The Kintyre Forum

Hi all ! Does O’Neil’s Land still exist ? And if not..., does anyone know where it was ?

Tracing my roots via Granddad Black b1900 in Campbeltown..., I now have his Grandfather Daniel b1835 in Rathlin Island, Antrim Ireland, but dying in O’Neil’s Land Campbeltown.

I had quite a lot of success when asking details about Flemings Land..., wonder if I’ll get the same result this time.
Peculiar that he was Irish and living in an Irish/Scottish part of town !

Thanks !

Working on it Iain - will be in touch hopefully.

Iain

I must confess to no knowledge about O'Neil's land, but wouild be very interested to hear if any other forum members know where this was. Somebody must have information on this.

Hmm, O'Neil's land does not sound unfamiliar. I am going to make an inquiry or two ...

But Iain, your Rathlin Black ancestry might just link you to musical royalty! Sisters Mary (the more famous one) and Frances Black are of Rathlin extraction. But you probably knew that. While there has been a lot of migration from the island, and there may be more than one Black family there, it is still worth investigating, I would think.

http://www.mary-black.net/article.jsp?id=22
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br55Mjve33Q

http://www.frances-black.net/library/83.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpweuuxspaA

Thanks Mary ! Actually, I didn’t know about the singers. To tell you the truth, I’d never even heard of them ! But as you say, there’s no smoke without fire and to add a little colour to the tree I’ll do some research.
In fact, I’ve only been aware of this Irish connection for about a week now. I asked Father Christmas for a year’s subscription at http://www.ancestry.co.uk ..., absolutely amazing ! And it was when comparing other trees, I found mistakes with my original research followed by this Rathlin Island discovery.

But I’m still a “Neil McArthur junky.” (Garden-Shop..., I’ve never met him, but from what I’ve learned so far from intermediary friends from Dumbarton, this is a really great family) In fact, we have the same Neil McArthur 3xGreat Granddad b1795. I’ll be opening my old Flemings Land post in January to thank all of those who helped find details of the family. In fact, that “Tiree” house the other side of the Loch was built by Neil McArthur..., but I’ll explain in more detail next year.

Thanks again..., Iain.

This is just a small supplement with an additional “O’Neil” curiosity..., but before I start, I’d like to stress that this is not a genealogy post, as the details provided are simply to get a better understanding concerning place-names, family names and dates.
Note: Despite 3 army stints in Belfast and one in Londonderry, I had to use Google Maps to find Raithlin Island ! As such, I now know that you could just about swim from the Island to Southend !!!

>>>> Archibald Black b1797 in Ireland: Civil parish Campbeltown... Address; Wide Closs:
>>>> Son Daniel Black b1835 in Raithlin Island, Antrim Ireland.
• (1861 census) Address; O’Neils Land:
• (1891 census) Address; Ferguson’s Land (Longrow St.)
>>>> Daughter Agnes Black b1870 Campbeltown: Husband... Felix O’Neil:

Note: Agnes’s father-in-law was Arthur O’Neil b1798 in Tyrone Ireland, and died in Campbeltown..., wife Bridget McGeehan. (“large families”)

I’ve not had the time to do much research with the Blacks, but I believe the majority of Agnes’s brothers and sisters disappeared to New York.
Nonetheless, there seems to be too much of a coincidence of her family name, eventually giving way to a place name in Campbeltown !

Flemings Land.
Ferguson’s Land.
O’Neil’s Land;
..., this “Land” aspect..., is it traditional throughout Scotland, or is it a Campbeltonian idiosyncrasy ?

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Added info:

I've just had a look at what Emdee mentioned in 2010..., quote:

Re: Fleming's Land
Postby EMDEE » Sat Sep 11, 2010 12:47 am
Just as an aside, In my younger days used to wonder why this building was named "Fleming's Land". I have since discovered that in the Scots language a "land" is a tenement building.

Hi, my 3rd Great Grandfather was Arthur O'Neill, born in Glenal, Co. Tyrone, Ireland around 1800. He was a Linen Draper. I have found him in census records in 1841 residing at Colvill's Land, Main Street, Campbeltown. It would appear business goes well as in the 1861 census he is residing at O'Neil's Land, Main Street, Campbeltown. The same census indicates a number of families living on O'Neil's Land. His will indicates that by his death in 1876 O'Neil's Land had a number of tenants who owed a total of more than £20 in rent.

270241 wrote:Hi, my 3rd Great Grandfather was Arthur O'Neill, born in Glenal, Co. Tyrone, Ireland around 1800. He was a Linen Draper. I have found him in census records in 1841 residing at Colvill's Land, Main Street, Campbeltown. It would appear business goes well as in the 1861 census he is residing at O'Neil's Land, Main Street, Campbeltown. The same census indicates a number of families living on O'Neil's Land. His will indicates that by his death in 1876 O'Neil's Land had a number of tenants who owed a total of more than £20 in rent.

Hi 270241..., lol ! Welcome to the Kintyre Forum.

Very interesting ! I do feel it's a shame that these "lands" are not listed somewhere ! It does make up Campbeltonian history and nobody knows anything about them ! (Apart from the egotistic squirrel hoarders of public information in the Town Council)

It would be great if you could publish the £20 debts !

(my 3xGr lived in Flemings Land, High Street)

Ah, unfortunately individual 'debtors' are not listed!

I'm surprised there is no record anywhere of the 'lands'.

I was thinking of coming down to Campbeltown to check if there is any reference to the O'Neills in the local library. Does anyone know how good the opportunities are for local research like this?