The Kintyre Forum

Can anyone help find more information on the attached extract showing the marriage of Janet McMurchy in Killean in 1794. Her husband's first name is transcribed as Iver, but as that is a very unusual name I think it must be something else, perhaps short for something, just as the Archd in the line above is obviously short for Archibald. They are both showing as coming from Ballochayavran, but I cannot find that place on any map. Perhaps the 1792 census, could anyone look up and help me decipher this one? I assume they couldn't read so maybe its an error by the minister who misheard the name. Clutching at straws here!!

I've moved on from my last post, thanks to outside help. Apparently Iver was a common alternative to Edward in late 18th Century. (http://www.whatsinaname.net/male-names/Edward.html) I have Edward McCallum and Janet McMurchy as parents of my Gt Gt Grandfather, Donald McCallum, buried in Killean churchyard at Tayinloan, so its more than likely this was their marriage record.

Grateful if someone has access to the 1792 census and can look up the place name Ballochayavran (or Ballochayarran as it appears on the 1824 map) for me.
JMcC

Hi jaamccallum,
Had a look through the 1792 census, only one Iver McCallum recorded aged 56, living at Mulbuy. Four Janet McMurchys recorded, aged 21 living Amod & Dailsmirran, aged 13 living West Kildavy, aged 51 living Burnside and aged 55 living Roading & High Miln.
I hope I've attached 2 "snips" from the census with possible place names but it could be that "Ballochayarran" was not owned by the Duke and not therefore included in the survey.
Good Luck.

If you search national library of Scotland, I think you will find an eighteenth century map of Killean parish which may assist you.

There is a strong possibility that the place name may be Bealach a' Chaochain which is written down in many different forms in the OPRs and Statutory Registers eg Bellochgoichan. It also sometimes just Belloch/Balloch/Bulloch.

In the Duke of Argyll's 1792 Census, it is on page 202 as Belochgoichan.
There are quite a few families living here including the following McMurchy group, but no Janet, and no McCallums, at the time of the census.
John McMurchy 53
Janet McMichell 27
Archibald McMurchy 20
Mary McMurchy 16
Ann McMurchy 3
John McMurchy 1
You can speculate on this grouping; Janet McMichell [sometimes Carmichael] and John 53, husband and wife with two children Ann & John. Maybe John had first wife who died, mother of Archibald 20, and Mary 16? Maybe they are the father and siblings of your Janet?
I cannot see either a 'suitable' Janet in the other Janet McMurchys in the census - wrong ages/married, and the Iver McCallum listed is aged 56, a widower with family.

There were several other landowners in the area, so your Janet, and Iver, could be close by but not recorded as they were not living on the Duke's land when the census was taken.
ScotlandsPeople have a map dating from 1777 of the United Parishes of Killean and Kilchenzie which shows the places and identifies the landowners but no other names.