The first born child, John, died before his sixth birthday in 1833 as confirmed by the naming of another child John in 1833 (a common practice). The second John is absent from the 1841 census and is presumed also to have died prior to that time.

The White County Indiana History (1915) states that "Neil and Margaret had ten children, three of which died in childhood". The records show nine children, six born in Scotland and three born in America. This leaves one child and one childhood death unaccounted for. Family legend tells us that a son died on the long trip to America and was buried at sea. This child, whose name is unknown to us, could only have been born after June 14 1841, the day of the census, and must have died on the voyage as an infant.

According to family tradition, sometime before 1842, the family moved to town of Greenock on the Clyde estuary. Greenock was once a principle sea port in Western Scotland and could have been a logical place to go to arrange for and await passage to America. They apparently lived there for awhile but it is likely that this was only for a few months. There were several McCuaig families living in Greenock at that time, including Neil's younger brother Kenneth. It was there, Anna Lowe writes, that "some of the children were born". This reference would seem to apply to the unlucky child who died on the ship although this is not confirmed by any civil or church records.

Why did Neill McCuaig decide to emigrate? Aside from the general situation in rural Scotland with an expanding population and limited opportunities, the evidence suggests that Neil had problems with the lease on the farm. Neil's older brother, John, had emigrated to America and undoubtedly wrote back to the family extolling the virtues of the new world.

Other Campbeltown families must also have played a major role in influencing the McCuaigs. Neil McCuaig's uncle David Breckenridge (spelled Brakenridge in the Scottish records) emigrated to Marietta Ohio in 1834 with his large family of eleven children. The Breckenridge family were natives of Campbeltown and were later pioneers in White County, Indiana. As such they were part of the general Campbeltown migration to America. Three of Neil McCuaig's children married Breckenridges.

Thus in April or May of 1842, when Neill McCuaig was 41 years of age, the family consisting of the parents and five children, ranging in age from infancy to 13, sailed from Glasgow Scotland for America on the ship Eveline. Accompanying the family was a Robert Johnston, age 29, a laborer. He is presumed to be related to Margaret, but the exact relationship is not clear.

The Eveline, John Thompson, captain was of moderate size, 301 tons, and carried 119 passengers, all declared emigrants, of varying ages, gender, and professions. Based on the tonnage, the Eveline was probably about 150 feet long with three masts and was rigged with square sales. Although the details of the sea voyage are not known, it is likely that the trip was very harsh with the emigrant passengers treated little better than cargo. The Eveline, like all ships of the day, was a sailing vessels, and the passage from Scotland to America typically took anywhere from six to twelve weeks. The journey was usually very rough with all passengers crowded into cargo holds with little or no light, heat, air, or sanitation. Rude bunks were provided for sleeping. Privacy was unknown. Generally, provisions for the passage were carried by the passengers themselves. As mentioned earlier, family legend indicates that the infant son fell ill on the voyage and died. He was, it is told, buried at sea. One can only imagine the emotional impact this voyage had on the family, especially the children.

On the 30th of June, 1842 they arrived at New York. The family would have been processed at Castle Gardens emigration station located near the Battery. Martha McCuaig Heath of Cincinnati provided the following information:

"The family ... bought transportation to Marietta, Ohio by way of the canal. On learning that the tickets were bogus, the family was stranded in New York. Neil secured a job on the Erie Canal Boats, and for his work, secured passage for his family. They then went on the canal boat to Pittsburgh, and then to Marietta Ohio, where they had relatives."

Neil's older brother John was a blacksmith in Marietta. We can assume that he had encouraged his brother to emigrate and had, no doubt, made some arrangements.

Neil, being a farmer by trade, began farming the next year either as a farm laborer or by leasing a farm. There are no records of his having bought a farm in Washington County. While in Washington County, two daughters were born:

Four years later in 1846, Neil's younger brother Kenneth, born in 1803, emigrated with his three young sons, Kenneth, David, and Daniel. He arrived in New York on the 15th of September, 1846. Kenneth was a widower since the death of his wife Mary Davidson three years earlier. He was a carpenter like his father. Four year later (as documented by the 1850 census), he was still living with his brother John and his family in Marietta, Ohio. Kenneth remained in Marietta until his retirement in 1880 at which point he moved to White County Indiana and lived with his son David who operated the premier hotel in Monticello, the McCuaig house.

Sometime between 1847 and 1850, Neill McCuaig and his family moved to Hamilton County Ohio, near Cincinnati, where they bought a farm in Sycamore Township. It was here that their final child was born:

The family now consisted of 7 children, 6 daughters and one son.

Martha McCuaig wrote:

"After living in Marietta for a few years, they then moved to a small truck (sic) farm, about ten miles north of Cincinnati. They took their produce to the market in Cincinnati"

Members of Margaret Johnson McCuaig's family also emigrated to America. Her brother Alexander is also found living in Hamilton County Ohio but in a different township from the McCuaigs. According to the 1850 census, Margaret's younger brother, Nathaniel Johnson who was 30 years of age was living with the family and working as a "farmer". William Johnson, age 16, relationship unknown but presumed to be kin, was also shown to be living with the family.

While living in Hamilton County, Mary McCuaig, the oldest daughter, married David Breckenridge (her first cousin, once removed) son of David Breckinridge and Charlotte Macmallan Breckinridge, natives of Campbeltown. Mary and her husband moved to White County Indiana in 1852 the first of the McCuaigs to do so. Unfortunately, Mary died in 1854 either from the rigors of pioneer life or from child birth.

In September of 1856, the McCuaig family moved to White County to a large farm of 120 acres about five miles north of Monticello and west of Dennie's corner. Neil bought the farm from his uncle John Dunlop, another emigree from Campbeltown who had moved to White county five years earlier in 1851. This large and well kept spread is still known locally as the "McCuaig Farm" even though it has long since passed into other hands. It appears that brother Kenneth McCuaig's son Daniel also moved with the family to White County and might have labored on his Uncles's farm for awhile.

Neil applied for U.S. citizenship on June 20th, 1857. In his testimony he swore to "renounce forever allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty whatever and particularly to Victoria Queen of whom he is a subject"

Tragedy struck the family in 1861. Neill McCuaig, at the age of 60, died unexpectedly, reasons unknown. He was buried in the Monticello Cemetery. After Neil's death, full responsibility for the operation of the farm and the support of his mother and five sisters fell on the only son, Daniel, age 21. Apparently, Daniel was a responsible and hard working lad since the farm prospered and Daniel, in later years, was a leading member of the community, holding both public office and a high church position. In 1962 Daniel was drafted into the Union Army but paid another man $1,100 to serve in his place. His brother-in-law Levi Reynolds helped him raise the money. Daniel married Janet Breckenridge and they had four sons: John, Frank, David, and Alvin. It is through these sons that the name of McCuaig was perpetuated in Indiana for several generations.

The sisters all eventually married except for Charlotte who was frail and who died in 1874 at the age of 30. According to family legend, the McCuaig woman were accomplished seamstresses. This is not surprising for a pioneer family with so many female family members. It is likely that the family made extra money by sewing for neighbor families.

Margaret Johnson McCuaig lived a long life. Margaret kept house for her son until Daniel married Jennette Breckenridge (his second cousin) in 1874. Thereafter she lived with her youngest daughter Jane McCuaig Roach at whose home in Monticello she died on 24 September 1892 at the age of 86. She is buried next to her husband in Monticello Cemetery. I had the satisfaction of having their tombstone re-erected which had been upset in the tornado that struck Monticello in 1974.

Anna McCuaig's Grandparents: Donald McCuaig (4) and Margaret Macmallan (5)

Donald McCuaig was born in Kildalton Parish on the island of Islay, Argyleshire on 7 March, 1762. He was the son of Donald McCuaig (8), a blacksmith, and his wife Katherine Hunter (9). Our knowledge of Donald's birth is due entirely to the tenacity of the indexers of the Scottish Old Parochial Registers. Many of the older registers, such as this one from Kildalton, are severely damaged and are virtually unreadable. Yet the indexers found the essential information. An example was this a torn smeared fragment at the bottom of one page from 1762 which reads:

...ch 17 Dond M'Cuaig smith in ..... .... two male children in bapt..... .... the other Donal...

Translation:

March 17, 1762, Donald McCuaig, a blacksmith in Kildalton (Islay), baptized two sons (twins?), Donald and (name unknown).

It cannot be absolutely certain that this register entry is the one for our Donald McCuaig (4), father of Neil McCuaig (2). But there are no other reasonable options in the registers. It is either this entry (which is a good match) or we must concede that the information on the correct Donald McCuaig has been lost. We have to search farther to find the name of Donald's mother. This is deduced from the marriage records of the Kildalton Parish where we find that Donald McCuaig married Katherine Hunter in 1750 (twelve years before our Donald was born).

Margaret Macmallan (5) was born in Campbeltown on 21 November 1776 and listed in the register as

"November [1776] Margaret, Lawful Daughter of Neill Macmillan and Isabell McConochy Auchotish 21".

There are actually eight Margaret Macmillans born in Campbeltown in the period 1770 to 1780, any of these could, in theory, be the one who married Donald McCuaig. The above choice is appealing both because her age is exactly "normal", marriage at 20, and because of the very good matching of names in her family with those of later McCuaigs. This Margaret's father's name is Neil, which is also the name of her son (Anna McCuaig's father). Further corroboration comes from the names of Margaret's siblings all of which later appear as McCuaig family names. Finally, it is likely that this Margaret's paternal grandfather was named John, the name of her oldest son and the name of Neil McCuaigs oldest son.

Donald and Margaret were married in Campbeltown on 4 Sept 1796:

"September [1796] Donald McCuaig & Margaret Macmallan of this Parish Married Here 4"

Donald would have been 34 years old. This seems a bit old for a first marriage. There might have been an earlier marriage (no documentation exists for this) or he simply married late in life. Both were listed as "of this parish" meaning that they were residents of Campbeltown. This would establish the date of Donald's removal to Campbeltown as prior to 1796. The distance between Kildalton and Campbeltown could be covered in a day's travel by foot and boat. Therefore, we must assume that there may have been frequent visits and correspondence between the different parts of the McCuaig family

Donald McCuaig (4) apparently was trained as a carpenter. Recorded with the birth of each of his children between 1805 and 1818 was his profession where he is listed as a "carpenter". In 1803 he is listed as a "ships carpenter". For 1797 through 1801 he is listed with no profession, possibly because he had not yet achieved journeyman status or he was not working at any particular trade. However, this seems unlikely, in view of his mature age at that time.

Donald (4) and Margaret (5) had nine children according to the Parochial Register. All the children were born in Campbeltown:

Because Donald was a skilled tradesman and lived in town, we can assume that his family's life was somewhat more comfortable than those living on the farms. We can further assume that his children may have availed themselves of more education than would have been available in the countryside.

No information has yet been found concerning the deaths and burial of Donald and Margaret. It is presumed that they died while residents of Campbeltown. However, a search of Campbeltown Cemetery found no grave stone for them. Since many of the stones are badly eroded, this is not surprising.

Anna McCuaig's Grandparents:

Archibald Johnson (6) and Elizabeth (Betty) MacGibbon (7)

Archibald Johnson (6) was born August 26, 1777 in Killarow Parish on the island of Islay. He was probably the son of Archibald Johnson (12) and Isabell Dallas (13) as shown by the register entry:

"26 August [1777]. Arch Johnson in company Isabell Dallas his wife had son baptized Arch"

In the parish register Killarow as listed as the town of Bowman, a town today known as Bowmore. It is about five miles from and adjacent to Kildalton Parish where Archibald lived as an adult.

Elizabeth (Betty) Macgibbon (7) was not a native of Islay. She was born 25 June, 1789 in Kilmoden Parish which is about 50 miles northeast and several bodies of open water from Islay. Kilmoden parish is on the mainland in an isolated part of Argyle near the modern day town of Balliemore on Loch Striven. Her parents were Donald MacGibbon (14) and Mary Adam (15). Her birth is recorded in the registers:

"Betty Daughter to Donald MacGibbon & his spouse Mary Adams was baptized 25 June (1789)"

The circumstances of Betty's migration to Kildalton are not known. We do know that she was younger than fifteen when she moved, suggesting that she moved with her parents. However, there is no evidence such as the birth of a sibling in Kildalton to confirm that the entire family moved. There were pockets of MacGibbons in both Kilmoden and Kildalton before 1750 (and few other places) suggesting a linkage between these two concentrations in Argyleshire.

When not quite 15 years of age, Betty MacGibbon married Archibald, a widower, 12 years her senior at 27 years of age. The marriage took place in Kildalton. The parish register noted:

"Arch'd Johnson and Betty MacGibbon. He a widower and she a young woman and both in this parish have been booked in order to marriage".

We have no record of Archibald's first marriage nor why his first wife died. We can suspect the rigors of childbirth or disease. There are no recorded children of an earlier Archibald marriage.

We can presume that Archibald was a farmer since he is listed as living at Taycarmagan, a farm name. Probably he was the tenant (lease holder) since he remained there for so long. The register records the birth of six children between 1805 and 1819, all the while the family was living at Taycarmagan. These children were:

Family legend says that there was another son, Nathaniel. A Nathaniel Johnson is found at age 30 living in the McCuaig household in Cincinnati Ohio in 1850. He is likely to have been Margaret's younger brother, born in 1820.

Continued