Robyn’s 3g-grandfather was John McColl who worked and lived on the Jarvisfield Estate (owned at one time by Lachlan Macquarie, Father of Australia) from at least 1841 until he died at Drumlang in 1878. John was an illegitimate child of Catherine McMillan, and her family came from the northwest of the island. His first wife, Christina McLean, also came from a family that lived and worked in the northwest, and she had four children before she died sometime before 1851. Their daughter Ann McColl then moved to Renfrewshire where she married Thomas [2] Barr in 1853. They then lived in Glasgow until emigrating to Brisbane, Queensland, in 1886.
FAMILY HISTORY
Craig ◈ McKay ◈ Schroder ◈ Galt
Hello, my 3x great grandfather was John McColl, born c. 1805 on Mull. Married Anne McPhee in Oban and they emigrated to Australia in 1837. His brother was the Tobermary surgeon, Dr Hector McColl, and I am wondering if there is anyone on Mull who is the keeper of records for this side of the McColl clan. Many thanks, Cheryl
Hello Cheryl,
Interesting that you, like my wife, also have a McColl ancestor from Mull that emigrated to Australia.
My wife’s 3G-grandfather was also a John McColl, but he was a forester, not a doctor!
Also of interest is that when our John McColl died on Mull in 1878, he was attended by a Dr Duncan McColl, Surgeon of Salen. I suppose he might be related to your Hector McColl, both being doctors :-)
Yes, there are two on-line groups that document people from Mull:
http://www.mullgenealogy.co.uk
https://www.mullfamilies.co.uk
I’m sure they will both have plenty of family information for families that have doctors in their numbers.
You simply register with each, and you can take out a life membership with MullFamilies for a very modest fee.
Let me know how you get on.
Cheers,
Alan
Thanks Alan, Our John McColl was a tailor, then a publican in Melbourne. He died 1846, aged 42, and was buried in the Pioneers of Melbourne section of Fawkner Cemetery. He advocated for the Separation of the Port Phillip District from NSW but didn’t live to see it happen. cheers, Cheryl
Hi – my great-grandmother was Sarah (Marion) McColl – her parents were Archibald McColl and Margaret Stewart who were both from Kilninian. I think they lived at the now deserted settlement of Balikrach. Sarah McColl married William Maltby Robertson who was a chemist living in Tobermory. They moved to Oban in 1892/1893.
If anyone has any information on the McColls or Stewarts, I’d be interested to know
Thanks
Judith Stewart
Hi Judith, your Archibald appears to be the brother of our John who emigrated to Australia in 1837. He was recognised as a pioneer of Melbourne, was a tailor, then a publican and an advocate of the separation of the Port Phillip District from New South Wales. Sadly, he died aged about 42 and his wife was forced to give up her children. Sad story. I have a DOB for Archibald of 1808; died 18 Feb 1879. The McColls were a Sept of Clan MacDonald and were descended from the Lords of the Western Isles, one of whom gave his second son the Isle of Coll, hence the name. No historical account seems to be sure of which generation of Lords of the Western Isles this related to, but going back far enough, you get to Marjorie Bruce, whose father was Robert the Bruce. So, as far as I can make out, all MacColls are descended from, firstly, Robert the Bruce and then, via his daughter, through the MacDonalds. I hope this is helpful. Cheryl.
Hi Alan,
Small correction. Mullgenealogy is free, MullFamilies changes a modest fee.
Cheers,
Ian webmaster Mullgenealogy.co.uk
Hi Ian,
Quite right! 🙂
Correction made … many thanks for picking that up.