Alexander McIntyre our Immigrant Grandfather

The Hometown Boy

Alexander McIntyre was our Scottish immigrant grandfather, born in Nether Campsie, near Old Blair Atholl, Scotland on October 5, 1770.   A wonderful research resource is the Scotland's People site, where birth, marriage and death records of Alexander and his family can be found within the Blair Atholl Old Parish Records (OPR).  It amazes me that these handwritten documents have survived the ravages of time and are available even today!  This one is of Alexander's birth and baptism, found in the Old Parish Records, when he was just two days old.  

As the record indicates, Alexander's mother Elizabeth was a Robertson.  Blair Atholl is in the midst of Clan Robertson territory, and situated in close proximity to the converging Rivers Tilt and Garry where the flat terrain is surrounded by the Grampian Mountains.  The McIntyre family lived in this region at least several generations prior to Alexander's family and apart from where Clan Macintyre had settled centuries prior near Taynuilt and along the shores of Loch Etive, in western Scotland.  While searching the Old Parish Records it is noteworthy that many of the entries were from McIntyre and Robertson families.  The map below shows where Clan Macintyre and Clan Robertson were located.  The small Macintyre clan (red arrow) was surrounded by the much larger and powerful Clan Campbell.  The Robertson Clan was also bordered on the northern edge of the sprawling Clan Campbell, so perhaps this proximity to such a forceful people helped to solidify the McIntyre/Robertson relationships.  

  

Excerpt from Bartholomews Clan Map "Scotland of Old" by Sir Iain Moncreiffe

From Wikipedia: 

"Old Blair is the original hamlet preceding the town of Blair Atholl as it stands today, which was laid out from the first half of the 19th century.  Old Blair stands within the Castle grounds and here is found the former parish kirk, which was the focus of the village.  The church was dedicated to St Bride and is a probable early Christian site. John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee, 'Bonnie Dundee' was buried in the aisle attached to the now roofless church after the Battle of Killiecrankie, 27 July 1689. The modern railed burial enclosure of the family of the Dukes adjoins the ancient unenclosed churchyard."

The Old Parish at Blair Atholl within the walls of Blair Castle

 Blair Castle was the last castle in the British Isles to be taken over in 1746 during the Jacobite uprising (more on that in a later post!).  Old Blair, where our ancestors resided was within the castle walls and where the Old Parish ruin stands.  Today,  Blair Castle is a popular tourist attraction and on my list for the next time I visit Scotland.

By © Guillaume Piolle, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?        curid=8569139

Alexander was named after his grandfather, who was also born and soon baptized in Blair Atholl parish on April 20, 1712.  His grandmother was Christian MacIntosh, born in 1720.  Alexander (senior) was born to parents Donald (born 1696) and Elspeth Mcnie (born 1700) and was the firstborn to siblings Patrick (1719) and Elspeth (1723).  Donald (senior) and his twin sisters, Mary and Janet (born August 6, 1693 were born to parents John McIntyre and Elspeth Kennedie.  So as you can see, our Immigrant Grandfather, Alexander McIntyre was born into a family firmly established in the Blair Atholl area, making it all the more brave for him to venture away from family and on to an unknown, far away land.

 Ruins at Ard Campsie, just east of Nether Campsie where Alexander was born

 Brave ~ Loyal ~ Independent

Thank you for coming along on this journey!  

Per Ardua!

Teri