The Young Family of Clune-more

Clune-more and the surrounding settlements beside the Allt Cluaine

The Young family of Clune-more has been pieced together from a number of sources as the early Blair Atholl records are rather scant. The earliest piece of information comes from the Factor's note of 1737, that Clune-more was let to Donald Young, eldest son of John Young, deceased, in Croftvickewan. A letter written by Malcolm Stewart of Inverslanie in 1716 mentions John Young in Balmeanach (GD132/805, National Records of Scotland).

The Blair Atholl Session Minutes for 10th September 1718 records that Donald Young in Croftvickewan was proposed as a Church Elder, and this is probably John's father (and Donald's grandfather). He seems to have declined the invitation.

Donald Young in Clune-more married Susan McGlashan, the daughter of Neil McGlashan in Clune-beg, on 19th November 1747. They had eight children baptised before Donald died in 1763, and then a strange thing happened. It is assumed that a near relation, also named Donald Young, came to help Susan with the farm as Donald Young in Clune-more and Susan McGlashan, widow in Clune-more were married on 25th November 1763. The first of their two children was named John. This has confused many genealogists who, not realising that Susan had two consecutive husbands with the same name, assumed that the first John had died. Far from it. He married Grissel (Grace) Stewart of Tressait in 1778.

Nothing else was known about Donald Young in Clune-more, except that a Margaret Young and a Barbara Young had both been living at Clune-more when they married. This situation changed when further details were discovered in the Testament of Thomas MacKenzie in Levadge-more.

Thomas MacKenzie in Levadge-more died in December 1772 and normally everything would have passed to his sole remaining heir. However, within a month, his son James was also dead. This created a problem and James Stewart of Urrard, Factor to the Duke of Atholl, was instructed to settle Thomas MacKenzie's affairs. This he did, and recorded the outcome as a testament with the Commissariot of Dunkeld in 1775.

As part of the settlement Barbara Young, spouse to Malcolm Stewart in Levadge, and Margaret Young, spouse to Alexander McDonald in Cnappaig, sisters germain (i.e. full blood sisters of the same parents) were each given ....., describing them as nearest of kin. It also mentions Isabel Young in Levadge, sister germain, but it would appear that Isabel had died before she could inherit and her testament follows that of Thomas MacKenzie.

The testament of Isabel Young describes her as the youngest daughter of the deceased John Young of Clune-more, and sister germain to Barbara Young and Margaret Young. This confirms that the family were originally at Croftmhicewan where Donald Young was born 4th July 1720. Donald's mother was Christian Forbes and it is probably no coincidence that the eldest son and second eldest daughter have the same names as Donald's parents. It is worth noting that Donald's wife, Susan McGlashan, was the daughter of Neil McGlashan (not the writer married to Jean Stewart), and that the naming tradition is following for the second eldest son and eldest daughter.

Christian Forbes must have died while Donald was still an infant, as his father married Margaret Stewart. Only two children are recorded as being born at Croftmhicewan: Isabel on 24th July 1731 and John on 29th March 1737. If Isabel was John's youngest daughter, then Barbara and Margaret must have been born between 1721 and 1730.

This second marriage would also explain why Donald is not mentioned in Thomas MacKenzie's testament, if Thomas's kinship was through the mother of the three girls, Margaret Stewart. There were very few McKenzies in Blair Atholl parish and they seemed to cluster around Rinancoillach, at the top of Glen Girnaig. So, it is rather odd that John McKenzie and Margaret Stewart were living at Balchapel of Borenich with their children Janet, born 9th November 1918, and Thomas, born 16th April 1721. Now it may be fanciful, but is it possible that this is the same Margaret Stewart and that Thomas McKenzie was a half-brother to the three Young sisters?

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(Generation 1) The children of Donald Young and (unknown) in Croftmhicewan.

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(Generation 2) The children of John Young and Christian Forbes in Croftmhicewan.

(Generation 2) The children of John Young and Margaret Stewart in Croftmhicewan.

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(Generation 3) The children of Donald Young and Susan McGlashan in Clune-more.

Donald Young died in 1763 whereupon Susan McGlashan, his widow, re-married on 25th November 1763.

(Generation 3) The children of Donald Young (II) and Susan McGlashan, widow in Clune-more.

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(Generation 4) The children of John Young and Grissel (Grace) Stewart in Clune-more.

It is possible that John, the eldest son of Donald Young and Susan McGlashan, didn't get on with his new step-father. The Testament of Thomas McKenzie mentions "£45 Scots contained in a bill and dated 2nd July 1772 drawn by Charles Cattanach (McIntosh) in Sleach upon and accepted by the said defunct Thomas MacKenzie and John Young in Auchindruie". So it would seem that John Young was working at Achinruie in Glenerrochty, which is probably how he met Grissel Stewart from Tressait.

John Young married Grissel (Grace) Stewart from Tressait in Strathtummel on 10th June 1778. She was probably the daughter of Donald Stewart and Margaret McDonald who was born at Grennich on 21st April 1756, just a couple of years before the family moved to Tressait where Robert and Beatrice were born.

The OPR states that John was living at Cnappaig at the time of his marriage, and his first child, Margaret, had her baptisms recorded twice - once at Cnappaig and once at Clune-more. This duality of addresses is explained by the Factor's Notebook which mentions that in 1779 John Young was farming at Cnappaig with the tenant, John Shaw, as Shaw's son had gone into the Atholl Regiment.

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(Generation 4) The children of Finlay McBeath and Margaret Young in Rinancoillach.

Margaret, the youngest daughter of Donald Young and Susan McGlashan, married Finlay McBeath from Rinancoillach on 6th December 1785. He was the son of Archibald McBeath and Isobel Stewart who farmed Dalness and Clachglas. Margaret must have died soon after the birth of their son Donald in October 1791, as Finlay married Isobel Robertson in 1794.

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(Generation 5) The children of Archibald McBeath and Elizabeth Stewart in Rinancoillach.

Archibald McBeath, son of Finlay McBeath and Margaret Young, married Elizabeth Stewart from Auchghoul in Glentilt on 11th June 1824.

After the death of his first wife, Archibald McBeath married Janet McGlashan, who also lived at Rinancoillach, on 14th March 1830.

(Generation 5) The children of Archibald McBeath and Janet McGlashan in Rinancoillach.

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(Generation 3) The children of Malcolm Stewart and Barbara Young in Levadge.

Barbara Young, the daughter of John Young and Margaret in Croftmhicewan married Malcolm Stewart in Balinluig of Strathgroy on 29th January 1751. Malcolm, the second son of David Stewart and Katharine Forbes, was born at Balinluig of Strathgroy on 18th January 1729.

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David Stewart and Elspeth Setton in Levadge.

David Stewart in Levadge and Elspeth Setton in Conlach (Loinconlach), Moulin parish, were married on 11th January 1785. Elspeth was the daughter of Duncan Seatton and Margaret Robertson who farmed Loinconlach in Glengirnaig

The only children to be baptised and have their names recorded in the Blair Atholl OPR were the twins Malcolm and Christian who were born at Levadge, 15th March 1786. The Minister of Moulin's census, 1806-08, shows that David Stewart was joint tenant of the Low Mains of Orchil (Orchil-beg) with John Stewart, the husband of Christian McLagan, by which time there were two more children.

The Minister dated this page of entries as December 1808, so it would seem that the Monument inscription in Kilmaveonaig churchyard is inaccurate but it does mention the names of his other children. It is worth noting that this is the only reference to a daughter Catherine, and that Christian is not mentioned, so perhaps the inscription should have read 'Christian' and not 'Catherine'.

Monument to David Stewart in Kilmaveonaig churchyard

Erected by
Elizabeth Stewart, Aldclune,
in memory of her father
David Stewart
who died December 1807
and of her mother
Elizabeth Seton
who died March 1819.
Her sister Catharine
who died 10th October 1860
aged 74 years.
And her brother Alexander
who died 1st July 1870
aged 75 years.
The above
Elizabeth Stewart,
died 27th February 1875
aged 83 years.

Despite this monument inscription David Stewart's wife, Elizabeth Seton, was still very much alive at Balchroic (Balknock) in 1820 when the Minister of Moulin started to make a census of those living in his parish. It probably is not a coincidence that Elizabeth Seaton's nephew Alexander Seaton and his first wife, Margaret Moon, were also living at Balchroic.

Widow Stewart's son Malcolm and daughter Elizabeth had both left the area.

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(Generation 4) The children of David Stewart and Elspeth Setton in Levadge.

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Malcolm Stewart and Catherine Bromley in London and Australia.

Malcolm, the eldest son, is said to have gone to London where he married Catherine Bromley in 1824 and the couple had five children before emigrating to Australia. Malcolm and his family arrived 20th November 1834 on the vessel 'James' (reported as per the Sydney Herald), and they resided in Hosking Place, Sydney. Another five children were born in Australia. He found work as an upholsterer and died in 1857 from old age and debility.

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(Generation 5) The children of Malcolm Stewart and Catherine Bromley in London and Australia.

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Alexander, Christian and Elizabeth Stewarts in Aldclune

Christian Stewart never married and probably acted as housekeeper for her brother Alexander, as shown in the 1841 census for Aldclune. The village of Aldclune straddles the Allt Cluain river with the west part of the village in Blair Atholl parish and the east part in Moulin parish, which is where they were living.

Christian and her brother Alexander were still living at Aldclune at the time of the 1851 census.

Christian Stewart, unmarried domestic servant, died at Aldclune 6th October 1859 aged 73 years and was buried at Kilmaveonaig churchyard. Parents given as David Stewart, deceased farmer, and Elisabeth Seaton. The informant was her brother Alexander Stewart.

The monument inscription to David Stewart in Kilmaveonaig churchyard distinctly reads that (his daughter) Catherine died 10th October 1860 aged 74 years, and this is rather odd. Firstly, his daughter Christian is not mentioned on the stone, but she also died in October but in 1859 and not the following year. If she had died the following year she would have been 74 years old, the same age as Catherine. Secondly, there is no baptismal record for either daughter and Catherine does not appear in any of the census returns. In fact the only reason for believing that Catherine actually existed comes from the monument inscription. All of this makes one wonder whether the stone-mason made an awful blunder and carved the wrong name!

1861 census shows that after Christian's death, Alexander's sister Elizabeth took over as housekeeper. Her situation prior to this date in unknown, but she appears not to have married.

Alexander Stewart, unmarried, died at Aldclune 1st July 1870 aged 73 years. Parents given as David Stewart, farmer, and Elisabeth Seaton. The informant was James Scott, a neighbour.

Elizabeth Stewart, unmarried, died at Aldclune 27th February 1875 aged 83 years. Parents given as David Stewart, farmer, and Elizabeth Seaton. The informant was William Reid, not related.

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(Generation 4) The children of John Stewart and Helen Stewart in Levadge and Ceannamoin.

John Stewart in Levadge and Helen Stewart in Dauchinlialash, were married on 8th February 1788. All of the children, except John, were born at Levadge. He was born at Ceannamoin.

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(Generation 4) The children of Alexander McDonald and Margaret Young in Cnappaig.

Margaret, the daughter of John Young and Margaret Stewart in Croftmhicewan, married Alexander McDonald in Cnappaig on 30th May 1749.

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