Other Publications  - Genealogy                                    

John McDowall - A Canadian Emigrant

The Scottish Genealogist  Vol XL No 1 March 1993  pp3 - 13

One hundred and fifty years ago (1843 - 1993) John McDowall left his family and friends in Stoneykirk, Wigtownshire and emigrated to Canada.  Ten letter kept by the family at home, have survived to this day.  As well as being unique in their own right, the letters contain 36 different family names of people either in Canada or at home in Scotland, 1843 - 48.

John's writing, and particularly his spelling, have provided me with some amusing and many puzzling moments.  The spelling has purposely been kept as written as its contribution to the character of the letters is invaluable.

"I writ you these fue lines to let you know that I ame in good health at present hoping thes fue lines will find you in the same"

The letters include a description of his voyage on the Elephanta from Greenock on 8 July 1843, which took 7 weeks and 3 days to Montreal, Canada East

John died on 31 August 1848 leaving a wife and two children.

McDowall and the Lordship of Galloway

The Scottish Genealogist  Vol XL111 No 3 September 1996  pp89 - 92

A review of historical opinion and other evidence in support of the derivation of the surname McDowall  and its possible links with the Lordship of Galloway.

The Arms of McDowall of Freugh

Was my ancestor at Bannockburn?

The Scottish Genealogist  Vol XLV No 4 December 1998  pp116 - 119

There must be many Scots, the world over, who wonder if their ancestor fought at Bannockburn, popularly acclaimed as the climax to the wars of Scottish Independence, securing the crown for Robert Bruce and ultimately the Stuart dynasty.

This article was further developed to form part of The Copper Inheritance  - the History of the Kinship of McDowall of Galloway.

In Search of McDowalls

Dumfries and Galloway Family History Society Newsletter No 35 July 1999 p7

The Black Isle, north of Inverness, is a long way from Galloway.  In response to a request for assistance from a descendent in Australia, I went to Rosemarkie in search of Rev James McDowall. I also wanted to find out about C G MacDowall - author of 'The Chanonry of Ross, An Account of Fortrose and Rosemarkie' published in 1963.

It now seems simplistic to have hoped to learn only that they might be related. Life and genealogy have more to offer even the simple researcher.

Household Effects in 1500

Dumfries and Galloway Family History Society Newsletter No 37 March 2000 p7 (The Millennium edition)

James IV had assumed the throne in 1488 at the age of 15, bringing some stability to the country but not before waving a stick at England.  In his reign the renaissance reached Scotland bringing prosperity and progress. In Galloway, local conflicts continued -

In February 1500 Janet Makdowell, widow of deceased Gilbert McDowall of Freuch and her son Fergus, brought an action to be heard by the Lords of Council against John McDowall, called 'Garioch' and Gilbert McDowall of Ernoch.  The dispute was over the latter's assumed possession of the lands of Aremoid and the 'spoilation' of various household effects.

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