Rob Livingston (b. 11 July 1954, d. 19 Jul 2006), founder of the McLea/Livingstone DNA Project and tireless MacLea family researcher, passed on at 4 a.m. on July 19, 2006; a result of complications from esophageal cancer which had gone into his liver and bones.

There will be no services; remembrances may be sent to Snowline Hospice, Placerville, California. (http://www.snowlinehospice.org/)

Rob is remembered for his love of history and the hours of work he has done for all of us with an interest in McLea genealogy. (http://www.clanmclea.co.uk/forum/show-message.asp?ID=1440)

As you look around the web for MacLea family history, you will find many old gems of lore that Rob has left over his years of research. Here is one that I recently found, and which may relate especially to my own family, which came from Bute: http://www.irishclans.com/cgi-bin/net.Thread.pl/message/4/1/176/50/2?user=&email=&depth=4&detail=description&lastread=7

Thank you, Rob, for all you have done! We couldn't have done this without you!

Kyle=

A few weeks ago I also got a record from the New Hampshire vital records office. They were much faster than Massachusetts, but they are a smaller state (pop'n wise), so no surprise....

My great-grandmother Caroline Alma (MacCartney) MacLea's death certificate verifies:

She died 24 Apr 1987, having been born 8 Dec 1893 in Nova Scotia, Canada. Her parents were David W. MacCartney and Emily J. Pearcy (not Peardon, as I had thought). The "W" was also a surprise, though the "J" stands for Jane.

She died in Laconia, N.H., though she lived in Gilford. She was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Stoughton, Mass., thereby providing me with a place to get the unofficial death record for Peter Richard MacLea as well. Woo-hoo!

She died 24 Apr 1987 after a two week bowel obstruction, aged 93, and was buried 27 Apr 1987. File 1987002081.

And I don't need to tell you she was a sweet lady. I remember her, the only one of my great-grandparents who was still around when I was born, and after! Heck, I was almost 12 when she died! I have a picture of her in my genealogy photo folder and I will link that here at some point.

Kyle=

Transcribed from the 1927 Glasgow Phone Directory:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~glasgow/index-glas.htm
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~glasgow/1927names449.jpg
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~glasgow/1927names451.jpg

(see previous entry)

p. 449

M'Lay, Alex., cashier (M.C. Thomas & Co., Ltd.); res. Norwood, Giffnock.

p. 451

Maclay, Arthur A. (of Wm. Maclay, 19 Waterloo st.); ho., 2 Garrioch dr., Maryhill

M'Lay Bros., provision mrchts., 47, 49 Parliamentary road.

M'Lay, Daniel, fish salesman, Fish Market and 24 East Clyde st.; branch, 261 Cumberland st., s.s.; ho., 20 Aytoun road, Pollokshields; tel. Nos., 2534 Bell and Queen's Park 680.

Maclay, E. D. (of Mathews, Maclay & Manson); ho., 28 Partickhill road, W.

M'Lay, James, general warehouseman, 403 Cathcart rd.; ho. 121 Sinclair dr., Langside.

M'Lay, James, accountant (A. R. Stenhouse, Blyth & Co.), 100 N. Frederick street.

Maclay, James A. (of R. & A. Main, Ltd. And T. Glover & Co., Ltd.), 64 Terregles avenue, Pollokshields.

M'Lay, James Rose (of Ballantine, Haddow & M'Lay, solicitors); ho., Rose Lea, Uddingston.

M'Lay, John (of James Spencer & Co.); house, 7 Gardner street, Partick.

M'Lay, John, 81 Oxford drive, Kelvinside N.

Maclay, Hon. Joseph P. (of Maclay & M'Intyre Ltd.); ho. Duchal, Kilmacolm.

Maclay, Kenneth, stockbroker, 24 George sq., C 2 (tel. Add., "Stag;" tel. No., Central 489); ho., 1 Bute mansions, W 2.

Maclay, Lord (of Maclay & M'Intyre Ltd.); ho. Duchal, Kilmacolm.

M'Lay, M'Alister & M'Gibbon, chartered accountants, 53 Bothwell st.; tel. Add., "Celerity"; telephone No. 1525 Central (2 lines).

Maclay & M'Intyre Ltd., shipbrokers, 21 Bothwell street; tel. Nos. 5913 and 5914 Central.

Maclay, Murray, & Spens, writers and notaries public, 169 W. George st; telegraphic address, "Vindex"; tel. No. 6030 Central (3 lines.)

M'Lay, William (at Babcock & Willcox, Ltd.), ho., 990 Pollokshaws road.

M'Lay, Wm., C.A. (of M'Lay, M'Alister & M'Gibbon, C.A.); res. Belleisle, 75 Stewarton dr., Cambuslang.

Maclay, Wm., grain merchant, 19 Waterloo st.; tel. add., "Maclay;" tel. Nos., Central 125 and 126.

Maclay, W. P. (of Mathews, Maclay & Manson), res. Brantwoode, Helensburgh.

M'Lay, Georgina, newsagent, 590 Eglinton st.

M'Lay's College, commercial college, 125 Douglas street.

Maclay Hall, 17 Park ter., W.

M'Lea, Duncan (John Watson's, Ltd.), house, 57 Fotheringay rd., Pollokshields.

M'Lea, George A., coal and coke merchant, 116 Hope st.; ho., 57 Fotheringay road; tel No., Central 4746.

[last two possible relatives?? Duncan could match a known family member.]

Kyle=

McLea type records from Donegal, 1630 (Muster Roll) and 1665 (Hearth Tax):

ftp://kitenet.net/pub/home/kyle/1630_Donegal_Muster_Rolls.pdf

ftp://kitenet.net/pub/home/kyle/1665_Donegal_Hearth_Money_Roll.pdf

Kyle=

Though at first blush, this record of Peter McLea coming to America in 1858 seems to be an unrelated Peter McLea, I can't help but wonder if this is indeed a relative...

According to Ancestry.com's New York Passenger Lists, 1851-1891, which contains an index of actual images of the passenger lists held by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm, M237, rolls 95-580, we have this record:

Line 32, Microfilm Roll 184, List number 408

Peter McLea

Male, Age 30, with an estimated birth year of 1828.

He departed Glasgow, Scotland for the United States on board the ship Glasgow, arriving at the port of New York 26 May 1858.

An examination of the actual record (which I have somewhere) showed that Peter's occupation was "Smith."

Though no birth record exists for my Peter, all signs point to a birth year of 1828 and an occupation as Blacksmith. I know of no reason for him to depart Glasgow at this time, given the births of his children in 1852, 1854, 1855, October of 1859, 1862, 1868, and 1871. However, he was at least sometimes employed as a "ship smith" and therefore might have had some business in traveling with the ships as they traveled the seas. If he did, it was an infrequent part of his work.

Anyway, though our ancestor James Brown MacLea, Peter's son, is the known emigrant from Scotland, the possibility remains based on this record that his father Peter may have traveled to the United States first, years before, and perhaps even planting the idea in young James' mind...

Kyle=

A while ago, I consulted a CD (268) of Scottish Immigrants to North America, 1600s-1800s, Scots Colonists: America, 1612-1783, Surnames M-N. from Genealogy.com.

I found these McLeas on p. 214 (and have no further information, including what the numbers mean). The first two were 'transported' (against their will) for the crimes of being a Jacobite or a thief, respectively. The last appears to be voluntary, and just before the American Revolution!

1. McLea, Dougal, b. 1731, Jacobite, tr. 1747, fr. Tilbury. (P.3.142)(MR177)
2. McLea, John, flesher, thief, res. Glasgow, tr. Sept 1775, fr. Glasgow to West Indies. (SM.37.523)
3. McLea, William, b. 1746, laborer, res. Islay Argyll, sh. Apr 1775, fr. Greenock to N.Y., in Lilly. (PRO.T47.12)

Hope this is of use to someone!

Kyle=

So, on 19 May 2006, I sent off to the Massachusetts State Archives to get some records for my research. They only cover up to 1916 (100+ years ago), with more recent records held by the Dept. of Public Health. I got some good results and also some intriguing gaps.

Here are records I was looking for:

1. Marriage of Peter Richard MacLea and Caroline MacCartney, which I have records indicating that it took place on 12 Aug 1910, in Stoughton, Mass. However, the archives were searched 1901-1915 and no records were found.

2. Birth of Isabel MacLea, first child of Peter and Caroline MacLea, in 1911, was found in Volume 179, pg. 246. However, because this record was later amended (probably said "Baby Girl" like my grandfather's "Baby Boy"), it must be requested from the Dept. of Public Health.

I had better luck with the other records I wanted though.

1. Birth record of my maternal grandfather, Norman A.B. Clement, born 19 Oct 1908 North Adams, Mass, to Manuel Clement, 1226 Pleasant, Fall River, Mass (born North Adams, Mass, and Overseer) and Augustine Berube, 1226 Pleasant, Fall River, Mass (born Canada). Record was dated 28 Jun 1909. 1908, vol 574, pg 210, no 1237.

2. My father's mother's mother, Mabel Eva Black, was born 5 Apr 1893, Milton, Mass, to Frederick Black (Milton, born Pembroke, Maine, and a Hostler) and Annie Pierson (Milton, born "Sweeden"). Record was dated 1893. 1893, vol 431, pg 533, no 22. Interestingly, my late grandmother had her mother as "Mabel Evelyn Black" rather than "Eva" but the birth record says Eva.

And here's one I really wanted!

1. My great-great-grandfather, James Brown McLea, was widowed in 1897. He remarried Mary Hughes in 1911, I figured sometime after she arrived from Scotland at the end of July. This record verifies they were indeed married in Cambridge, 31 Aug 1911. It confirms known information about James (age, parents Peter McLea and Janet Brown, employed then as a dyer, widower, from Scotland) and Mary (nurse, from Scotland). It also includes these (new to me) pieces of information. Mary was 49, James 50 (although according to his birth record, he was actually 51). This was Mary's first marriage, and confirmed it was James' second. Importantly, Mary's parents are John Hughes and Isabella Sellers information that up until now I did not have! They resided at 4 Williams Street, Cambridge, also useful information, and were married by the Rev. John N. Short "Clergyman" 159 Chestnut Street, Cambridge. Maybe this could be used to figure out the religion of the Clergyman at some point.... Record dated 2 Sep 1911. 1911, vol 603, pg 403, no 799.

A quick search for John N. Short did find this reference. http://www.nazarene.org/archives/introduction/what_do_you.html

"The visit to Boston included time in Cambridge, where the Cambridge Church of the Nazarene donated its earliest church minutes and other records to the Nazarene Archives. The accession included photographs of the church and its founder, Rev. John N. Short, one of the key Nazarene founders in the East."

Indeed, there is more at http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/0201-0300/HDM0221.PDF. For instance:

"For twenty-two years he was pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in Cambridge, Mass. He brought this group into spiritual existence. For fourteen years the group worshipped in a hall, and then under his leadership they built a beautiful edifice."

If you ever wanted to know more about John N. Short and the Nazarene movement in the U.S., it sounds like he was a mover and a shaker! Another little bit o' history added to the family story...

That's all for now!

Kyle=

In the course of looking through old Glasgow post office directories for my family, you may recall that I recorded a number of unrelated (or at least not-known-to-be-related) McLeas, McLaes, and McLays, as well. 20060318. One of those who cropped up Walter Ewing MacLae, Esquire.

I also found this reference in the University of Glasgow library

Author Wardlaw, Ralph, 1779-1853.

Title A sermon preached in Albion-Street Chapel, Glasgow ... October 31st, 1814; on occasion of the death of Walter Ewing Maclae, Esq. of Cathkin.

Publ. info. Glasgow, 1814.

LOCATION CALL NO. STATUS

Level 12 Spec Coll Sp Coll Mu3-d.36 REFERENCE ONLY

Subject Maclae, Walter Ewing.

Gul class Sp Coll Mu3-d.36

Don't know if he's related to me, but it might be interesting to see this sermon at some point.

Anyway, I put it up here to remind myself.

Jill Larsen wrote me with more information about Walter Ewing MacLae and his family. Since it is unlikely that Walter is a close relative of mine, I am not terribly interested in him. But she has done a lot of work on him, so if you are interested in finding out more, you should contact her directly. She writes:

Having another look at your blog I see you are interested in Walter Ewing MCLAE (various spellings) I spent a lot of time researching him a year or two ago...

John MCLAE (etc) married Elizabeth FINNIE in Glasgow on 06 Dec 1712 and they had at least 12 chn. John was a tailor and merchant in Glasgow and in later life bought the estate of Cathkin south east of Glasgow. There's a golf course there now. John died in 1735 and his eldest living son Walter inherited.

Walter married Lillias SMITH 08 Jul 1764 but she died in 1767 in childbirth. There was a son John, but he doesn't seem to have survived.

When Walter died in 1790 there was no heir so the property was passed to his sister Margaret and her husband Humphrey EWING who had married in 1738. From then on the family were known as EWING-MACLAE (var) and went forth and multiplied, becoming in later years CRUM-EWING and CRUM MACLAE. I have a lot more about the family, including wills, Census etc...

Thanks, Jill! Perhaps I'll follow up at some point if it looks like Walter or John are relatives, but at the moment it seems unlikely.

Kyle=

Fri, 17 Mar 2006

Obituary