The lives of the McLeod and Darroch families intertwined in their Scottish community of Clachan. Little did they know their families would cross paths in Canada, culminating in a marriage that would link their descendants forever. This post gives some background to the McLeod and McGill ancestral lines.
Both William's and Mary's families had lived in the Kilcalmonell and Kilberry Parish for generations. William was born in 1812, and Mary in 1815. The Parish seat was in Clachan, so they were both christened there--the same chapel in which Mary's parents, the McGills, wed in 1810, and her maternal grandparents in 1784. The chapel was relatively new then, having been built in 1780. The Church did not keep records before 1780, so we do not know how many generations of their families had lived there before.
We do know that William and Mary grew up and married in Clachan. Barring illness or some other event, Reverend MacArthur would have officiated at their 1836 wedding. Mary and William would have known him for years, for he was called to serve as an assistant minister around 1820. In 1823, he was promoted to the role of Minister and served there for at least twenty years more, covering most of the period the McLeods and Darrochs raised their families in Clachan.
William and Mary likely followed Scottish wedding customs. (See "Archie Darroch Marries Mary Milloy" for a description of local wedding traditions.) One of these Scottish conventions was for the bride and groom to exchange vows outside the church entrance. After the vows, they would enter the kirk for the Nuptial Communion and blessing on the food to be presently consumed at the reception.
With the kirk bells ringing and the piper piping, the bride and groom would lead a march from the kirk to the reception. There the newlyweds would give each other gifts: a sheaf of wheat, a Bible, a dirk, and woven cloth. These represented the couple’s pledge to fulfill their traditional roles as husband and wife. The exchange was steeped in symbolism. I imagine William and Mary exchanged gifts with pledges similar to this:
“Mary McGill, as your lawfully wedded husband, I, William McLeod, offer this sheaf of wheat as a pledge to provide the staff of life for you and any children with whom we might be blessed.”
“William McLeod, as your lawfully wedded wife, I, Mary McGill, give you this Bible with a promise to spiritually nurture our home, for ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’”
“As your groom, I give you this dirk with a covenant to protect your honour, your life, and our home.”
“As your bride, I give this woven cloth, along with my word that I will warm and comfort our home and family.”
Rain or snow may have dampened some of the outside festivities on their wedding day, for William and Mary were married on December 10th, a month with high amounts of precipitation in Argyll.
Mary and William lived their lives as their ancestors had, earning a living and having children. They fulfilled their roles as spouses, parents, and community members. The local church played a big role in their family life. It was there they had their children christened, and there they laid their loved ones to rest. By 1841, they had three sons and were living in a little suburb of Clachan called Sheanakill, a stone's throw from Archie Darroch and Mary Milloy's home.
I have reason to believe Willie was a carding miller. Archie Darroch, was in the same textile industry as a weaver, so times would have been difficult for both of them. Scotland had just experienced a rough economic ride and was soon to go through another. Few occupations felt it more than those involved in textiles.
In a future post, we will explore the impact these changing tides of fortune had on the McLeod and Darroch families.
References:
1. Birth dates from "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950" accessed through FamilySearch.org. Note: You must register (at no charge) and sign in to view this.
2. Wedding data from "Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTKD-NV7 : 11 February 2020), William McLeod, 1836.
3. Details about Reverend John MacArthur from Poor Law Inquiry (Scotland): Appendix, Volume 2, 1844, p. 70.
4. Photo of the Kilcalmonell Parish church by Elizabeth Ball, Sessions Clerk, 2018. The current name is Kilcalmonell Parish, having dropped "Kilberry" from its name.
5. 1841 Scottish Census data from Ancestry.ca.