MacLeaWiki/ News/ Dr McLea's Examination Roll

One last article I grabbed from the Clan forum, about the Examination Roll of Dr McLea, from an old newsletter of the GWSFHS:

THE Parish OF ROTHESAY
Dr McLea's Examination Roll

The Rev. Archibald McLea was presented to the parish of Rothesay in 1765 and remained there for the next fifty-nine years, until his death in 1824. During his ministry , he visited the entire parish each year to examine then in the Scriptures. His Examination Roll is the record of these visits, and part of it is now to be found in the S.R.O.

In the country part of the parish the examination was held in the barn of the elder for the district, and the people are listed under the name of their farm-town. Those in the town were examined in the church, and are listed by their street. Each member of the family's included, even the youngest child, and the wife is given her maiden name. As in the census, the family is listed with parents first and children in order of age. Other relationships are also given, for instance 'brother' and 'niece'.

Servants are included, and are indicated by an 'S' before their name.

Each name also has a letter before it. 'C' indicates a communicating member, probably over 18 years old. Children have either 'cE' or 'c', and it would seem that those with 'c' are 10 years old or under, possibly meaning that they were not examined.

A sample would be the following family, whose ages I know; these I have given in parentheses:

Eadan Hor

  • C Thomas Stevenson Elder
  • C Janet Lochhead
  • C John (21)
  • cE James (17)
  • cE Janet (15)
  • cE Elizabeth (13)
  • c Mary (10)
  • c Thomas (ti)
  • c Margaret (4)
  • c Jean (2 Months)
  • S Margaret McLean C
  • S Jean McLean C

From the family groups in the farm-towns, it is often possible to determine an older geneiation as well as brothers and sisters and their families. As can be seen, this is similar to a census, but at a much earlier period.

Rothesay parish does not have a Register of Burials, and from an Examination Roll it may be possible to establish an approximate date of death,' or a mother's maiden name. This I was able to do for a James Little who was married in 1772 and said to be the son of William Little. However his birth was not recorded in the Parish, and his father, a Widower, was married in 1776. The Examination Roll for 1771 lists as his mother Janet Fullarton, information which could not be found otherwise,

The Rev. Dr McLea's papers, which are very numerous, were deposited in the S.R.O. over a period of years, and are listed under G.D.1/456. Many of them are letters on private or church matters, but there is also a list of scholars in 1812 and 1813. I understood that the Examination Roll for each year of the ministry had survived, but I have traced only five years.
It may be that the other years arc still in private hands, but what has been deposited is a most valuable source:

  • 1769 O,D.1/456/263
  • 1771 G.O,l/45G/200
  • 1816 G.D.1/456/235
  • 1818 G.D.l/456/92
  • 1819 G.D.l/456/267

Margaret S. Bain, Glasgow

Update 15 March 2007:

Saw this message about Dr. McLea and his report in 1818: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/buteshiregenweb/1999-11/0942587426

'Dr M'Lea says of the parish school in Rothesay. "It is believed that all are taught to read and by far the greater number of all the males and many of the females to write.

"The average number of scholars attending the School may be about 70. The fees paid by each scholar per quarter depends upon what they are learning. The Schoolmaster cannot afford to teach many gratis, but there are a number whose quarter wages are paid by the Marquis of Bute and some other well disposed individuals.

"The branches of education which the Schoolmaster, by terms of his election, is required to teach, are Latin, English, Writing, Arithmetic, Bookkeeping and Navigation."

Besides the parochial school there were eight others in the Burgh - six taught by males and two by females "none of which are established by any public body or carried on by private individuals money". Dr M'Lea estimates that there were 330 scholars in these nine schools and adds, "There has lately been a night school opened in the cotton mill at the sole expense of the proprietor for the benefit of the children employed in it. The number of children entered is about 130."'