THE MacLENNAN FAMILY The Scottish connection in our family history has its roots in the north of Scotland, on a peninsula of land located just nolih of Inverness, in the eastern highlands, and known as the Black Isle. The isle is part of the county of Ross and Cromarty, and was previously known as Ross-shire. Ross was constituted as a county in 1661, and was amalgamated with Cromarty in 1889. The Black Isle is very small, just twenty miles long by eight miles wide, and is surrounded on almost all sides by water, the Cromarty Firth to the north and the Beauly and Moray Firth to the south. However it's very sheltered. In winter, when the mainland is covered in snow, the Black Isle is not. There are at least 60 prehistoric sites, and signs of human occupation go back 70 centuries. The Vikings came in the eleventh century, followed by the Danes in the 14th century. Crops grown include barley, wheat, and importantly potatoes. Beef cattle are farmed. The town of Avoch was once the fi shing capital of the coastline, fishing for herring, haddock, cod, and skate. The Parish of Killearnan is irregularly shaped, lying at the southwest extremity of the peninsula, and covers an area of 8000 acres. Its border follows the coast of the Beauly Firth for six miles. Kilcoy is a central district, with a 17th century castle that has been restored, a hamlet, and a planted forest. The Kilcoy castle was built in 161 8 by Alexander Mackenzie, who was the fourth son of the I J th chief of Kintai!. There is a village at Tore and another hamlet at Milton, near the Church of Scotland parish church. The large estate of Red castle covers much of the south of the Parish. While the estate is in good order, the large and historic castle is in ruin. At one time there was a chapel dedicated to SI. Andrew at or near Redcastle. In the easterly direction of the Kilcoy area is the crofting district of Muckernich. The restored building of the established Church of Scotland close to the Beauly Firth, dates from approximately 1450, and is a long plain cruciform building. It was renewed in 1800 and again in 1891. There is a blocked doorway in the south wall, a recumbent medieval effigy inside, and the bell dates from 1676. Outside, immediately to the south of the church, is a Calvary cross with an ornamental head, probably dating from the 1400's. In the Disruption of May 1843, the minister, Reverend Donald Kennedy, left the established Church of Scotland and formed the Free Church. With the exception of three communicant members his congregation followed him, although it meant they had no building in which to worship. At first they used a tent erected on land near Redcastle Quarry, but quickly acquired land and constructed a small double-roofed building which was opened for public worship on 20 th November 1843 at Newton (Fettes Crossroads). The present day church building was opened for worship in 1868 and given its height and early construction methods, would have taken several years to complete.
Donald Kennedy remained as minister of the Free Church until his death in approximately 1872, and is commemorated with a plaque in the building. His father, the Reverend John Kennedy, was the minister before him in the parish church and is buried in a railed plot in the kirkyard. The last service took place in the Free Church on 25 th January 2004. The building has been renovated sensitively and is now an art gallery. The parents of our ancestor Alexander MacLENNAN, who was the first Scots to immigrate to the new country, were Jane MORRIS ON and Alexander MacLENNAN. Alexander senior's parents were Ann MACRAE and Donald MacLENNAN; however, it is not yet known where he was born or christened or where they were married. In the Census records for 1851, it states, "born in Contin" (Parish of) with no village listed. Calculation would put his date of birth circa 1796. The parents of Jane, Helen YOUNG and Roderick MORRIS ON had been married on January 1 st 1806 in the Parish of Knockbain. Roderick worked as a Crofter. They also had at least three sons. The entry for the baptism of Jane is as follows: "Morison - Killeaman - December 25 1806 - That day the Reverend Mr. Robert Arthur Baptised Jane, the daughter to Roderick Morison, servant to "Redcastle" and his spouse Helen Young in the presence of Don aid Young, in Allangrange" Helen Young died at Murchneich (sic) on 20 th May 1861, aged 83 years. She was interred in the kirkyard at the parish church in the grave with her son Roderick. The grave has a memorial headstone. The entry from the old parochial registers for the marriage of Jane and Alexander is as follows: "Alexander McLennanparish of Con tin and Jane Morrison, Milton of Redcastle" were married on 12'h February 1828 in the Parish of Killeaman, County of Ross. Alexander and Jane lived at Kilcoy, in the Parish of Killeaman, where he worked as a Stonemason and Crofter. According to the 1841 Census, his address was Mukerich Kilcoy Braes. They had at least eight children. Jane passed away on 23'd May 1859 at Newton of Ferrintosh, and is buried in the kirkyard cemetery surrounding the Church of Scotland, Milton, Killeaman Parish. She was 52 years of age. There was no cause of death entered on the certificate. The inscription on the memorial headstone reads: "Erected by Alexander MacLennan KiIcoy in memory of his beloved wife Jane Morrison who died on 23'd May 1859 aged 52 years" Alexander died on 12th November 1870 at Kilcoy, aged 74, of cancer. His death certificate does not indicate where he was interred and there is no inscription to his memory on the headstone. In both instances the son Donald was the Informant.
Ann, born 04-05-1829 Milton, Killearnan, christened 20-09-1829, by Rev'd John Kennedy, Roderick, born 23-06-1831 Milton, Donald, born 26-10-1833 Muckernich, Kilcoy Braes, christened 02-11-1833, by Rev'd John Kennedy, John, born 27-05-1837 Muckernich, christened 10-07-1837, Donald, born 03-02-1840 Kilcoy, christened 27-02- 1840, by Rev'd John Kennedy, Alexander, born 06-08-1843 Ki1coy, christened 2 1-08-1843, by Rev'd Dona1d Kennedy, Hellen, born circa 1845, Jane, born circa 1849,
RODERICK -. It has been proposed by researchers in Sydney, NSW, who are descendants of a Roderick McLennan, that he is the brother of our ancestor Alexander MacLennan. Although the names of the parents are the same, namely Alexander MacLennan and Jean/Jane Morrison, more work needs to be done to positively prove that they are indeed brothers. These names are extremely common in Scotland. In our oral family history there has never been a story that Alexander had a brother in the state of Victoria, perhaps due to the fact that Roderick died at such an early age, many years before Alexander immigrated. According to his descendants, Roderick was working at Ballindalloch Castle, Banff. He was married to Elizabeth Stewart at Inveravon in the Spey Valley, County of Banff on 24th April 1852. Elizabeth had been born at Inveravon, circa 1832, her father being a James Stewart. The young coupl e departed ScotlandiEngland on the ship "Anne Thompson" on September I SI 1852, and arrived at Geelong, Victoria on Christmas Day 1852. They were aged just 21 and 18 years, and came as Assisted Immigrants. Eli zabeth and Roderick lived in the Geelong area for some time, and three of their children were born there. Whilst there, Roderick was working as a Miner. The family later moved to Warrenheip, near Ballarat, and Roderick worked as a Carter. A second daughter was born in Warrenheip. James Parland Colquhoun, born circa 1853 Geelong, John Murdoch, born 11-06-1 856 Geelong, Christina, born circa 1859 Geelong, Elizabeth, born 07-01 -1 860 Warrenheip, Tragically, Roderick passed away at Ballarat on 24th November 1859, with the death index recording a misspelling of his surname. He was only 28 years of age and left a young family of three, with Elizabeth expecting their fourth child. Elizabeth remarried in Ballarat in 1860 to James Hogg, who was from Fermanagh, Ireland. She passed away at Ballarat East on September 3 rd 1895, aged 63 years.
HELLEN Hellen was bom circa 1845, however no entry has heen found in the Old Parochial Registers. She continued to live in the fami ly household, and is listed in the Census of 1871 as unmarried, being 24 years, and working as a general servant. Like her elder sister Hellen, Jane's birth-date is approximate to 1849, as no official record has been found. Like her two older sisters, she too continued to reside in the family home in Kilcoy, and the entry in the 1871 Census lists her as aged 20, unmarried, and a general servant.
JOHN John, the third son, was born in 1837 on 27th May at Muckernich and baptized on July 10 th of the same year. John is not listed on the 1851 Census as being part of the household, when all the other children are. It is possible that he was already working on another property, or he could be deceased. DONALD For the second time, the name Donald was given to a son. He was born on February 3 rd 1840 at Kilcoy, and baptized on 27th of the same month by Rev'd John Kennedy. Donald continued to reside in Kilcoy. He is the informant for his mother' s details on her death certificate, in 1859, and again in 1870 on his father's demise. He is entered on the 1871 Census as "head of House", unmarried, aged 28, and working as a general labourer. Living with him in Kilcoy at this time are his three unmarried sisters Ann, Hellen, and Jane, and a niece and nephew Jane and Alexander, being 14 and seven years respectively. It is yet to be established who are the parents of these children.
ALEXANDER Named after his Father, Alexander was born in 1843 on 6 th August at Ki1coy, in tbe Parish of Killeaman, County ofross. He was baptized on 21 S! August by Reverend Donald Kennedy in the Free Church. It is possible that in approximately 1869, Alexander immigrated to the colony of Victoria. According to the Shipping Records held in Victoria, there is record of an Alexander MacLennan sailing to Victoria on the "Franc is Thorpe", which departed from Liverpool, England, on January 27 th 1869 and arrived in Melbourne on May 14th. This Alexander is aged 24 years and is a Labourer. All this infonnation ties-in with that on his death certificate under the column "How many years in the Colony?" The answer being "24 years" which would seem to be a rather precise time~span. It is not known what Alexander did in the Colony for the next six years; however, on March loth 1875 be was married in Murchison, Victoria to Sarah Ann Thome, the eldest child of Emma and Henry Thome. Alexander was 28 year old and Sarahjust 18. Their family often children was all born in the Murchison district Emma Jane, Alexander H enry, Henry, Duncan, Hellen, John, Ann, William, Edward Read, Alexander, Alexander worked as a shopkeeper, and also on the property "Enfield Park" of his father~in~ law Henry at Katandra West, which is located just north of She pp art on. It is known that he was a fond reader of Shakespeare and of course, Robbie Burns. Alexander passed away in 1892 on September 30 th, just a month after his 59 tb birthday and six months before tbe birth of his tenth child. He was interred in tbe Murcbison Cemetery. Sarah Ann never remarried and lived on in the family home "Riverview" at Murcbison East until her passing on 31 st October 1928, aged 72 years. She was buried in the family grave with Alexander and their two young children that predeceased her. The double grave bas a memorial headstone.