The People of Argyll, Bute, and Dunbarton at Home and Abroad, 1800-1850

Description

This book contains references to people of the counties of Argyll, Bute, and Dunbarton, at home and abroad, between 1800 and 1850. These counties lie roughly north-west of Glasgow from the Firth of Clyde to the Firth of Lorne, together with Mull and some smaller islands. The major families or clans found in this region were the Campbells, McDonalds, McLeans, MacAulays, Galbraiths, McLachlans, Malcolms, McMillans, McEwans, McDougalls, McQuarries, McKinnons, McGregors, McIntyres, McFarlanes, Colquhouns, Lamonts, and Buchanans.

The early nineteenth century was a period of restructuring and development resulting from the Agricultural Revolution and the Industrial Revolution. Small farms were formed into larger, more efficient, units which created a labour surplus.  Some of the displaced persons opted the emigrate to the colonies or the United States while other moved to the burgeoning factory towns and collieries of the nearby industrial districts. The rise in transatlantic trade in the eighteenth century, furthermore, generated industrial development in Scotland, especially in the vicinity of Glasgow. Overall there was an expansion of burghs functioning as market and administrative centres.  This book, among other things, identifies many of the burgesses of the burghs of Dunbarton and Inveraray.

Most of the nearly 2,000 Scots and their kinsmen identified here were recorded in contemporary sources, such as court records, newspapers, journals, and monumental inscriptions.  Most entries bring together emigrants, their places of origin and destination, especially in North America and Australasia, with their kin who remained in Scotland.