Find Ancestors

Thanks roots gatherer, west kilbride isnt too far from me and i will pay a visit in the next couple of weeks, i know the area quite well.
I will take your advice though and get in touch with ayrshire council beforehand.
best regards
arlene

Arlene

Other than that one mention on John's second marriage certificate, what other evidence have you of the existance of Jean Ewan?

Regarding the birth year for John - not all children were christened and it was very common at that time and even up to 1900 for a name to be used more than once for a child. If the first child died and it was a family name then often a subsequent child would be given the same name.

I think your next step would be, rather than going to West Kilbride (unless that is quite convenient) to contact Ayrshire Council and find out where the cemetery records are held. You can then possibly find out who is buried in the same lair as the John and Jean that died in 1857.

I don't know if Potty agrees but I think the evidence is heavily weighted on Jean McAllister being John's Mum.

thank you both very much for all your help, im afraid im still not 100% convinced by jane/jean mcallister and therefore dont think it would be worthwhile pursuing this line unless i manage to find a link or some evidence to dismiss Jane/Jean ewan.

sorry folks,
i didnt realise there were two pages to this till after i had posted.

Jane/jean mcallisters mothers surname is given as RENFREW on her death cert.

hi there potty and rootgatherer, im back but im afraid ive not much time today as i work at 6pm.

John senior was born kilcalmonell argyll according to 1851 census on his death cert his occupation is given as a farmer.

john jn second marriage to jessie mckim in 1876 shows his mother as a jean/jane ewan. i cannot find any further info on her.

The only death for a Jean mckellar i can find fitting with dates is that of a Jean mcallister died 1858 lochwinnoch and buried in west kilbride she was listed as being widowed. I did some research in to this and she was married to a john mckellar but, the cert for the birth of their son john is dated 1813.

Dont know if maybe jean/jane mcallister and Jean/jane ewan are the same person. Tried a brief search for jean and archibald , John juniors siblings but didnt have any joy.
i have thought of visiting west kilbride old parish which may help with future references but i doubt i would have any joy solving this mystery.
I will make a point of visiting in the next couple of weeks though.

thank you both very much for all the research you are doing for me it is very much appreciated

Jean in 1851 - address is the same as the 1841 - probably the name of the farm:
1851 Scotland Census
about Jean McKellar
Name: Jean McKellar
Age: 63
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1788
Relationship: Head A??t Wife (Head)
Gender: Female
Where born: West Kilbride, Ayrshire
Parish Number: 620
Civil parish: West Kilbride
County: Ayrshire
Address: High Boydston
Occupation: Farmer Of 75 Acres Employing 1 Man In Farmers Wife Labour
ED: 2
Page: 9 (click to see others on page)
Household schedule number: 1
Line: 1
Roll: CSSCT1851_139
Household Members: Name Age
Jean McKellar 63
Archibald McKellar 35
Elisabeth McKellar 25
Jean McKellar 2
John Brannin 17


Jean's description from freecen:
MCKELLAR Jean Wife M F 63 (Head Absent) Farmer's Wife Ayrshire - West Kilbride

Freecen also gives the Ecclesiastical parish as Ardrossan

Well done, rootgatherer. Looks like mother's name was Jean McAllister. Wonder where the Ewan came from? I wonder if it could have been Jean's mother's maiden name?

As I thought Freecen census transcript.

Piece: SCT1841/620 Place: West Kilbride -Ayrshire Enumeration District: 2
Civil Parish: West Kilbride Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: West Kilbride
Folio: 2 Page: 3
Address: High Boydstone



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks
MCKELLAR John M 50 Farmer Outside Census County (1841)
MCKELLAR Jean F 50 Ayrshire
MCKELLAR Archibald M 25 Ayrshire
MCKELLAR John M 20 Ayrshire
MCKELLAR Mary F 14


So, again if you think this is the correct family you could look for marriage or death of Mary to check the mother's maiden surname.

The IGI has no births for John McKellar/Jean Ewan in West Kilbride.

It has these though........

Results for: Ayr, Scotland, British Isles
Father: John Mackellar, Mother: Jean Mcallister

International Genealogical Index / British Isles - 12

1. JEAN MC KELLAR - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 03 APR 1816

2. JEAN MC KELLAR - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Christening: 14 APR 1816 Knowlhead, West Kilbride, Ayr, Scotland

3. ELIZABETH MC KELLAR - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 15 FEB 1822

4. ELIZABETH MC KELLAR - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Christening: 24 FEB 1822 West Kilbride, Ayr, Scotland

5. JOHN MC KELLAR - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Birth: 26 OCT 1813 Knowhead, West Kilbride, Ayr, Scotland

6. ANN MC KELLAR - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 21 MAR 1818

7. ANN MC KELLAR - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Christening: 05 APR 1818 Knowlhead, West Kilbride, Ayr, Scotland

8. ANDREW MC KELLAR - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Birth: 06 JAN 1812 West Kilbride, Ayr, Scotland

9. MARY MC KELLAR - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 21 JUL 1820

10. MARY MC KELLAR - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Christening: 06 AUG 1820 West Kilbride, Ayr, Scotland

11. MARY MC KELLAR - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 14 JUL 1825 Knockowart Ardrossan, West Kilbride, Ayr, Scotland

12. JEAN MCKELLAR - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Christening: 14 APR 1814 West Kilbride, Ayr, Scotland




I am wondering if the age for the Mary on the 1841 census has been mis-transcribed. It is a bit unusual that her age is given as 41 years when all the others are rounded to multiples of 5. Usually the exact age was only given for children.

Same father:

PETER MCKELLAR Pedigree
Christening: JUN 1785 Kilcalmonell And Kilberry, Argyll, Scotland

Parents:
Father: ARCHIBALD MCKELLAR

and looks as if he coul have also moved to West Kilbride:

CATHERINE MCKELLAR Pedigree

Christening: 03 OCT 1819 West Kilbride, Ayr, Scotland

Father: PETER MCKELLAR Family
Mother: JEAN JAMIESON

Not sure how this fits in:
JEAN MCKELLAR Pedigree
Christening: 14 APR 1814 West Kilbride, Ayr, Scotland

Parents:
Father: JOHN MCKELLAR Family
Mother: JEAN MCALISTER

That looks good Potty!! And the father's name is Archibald! Fits the Scottish naming pattern.

Do you have this? I think it could be John senior's baptism, given his POB in the 1851:

JOHN MACKELLAR Pedigree
Christening: 28 SEP 1790 Kilcalmonell And Kilberry, Argyll, Scotland

Parents:
Father: ARCHIBALD MACKELLAR

This is the 1841 census that Potty was referring to.

Name: John McKellar
Age: 50
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1791
Gender: Male
Where born: Scotland

Civil parish: West Kilbride
County: Ayrshire
Address: High Boydstone
Occupation: Farmer
Parish Number: 620
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
John McKellar 50
Jean McKellar 50
Archibald McKellar 25
John McKellar 20
Mary McKellar 41


Did John Junior give his father's occupation when he married Margaret? Sometimes even entries in the OPRs give the name and occupation of the bride and groom's fathers.


If you think the above is the correct family it may be worth trying to find a marriage or death for Archibald to see what it says for the mother.

EDIT

Just looked at that census again John (senior) was born Scotland but his wife place of birth is given as Ayrshire. On the 1841 census the question was born in the county yes/no. If the person was not born in the county it sometimes indicated which country they were born in. So it looks like John (Senior) was born in Scotland but not Ayrshire.

There can't be many cemeteries in West Kilbride. As you have dates for the two deaths that you have found in 1857 in Lochwinnoch, have you thought about contacting the council with a view to searching the cemetery records or having a search done on them? Depending on how well the records have been kept, you may be able to find the name and address of the lair owner and possibly who all is buried in that lair. Sometimes the records give a relationship between the person buried and the lair owner. It might be that the lair had been used before the first 1857 death otherwise why have the expense of a trip from Lochwinnoch to West Kilbride (a fair distance at that time) for an internment?

will be back within the hour potty,
got to nip out on the school run.

Arlene, I have found the two Johns in the 1841. There are two women in the house who could be John's mother: Jean aged 50 or Mary aged 40. The 1841 does not give relationships.

The 1851 does not give John senior's marital status - I am not sure if this would be on the image that you could view on scotlandspeople. If it showed him as a widower in 1851, that death in 1857 could not be his wife's.

I cannot find any baptisms for any of the family or a marriage for John Senior.

hi there potty,
thank you very much for looking in to this for me,
your census are correct for john mckellar jn but his mother is the mystery
RE: jean ewan or mcallister
regards arlene

1851?

1851 Scotland Census
about John McKellar
Name: John McKellar
Age: 30
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1821
Relationship: Head
Spouse's Name: Margaret
Father's Name: John
Gender: Male
Where born: West Kilbride, Ayrshire
Parish Number: 531
Civil parish: Saddell and Skipness
County: Argyll
Address: North Colfine
Occupation: Farm Labourer
ED: 8
Page: 10 (click to see others on page)
Household schedule number: 40
Line: 18
Roll: CSSCT1851_113
Household Members: Name Age
John McKellar 30
Margaret McKellar 25
Jean McKellar 7
Margaret McKellar 2
John McKellar 61 - b Kilcalmonell, Argyleshire
William King 31
Mathew Brown 18
Patric Margan 18
James Correlly 21

John in 1861?

1861 Scotland Census
about John McKellar
Name: John McKellar
Age: 40
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1821
Relationship: Head
Spouse's name : Margaret
Gender: Male
Where born: West Kilbride, Ayrshire
Registration Number: 617
Registration district: Straiton
Civil parish: Straiton
County: Ayrshire
Address: Grimmet Boathouse
Occupation: Ploughman
ED: 6
Household schedule number: 4
Line: 2
Roll: CSSCT1861_90
Household Members: Name Age
John McKellar 40
Margaret McKellar 36
Margaret McKellar 13
Elizabeth McKellar 10
Archibald McKellar 8
John McKellar 5
William Girvan McKellar 3
James McKellar 7 Mo