Note for visitors: thanks for coming by, and I hope you find "KnapdalePeople" fun and useful. It is growing larger as I add more items, and although I am attempting to make navigation around it easy, I am sure there are failures. If you find errors, broken links, etc., as you meander through, could you email me? My address is at the bottom of the page. Also, note that, down the right side of this page, listing of links to useful external Sites. IN ADDITION: your computer may squeak, and ask you if you wish to OK the "ActiveX". Doing this will enable you to see my great slide show of Arichonan; it is based on "google picasa" and so quite safe.
AND A NEW ITEM: THE COMPLETE KNAPDALE PEOPLE DATA BASE IS NOW AVAILABLE! I MEAN, YOU CAN NOW ACCESS THE LIST YOURSELF BY SURNAME, PLACE, ETC. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, GO TO THE DESCRIPTION OF THE DATA BASE HERE!
Knapdale's Clans and Families: One of the most extensive studies of Knapdale's clans was completed in 1960 by the Reverend Somerled MacMillan. This work has been long out of print. In addition, it was done before the age of computers, so its formatting leaves much to be desired. However, it is too useful to ignore. The last section is of particular value: it is a list of Knapdale Gaelic or Norse place names, along with their English translations. I have reproduced my own somewhat tattered copy, in pdf format. Truly, if Knapdale interests you, take a look at this work!
Knapdale's Celtic World: for a small out of the way area of Western Scotland, Knapdale has a surprising number of carvings and other remains of the Celtic Civilization. In the late 1800's, Captain T. P. White, reported to the Society of Antiquities of Scotland:
....An experienced archaeologist, who has made these monuments the study of many years, said to me, on taking up the exploration of Knapdale, "You are entering the richest part of the field;" and I believe he was right. And inspection of the drawings exhibited this evening, will show what a wealth of inventive designing power and manipulative skill lay with the architects of the Knapdale tomb carvings. But it will show more than this. It will show that in all probability the destroyers of ecclesiastical relics have been less busy here than elsewhere, either from the greater seclusion of the localities, or from the operation of other causes....
Included in this section is a page about a very great Argyll archaeologist and historian: Marion Campbell of Kilberry. Also, I have made a downloadable pdf of her "MID ARGYLL AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL GUIDE". One advantage of using this particular guide is that Campbell was an intelligent and disciplined historian who had lived most of her life in Knapdale. You can be sure that all of her information is correct!
Everyday Life in Knapdale: An addition to this part of Knapdale People is a transcription of the Report of the Parochial Board of South Knapdale, 1845 to 1855.(pdf format) Information on its proceedings and problems is outlined here, along with quotes from contemporary Kirk Ministers, and, of course, listings of people in that Report. My own ancestor, Mary McNeill, is on this pauper list.
One of the major Knapdale landowners was the Malcolm of Poltalloch family. In the late 1700s, it began its purchase of (mostly bankrupt) Mid Argyll estates, a process that ultimately made it the dominant power in that area of Scotland. One of the things anyone does when they buy a business is, they make an inventory of their purchase. We have a transcription of one such inventory, done in 1798 and 1803, describing the state of the houses on the various Poltalloch estates of that time. Included with this, is an alphabetical listing of the people who lived on those estates (one of which was Arichonan). I also have some nice photos from Auchindrain Museum, including one of a shieling made of sod, or turff.
The Revival of Dunderave Castle is very ably described by Michael C Davis. This huge and lovely building sits beside Loch Fyne, north of Inveraray Castle, and was built by the Chief of the Clan McNaughton in 1596. I have added a listing of McNaughtons from my Knapdale People Data Base.
And there are other castles in the area, which we describe for you: Castle Sween, the ancient and romantic Key to Knapdale; Skipness Castle, standing guard on Loch Fyne opposite the Isle of Arran; and Robert Bruce's Tarbert Castle;
"Leaving Knapdale"includes a presentation by Colin McGugan, on the early Scottish settlers in Aldborough and Dunwich counties, Ontario, then Upper Canada. He has provided a list of heads of families who arrived between 1816 and 1819 , mostly from Knapdale and Kilmartin Parishes. Very interesting is his implicit comparison of a 'set' (lease) in Knapdale, versus the possibility of outright purchase of land in Canada. You will find, in addition, some Glasgow Herald shipping ads from 1853, as well as a listing of people buried in Ontario's New Glasgow Cemetery. And after the 1848 Arichonan Clearance, one family at least came to Canada. Since Cosandrochaid Farm, North Knapdale, is of such importance in McGugan's presentation, I have included a listing of people who lived there until 1820.
Letters of Duncan McGilp: This collection of letters survived for a century, until rescued by one of Duncan McGilp's descendents. Until I read them, I had not realized that so many of Knapdale's emigrant families split up, some going to Canada, some to Australia and some to the US. (I was under the impression that most of them came to Canada) Also, the McMillan letters were written by a man who was, among other things, a slave-owner! Such writings, especially when they are authored by people I know were my relatives, are a revelation... and maybe a warning against too much pride in our own time's 'perfection.' Duncan McIntyre, by the way, is one of my direct ancestors; in his letter to Donald McGilp, he mentions his daughter, Effy, She was my great-grandmother (her photo is part of this website's banner) It looks like half of his children went to Australia, and the rest, to Canada.
The Hearth Tax of 1694.. I have added a section on this listing of Knapdale tenants and landowners from 1694 (half a century BEFORE the Battle of Culloden.) It includes an Adobe pdf which makes it possible for you to look at photos of the original documents as they pertain to Knapdale, as well as typed transcriptions of the same. The latter include modern versions of the surnames - and places - which appeared in 1694. Of course, I have added the information to my data base, and therefore you can check the names by modern version; and by place also. Many thanks, by the way, to Mr. Ian MacDonald of Kintyre and now Lochgilphead, who was kind enough to go through the papers and 'translate' the old surnames to our modern ones. The Argyll and Bute Archives helped me by sending me a typed transcription of the said documents. When you look at the originals, you will see what a help that was!!
Inverneill Estates The largest section on this site - so far - is that of the Inverneill Estate. The latter was one of the most extensive estates in 19th Century Knapdale. You will find a listing of people who lived and worked on the various Inverneill Estates here.Half of my own ancestors lived on Inverneill lands until they left for Canada.
As one way to tell you about these farms, I have chosen to outline the biography of Major General Sir Archibald of Inverneill. This man was a most impressive leader, a Scot of the time of the "Scottish Enlightenment," involved in India and the American Revolution. He was a very great engineer, and he married the daughter of Britain's foremost portrait painter, Allan Ramsay. One of his descendents has been most generous in allowing me to display Campbell family paintings and chinaware relating to this man.
The Inverneill Mausoleum inscriptions outline - in stone and brass - the British Imperial Project. This was an amazing military family. Sir Archibald and his nephew, Sir James Campbell are, by the way, buried in London's Westminster Abbey, in the same corner as is a Duke of Argyll. It is interesting that Sir Archibald was six years old when the Battle of Culloden was fought, putting a final end to Scotland's dreams of independence. Today, of course, Great Britain is showing evidence of breaking up into its 3 parts, into who knows what future?
The monument inscriptions section is well worth a look: I have gathered information from a number of dedicated folk and listed transcriptions in 11 different cemeteries throughout Knapdale. Included, of course, is an Indiex of Names. The Inscriptions usually describe close relatives, and so can be extremely valuable for genealogy work.
Arichonan. I self-published my book on the Arichonan Affray of 1848. It makes available in one place - for the first time - the legal records arising from that riot, as well as relevant primary information about Arichonan and North Knapdale. I have added a couple of items to this website: a newspaper report of blood curdling events in Paris; and a political speech made in 1885, referring to Arichonan.
I have been very pleased with Author House's support in making the Arichonan book, and I would not hesitate to use their services again. All this is a prelude to this: if you choose to publish a work of your own, and - further - decide to use Author House, then it would be great if you mention this website along the way, as they will pay me $100 for such a referral! Which would be quite a wonderful thing! No, I have not made enough money to cover my initial publishing expense. However, the book has found interested readers, and for that I am proud. To be honest, I hope that the Arichonan townsite is - eventually - studied by archaeologists. I think humans lived on that hill for a very long time.
There are various 'people lists' on this site, associated with each and every topic. Click on the picture below to see what we have at this time. And below THAT is the link to a full explanation of the Knapdale Data Base.
