started the online Magazine. As time went by I started to use less of the Society's stuff and more from other contributors hence the online Mag you see today.

On the Annabella question, I can only suggest that you write to the editor of the hard-copy Magazine and ask him about the sketch. I did a 'Google' search for "the annabella" and turned up some information.

If, by the way, you are a writer of articles or you have a tale to tell, I have a page in the online Mag with your name at the top.

Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year

Regards to you and yours,

Ian

Earle replied:

Hi, Ian

Thanks for your response to my several questions about KintyreMag. The web version is a great initiative - thanks for doing this! Regarding the sketch which appeared in your Nov 1997 edition of KintyreMag, however, I'm not going to let you off the hook!!

I was sure that I'd seen that sketch somewhere before and have managed to track it down to the cover of No. 31 (June 1992) of the Kintyre Magazine (hardcopy version). The sketch you've used is obviously based on that used in No. 31. They are essentially the same, except your web version shows more of Campbeltown harbour and surrounding countryside. It follows that you could not have simply scanned the cover of Issue No. 31, i.e., you must have had another source. Further, you have used the caption: "The Brig 'Annabella' leaving Campbeltown Harbour - 1770". Now what prompted you to use such a caption? Page 1 of Issue No. 31 states that the sketch is from Smith's Views of Campbeltown (1835) and was prepared for publication by George Stewart. It is further stated that the view of 1835 is thought to have not changed much over the preceding 50 years, which means that the scene may in many ways reasonably accurately portray the harbour and environs as they would have existed in 1770. Nevertheless, it is quite a stretch to depict the largest vessel in the scene as the Annabella!

I had hoped (but was at the same time was rather sceptical) that the scene you portrayed as the Annabella leaving Campbeltown in 1770 had been created in 1770 or was based on some sketch dating from then. Alas, my scepticism seems to have been well founded!

I'd like to know your response to my comments, but most of all, I'd like you to keep up the good work!

Best regards,

Earle.

Back from me:

Hi, Ian

You're off the hook!

Many thanks for your response and for taking the time to track down this matter, solving the mystery. I did not myself look as far back as issue 19 (this issue came out in June 1986), else would have seen it. G. Albert Ramsay is a descendant of an Annabella family and resides in Charlottetown, P.E.I. John Ramsay came on the Annabella and is one of my own ancestors. It is apparent that in1985 G. Albert Ramsay visited Campbeltown, and while there saw the sketch from Smith's Views of Campbeltown, probably at the public library in Campbeltown or perhaps at the library of the Kintyre Antiquarian and Historical Society. Though the sketch was done in 1835 and the Annabella was almost certainly not on the artist's mind (had probably not ever heard of the vessel), Ramsay has conveniently and fancifully adopted the scene as depicting the sailing of the Annabella in 1770. Quite likely, he, himself, has put the chosen caption at the bottom of the scene, together with the PEI flag, submitted it to the Kintyre Magazine, along with a poem, and the rest, as they say, is HISTORY! The poem, itself, has a number of factual errors, eg. the Montgomery family was not on the Annabella, but on the Edinburgh which came to PEI from Campbeltown in 1771. Ramsay has based the poem on various PE I traditions and modern research has shown that not all of them are historically correct.

If memory serves, Ramsay, who I'd think would now be retired, was some sort of itinerant evangelical preacher who used to go all over PEI holding gospel services in a large tent. He probably had some other sort of job, but for many people such as myself, he will be most remembered as a non-mainstream preacher.

Again, thanks to you, Ian, for taking the time to sort this out.

Best wishes and Season's Greetings,

Earle

(I sure hope that we hear a lot more from Earle in future Mags - Ian)

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From:   Harold A Ralston    haroldr@execpc.com

Dear Ian Forshaw,

Thanks for your fine November 2003 issue of the on line Kintyre Mag. Greatly enjoyed.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Perhaps one of your readers can help. I would like to learn the email address for Marion Reid, in Kintyre so that I may start up a correspondence. If anyone can help, I would be appreciative.

Best Regards,
Harold A Ralston, Racine, WI, USA
http://www.execpc.com/~haroldr/index.html

Back from me:

Hello Harold,

It's always a pleasure to hear from you and none more so at this time of year.

I hope that you enjoy your family time. I'm afraid Marion Reid isn't much to go by. Do you gave any other address information? Even an area in Kintyre would help.

All the best for the New Year,

Ian

From Harold:

I have been told she now lives in Campbeltown having moved Machrihanish Farm, By Campbeltown, Argyll, PA28 6PW, Scotland

Regards,
Harold A Ralston, Racine, WI, USA
http://www.execpc.com/~haroldr/index.html

I managed to find a couple of addresses for Harold. He'll let us know if they were any good.

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Subj: Ian MacDonald
From: Vida Preece    vpreece1@yahoo.ca

Hi Ian,

Do you have an address for Ian McDonald of Clachan?  He sent me a Christmas card last Christmas telling me he had moved from Clachan because of his wife's poor health. Unfortunately, I lost his address. He helped us enormously when we were in Kintyre researching Milloys, McAllisters and Grahams. I'd very much like to keep in touch with him.

Regards,
Vida Preece of Toronto

Again, I managed to find an address for Vida. I also sent a copy to Mary Lewis

Hello Vida,

Thanks for your e-mail. There's an awful lot of Ian MacDonalds out there but, if it's the one who contributes to the Mag, it's probably this one:

38 High Bank Park
Lochgilphead
Argyll
PA31 8NN

Tel: +44 (0)1546 602261

Hope this helps.

All the very best to you and yours.

Ian

And Vida - like the lovely person she obviously is - came back with:

Hi Ian,

Thanks very much for Ian MacDonald's address. 

Regards and Happy New Year,

Vida Preece

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From: Gordon McKechnie   gmckechnie@vas-net.net

Dear Mr. Forshaw,

I am trying to locate rent rolls for the lands of Tangy in Killean & Kilchenzie Parish (including Lagalgarve, Killowcraw and Putechan) for the late 17th century.

I think I recall a reference to at least one such (1694?) in a back edition of the Kintyre Mag. Alas, I cannot access the back issues on line.

I would be grateful if you could kindly point me in the right direction.

Yours,
Gordon McKechnie

I replied:

Hello Gordon,

Nice to hear from you. Unfortunately, I don't have a proper working index for the back issues of the online Mag as yet.

I have just attempted to access the back issues online via www.KintyreMag.co.uk and they worked OK. I'm not sure why you can't get access to them.

A Google search for Killean and Kilchenzie Parish brought this up: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22Killean+%26+Kilchenzie+Parish%22

Have a wee look. Perhaps WebEdition 36/5 is what you're looking for.

Over to you.

All the very best to you and yours,

Ian

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From: Kathryn Chisholm     kchisholm@tds.net

To whom it may concern:

I just came across your website and have a message for Kathy and Andrew re: The Chisholms of Knockfin. They will find more information about Colin, Alexander, John and Archibald Chisholm in: "The History of the Chisholms" by Alexander Mackenzie, p. 161-ff. They might want to check out the Clan Chisholm Society at www.clanchisholmsociety.org  for additional information.

I don't know if you can get this to them, but it's worth a try.

Thanks!

Kathryn Chisholm
Clan Chisholm Society, U.S. branch
Genealogist

I replied:

Hello Kathryn,

Thank you for passing along that info. I have e-mailed Kathy and Andrew and  I hope that they will contact you.

A Happy New Year,

Ian

Kathy and Andrew emailed me:

Thanks, Lad!

And a happy new year to you too!!

Much appreciated keeping us in the loop. Next time we get out there we'll make sure to drop by and say hello.

I'll contact Kathryn - we know MacKenzie's work quite well, but its great to know the American branch genealogist. Thanks for passing her info on to us.

Andrew and Kathy

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 From: Cathy Goff   Goffnftw@aol.com

Hello Ian,

My name is Cathy and I was just introduced to this wonderful site tonight. As I browsed through the emails, they brought smiles and fond memories of my trip to the area just this past fall. I enjoyed the few days I was able to spend in Glenbarr and Campbeltown.

I was fortunate enough to spend an afternoon with Ian McDonald and his wife. He had a wealth of information on my Watson ancestors. I was also fortunate to meet some very distant cousins and walk the land of Cleongart Farm where my GrGrGrGrandfather was born.

I look forward to reading more as I go through the back issues and ones in the future.

Sincerly
Cathy Goff
Goffnftw@aol.com

I replied to Cathy:

Hello Cathy,

And welcome indeed to the Kintyre Mag. It was really good of you to take the time to email me with your thoughts and reminiscences.

I hope that you have some happy browsing through the back issues and that you find more things of interest to you. If there is anything I can do to assist you at any time, please don't hesitate to contact me.

The new edition is now up at www.KintyreMag.co.uk so have a look at that. I've added your email to the Wee Drams page.

Remember, I'm always looking for articles or stories for the Mag so if you fancy taking up the pen, I've got a page for you.

All the very best to you and yours,

Ian

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Return to Page One

Wee Drams   E-mails, comments, queries and enlightenment from around the world

Page  2:       A History of the Gilchrists...............continued

Page  3:       E-mails - Machrihanish and Fessenden

Page  4:       The Kintyre Armours - A New Approach to the First Generation

Page  5:       The Campbeltown Book  - You must look at this!

Page  6:       The MacKeith Family at Kilmichael

Page 7:        By Hill and Shore - Angus Martin

Page 8:        The Rev. Alexander Stewart (1755 - 1798)