Margaret McNab ^{2 3 4}

  General Notes:

There was some confusion surrounding the place and date of Margaret's birth. Some of this has to do with the 1841 transcription initially referenced showing her birthplace as Dunoon, a parish some distance from Kilbrandon. Having now seen the original image this is almost definitely a mistranscription of Dunmor which is half way between Easdale and Kilbride on the island of Seil in Kilbrandon Parish. All subsequent censuses show her birthplace as Kilbrandon with 1891 adding Easdale and 1871 (incorrectly) adding "Ling", certainly a mispelling of Luing Island where she lived as a child. Her marriage and death entries indicate a birthdate of 1835/1836 as do the 1841,1851,1861 and 1901 censuses. Her age is reduced by a year or two on the 1871, 1881 and 1891 censuses.

According to the 1891 census, Margaret spoke both Gaelic and English.

Her death certificate states that she was "found" on 6 Jan 1913 and "seen after death".

http://www.slate.org.uk/10.htm
Although Victorian society frowned upon the excessive consumption of alcohol there was always a regular source of supply of the hard stuff. In mid century this would have been the distillery which was sited in a cottage in what is now known as An Carla Garden. The burn running through the grounds and down to the sea, appears on Ordnance Survey maps as the Distillery Burn. The only inn in the village for decades was a temperance hotel. When the Quarry Manager's house was purchased and turned into a licensed house, The Inshaig Park Hotel, the schoolmaster, Mr Stewart, proposed a toast to the success of the new owners, a Mrs Gillies and her son. This prompted a spate of correspondence in the Oban Times under the heading, Whisky and Education at Easdale.

  Chronology:

In 1841 she was with mother and brother Peter at Distilling House, Kilbrandon & Kilchattan Parish. She is recorded as being 5 and born in Argyllshire. ¹²

In 1851 she was living with her parents and brother in Village of Black Mill Bay, Luing Island, Kilbrandon and Kilchattan Parish, Argyll. She is recorded as being 16 and born in Dunoon, Agyll. ^{13 14}

In 1861 she was working as a Domestic Servant and living at 135 Cumberlaine Rd, Govan, Glasgow. She was recorded as being 25 and born in Kilbrandon, Argyll. ^{15 16}

In Dec 1867 her son James was born at the Lying In Hospital, Glasgow but by the end of the month when his birth was registered she was back in Kilbrandon, Argyll. Her occupation was described as Domestic Servant, Domicile Kilbrandon. ¹⁷

In Apr 1868 at the time of her marriage she was described as an Asylum Attendant of Lochgilphead, Argyll. ¹

From 1868-1875 the births of her children indicate that she was living in Lochgilphead, Argyllshire. ¹⁸

In 1871 she was living with husband and children at Cossack St, Lochgilphead. She was recorded as being 33 and born "Liung Kilbrandon". ¹⁹

In 1881 she was described as a Seaman's Wife and was living at 74 West Scotland Street, Govan with her children. It is likely that husband James was at sea. ²⁰

In 1891 she was living at 74 West Scotland Street, Govan with her three sons. ²¹

In 1901 she was living at 252 Craig St, Govan with her son Donald. ²²

She resided in 1911 in 7 Anderson St, Kinning Park, Glasgow. ²³ (recorded as a Gaelic and English speaker)

Margaret married James Murray, son of John Murray and Isabella Walker, on 9 Apr 1868 in Church Of Scotland, Lochgilphead.¹ (James Murray was born Cal 1840 in Lochgilphead, Argyllshire ^{24 25 26} and died on 30 Dec 1889 in Ship "Talisman", Official No 86687 ^{27 28 29 30}.)