McLea Shipbuilders
Regarding the McLea Shipbuilders of Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, we recently discovered some facts. These McLeas may turn out to be collateral lines of our McLeas.
I have family from Bute and believe that my McLeas originate there. However, my direct line had left Bute by 1818. I know that some remained on Bute until the 1841 census, but there were not many left. I had wondered about the "I McLea Shipbuilders" I had seen record of, but I failed to find any good information about them either.
We had discussed this a couple of years ago on the Clan Forum, and had failed to find much:
http://www.clanmclea.co.uk/forum/show-message.asp?ID=1795
You can see some ships built by I McLea here:
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/search.asp (choose I McLea Rothesay from the drop down box)
The Mary Colville is shown here, one such ship: http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=20994
This book has a reference to a ship built 1871:
From Alison Ramsay at Bute Sons and Daughters, a history project:
I have managed to obtain some further information about the McLea shipbuilders from one of my colleagues. This is what he has to say:
"The McLea family owned the Rothesay Ship Building Yard. The shipyard was sited roughly where the putting green closest to the War Memorial is. In 1861, McLea is listed as a Master Shipwright, employing 14 men and 21 boys. Ten years later this had risen to over 20 men ( source 1861/71 Rothesay Census ). Funnily at that same period, ancestors of my own had a Slaters Business and Coal and Lime business, right next door to the Shipyard.
It was thought that the yard made Schooners of between 50 and 150 tons, and went into decline when more steel hulled ships were being built on the Clyde. At the same time Lord Bute got up a scheme to help unemployed men on Bute, and a fair bit of land was reclaimed from the sea. At one time there was no promenade or gardens etc, the sea edge being just at the entrance to the Discovery Centre !!.
There were also other McLea,s on Bute at that time, and from the dregs of my memory, had either a Church or a School conection."
So Kyle, I'm afraid I don't think these are the McLeas you are researching but it may help to pad out some other details.
I have also had a look at Headstone Inscriptions for St Mary's Chapel, Rothesay, and there are six McLeas there. I can let you have details if you like."
I asked her for the additional information on the inscriptions.
I will add more information here as I find it!
Kyle=