John McNab ⁴

  General Notes:

We may have more than one John McNab mixed up here but there is a case for all the information fitting one man. The 1841 census entry gives his age as 75 but in 1841 this could be anywhere from 75 to 79. Even so this would have him only about 13 when producing his earliest known son, Peter in 1774. It is also quite possible that his age wasn't known and only an estimate. The births of the children fit with the marriages and it is more than possible that he married Ann's sister after her death.

The marriage to Elizabeth McDougall follows by a decent interval the birth of his last known child. More information is needed here but we'll leave him married thrice for now. It may be worth noting that his immediate neighbour in 1841 is a Margaret McDougall living alone and of a similar age to that of Elizabeth although there are many McDougalls in the area.

Note that the baptisms of Peter, Mary, Christy, John all give his abode as Kilbride. The 1787 marriage has Ardincaple after Elizabeth's name (does this mean this is where she came from? - there is a castle of that name near Helensburgh, Argyll&Bute)

  Chronology:

He worked as a Blacksmith. ⁵

He worked as an Agricultural Labourer in 1841 and resided at Achafolla, Luing, Argyll. ⁶

John married Ann Ferguson before 1774.¹ (Ann Ferguson was born before 1760.)

John next married Agnes Ferguson before 1783.²

John next married Elizabeth McDougall on 30 Oct 1788 in Kilbrandon/Kilchattan, Argyll.³ (Elizabeth McDougall was born before 1775.)