ButeshireGenWeb-L Archives

From: McCabeClan <>
Subject: Posting my surnames
Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1999 11:08:38 -0400

Hello Fellow Listers,

I am finally going to post my Buteshire surnames, firstly to avoid the
guilt feelings next Sunday when we all hear from Peter <G> and, secondly
because I'm hoping that someone recognizes anything at all that might
help me out.
I've developed a major wrinkle in what I thought was a great research
theory that I had going full steam ahead for me.
Please bear with me here. This is a bit long.

George SMITH, b1830 Kilbride Parish, Isle of Arran, Buteshire, married
7th June, 1861 at Lamlash, Kilbride Parish, Arran, Bute, Mary McNEISH
b1832 Abbey (Paisley) Renfrew.
George SMITH was a carpenter (house and ships).
This couple, though they settled in Greenock, Renfrew, seemed to travel
back and forth to Kilbride, Bute on a fairly regular basis.
Though Mary McNEISH and all her siblings were born in Paisley, Renfrew,
I have found her sister Violet McNEISH marrying in 1857, Thomas KAY also
in Kilbride, Bute so, I believe that the McNEISH family had strong
connections with Bute as well. Perhaps their original home...?

George SMITH and Mary McNEISH had four children:

Margaret CUNNINGHAM SMITH b1862 Greenock, Renfrew
Elizabeth LYLE SMITH b1864 Greenock, Renfrew
Mary Anne (May) SMITH b1868 Kilbride, Arran, BUTE
Alexander McNEISH SMITH b1870 Greenock, Renfrew

Researching further, I discovered that the parents of Mary McNEISH were
Alexander McNEISH and Elizabeth LYLE.
So, second daughter was named after maternal grandmother obviously and
only son was named after maternal grandfather.
I don't have a theory about the Mary Anne beyond it perhaps being the
name of a favourite sister/relative of George SMITH maybe but, I did
believe that based on the above I would find that the mother of George
SMITH was probably a CUNNINGHAM and quite possibly a Margaret.

I next discovered a George SMITH of Kilbride Parish, Bute marrying a
Margaret CUNNINGHAM of Irvine Parish, Bute, in 1828 at Kilbride, Arran,
Bute and having twin sons born there in 1830, George and William.
Terrific! I thought this would surely be the parents of my George
SMITH. The timeframe and place are correct to a "t" and it would
certainly account for my George SMITH naming his first born daughter
Margaret CUNNINGHAM SMITH.

Then I sent to Scotland for the marriage record of George SMITH and Mary
McNEISH. Hmmm...
The record states that Mary McNEISH was the d/o Alexander McNEISH,
harness weaver, and Elizabeth nee LYLE but...
George SMITH was the s/o George SMITH, gardener, and Janet nee NESBIT !!

I can't even find a NESBIT in Bute!
There is no birth record at the GRO for Scotland of a George SMITH b
Kilbride, Bute, the s/o a George SMITH and a Janet NESBIT, or any other
George SMITH/NESBIT combination, for that matter.
I don't know what to make of this now.
Could the marriage record possibly be in error re the maiden name of the
mother of George SMITH?
If it's correct, then how do I account for the CUNNINGHAM name?
There must surely be CUNNINGHAM mixed up there somewhere.
I'm still talking to myself.

Is anyone else researching these surnames or does anyone else recognize
any of them from their own research?

Well, that's my Buteshire story.
Thanks for your patience.

Kind Regards,
Pat McCabe
Ontario, Canada

http://www.mccabeclan.co

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