My McAlpin Ancestors.

Some History: In earlier times of Scottish history the King of Dalriada was King Alpin. His son Kenneth became the first King of the Picts and Scots and in this sense could be considered the first King of Scotland. To say he was a successful man would be an understatement.

The Romans considered the Picts so fierce that they chose to build a wall to protect themselves rather than further their Empire's advance over Britain into Pictland. Yet in 843 Kenneth MACALPIN became ruler of the Picts, even conquering their language so that within twenty years Gaelic had replaced the Pictish tongue. He achieved the same miracles over the Welsh-speaking, long-established Kingdoms of Strathclyde, Gododdin and Rheged in Southern Scotland.

It is unlikely Kenneth and the Scots could have achieved so much purely by their own swords. His control of the Picts may have been aided by the ancient law of matrilinier succession through which he had reason to challenge for the Pictish Crown on his female ancestry.
Also, the Norsemen continually attacking the Scots from the West forced them eastwards. By then the Picts in the East may have been unable to resist this as they had been greatly weakened by the Vikings landing on their own shores.

The MacALPIN name is so ancient and spread in times when the clan system was still evolving there is little evidence of any one, direct family line back to Kenneth MacALPIN and his father King ALPIN. Many other clans claim to be descended from the accomplished MacALPINES, such as the MacGREGORS, GRANTS, MacNABS, MacAULEYS, MacKINNONS and the MacQUARRIES.

My 7th Great Grandfather-

Donald MCALPIN b: 1670 in Killin, Perthshire married Catherine McCONDIE on 7 Jul 1690 in the Parish Kirk at Killin, Loch Tay, Perthshire, Stirling, Scotland.

Killin is the largest and oldest of the many settlements in Breadalbane - 'Braghaid Albainn' - the High Country of Scotland. The name of the village comes from its association with the legendary Celtic Hero Fingal who, it is thought was buried here - 'Cill Fhinn' meaning the burial place of Fingal.


The child from this marriage:-
Donald McALPIN was born in 1691 in Killin, Loch Tay, Perthshire, Stirling, Scotland.
Donald married Margaret McKENZIE in 1714 in Killin, Loch Tay, Perthshire, Stirling, Scotland.

Note: This was the generation that witnessed the concerted destruction of the Gaelic culture after the Union of the Two Kingdoms 1707, and subsequent "raisings" of 1715 and 1745 in favour of the historic Stuart monarchy against Parliamentary authority. Their loyalty was romantic, feeling, and well rooted in history and blod relationships but it failed, and from this time on (for well over a century and a half) Gaelic was rejected in favour of a policy of assimilation.

Donald married Margaret McKENZIE in 1714 in Killin, Loch Tay, Perthshire, Stirling, Scotland.

Children from this marriage were:-

1. Donald McALPIN b: 5 March 1715 in KIllin, Perthshire.

2. Peter McALPIN was born about 1722 in Killin, Loch Tay, Perthshire, Stirling, Scotland and died about 1777 in Killin, Loch Tay, Perthshire, Stirling, Scotland about age 57.
note; Peter's name is listed on the International Genealogical Index (Batch C113612, Killin) as Peter but more often as Patrick, but the mother's name is always Katherine McLean, which suggests the father's name is being variously translated from the Gaelic 'Padraig' each time

Peter married Katherine McLEAN, daughter of John McLEAN and Margaret ROBERTSON, about 1748 in Killin, Loch Tay, Perthshire, Stirling, Scotland. Katherine was born in 1727 in Aucharn, Killin, Perthshire, Scotland and died in 1774 in Grey Street, Killin, Loch Tay, Perthshire, Stirling, Scotland at age 47.

Children from this marriage were: CHRISTENING DATES.

1. Donald McAlpin c: 9 December 1749 d:1753

2. Margaret McAlpin C: 9 December 1749 Killin, Perthshire

3. John McAlpin c:28 April 1752 d:1755

4. Donald McAlpin C: 12 January 1754

5. John McAlpin c: 14 January 1756

6. Alpin McAlpin c: 8 December 1758 Killin d:1840 Alpin married Jean CAMPBELL 1765-1806 on 13 February 1783 in Killin, Loch Tay, Perthshire, Stirling, Scotland. Jean was born in Midlothian, Scotland. Alpin MCALPIN was known as 'The Boatman of Tay' a famous singer and musician. I have decendants of this family if anyone is interested. janilye

7. Katharine McAlpin C: 14 April 1762 d: 1763 Killin, Perthshire

8. Duncan McAlpin C: 20 June 1763 Killin, Perthshire

9. Katharine McAlpin C: 20 June 1763 Killin, Perthshire

10. Elizabeth McAlpin C: 22 December 1763

11. Peter MCALPIN C: 14 March 1768 Killin, Perthshire

12. Christian McAlpin c: 31 May 1772 Killin, Perthshire

*Peter McALPIN was born in 1768 in Killin-Bridge, End Of Dochart, Perthshire, Scotland, died on 23 Feb 1850 in Richmond, NSW, Australia at age 82, and was buried on 25 Feb 1850 in St Matthew's, Church of England cemetery, Windsor, NSW, Australia.

He joined the Scottish Army and by the age of 26 had attained the rank of sergeant. On 21 April 1794 he transferred to the Princess Louise Argyllshire Highlanders at Stirling Castle. He marched with his Regiment in June 1794 to Leith and there embarked for Netley Common near Southampton. There the Regiment joined the 98th Regiment of Foot, and on 5 May 1795 embarked at Spit head as part of a joint expedition to South Africa against the Dutch. It landed at Simon's Town on 9 September 1795 and camped at Muysenberg. After a battle with the Dutch at Wynberg, the Regiment entered Cape Town Castle on 16 September and the Dutch garrison surrendered. The 98th stayed in South Africa until 1803

Peter married Elisabeth ELTON b:1778 in London, d: 15 Nov 1817, Windsor, NSW. on 16 Dec 1798 in Garrison Church, Cape of Good Hope, Cape Town, South Africa.

Source, for the above:
Peter Moore direct decendant


NOTE: There has been some question as to whether Elizabeth Elton was actually Elizabeth HILTON because HILTON as a forename and second forename is prevalent throughout the family. Perhaps the family believed it was. I have William Glas McALPIN's birth certificate which clearly states her surname as ELTON. janilye

Elisabeth ELTON - age about 20 years, sailed from Deptford, England with her mother Sarah ELTON (nee not known) and step-father Francis WHEELER on the storeship HMS "Buffalo" - the ship arrived in Table Bay, Cape Town, South Africa on Sunday 13 October 1798 to leave stores and pick up cattle for Sydney Cove.

The ship "Buffalo" stayed moored in Table Bay until it sailed on Tuesday 5 February 1799 for Sydney Cove, where it arrived on Friday 3 May 1799.

Elisabeth did not accompany her mother and step-father on the continuation of the journey to New South Wales as she had met Peter McALPIN whilst the ship was moored in Cape Town - Peter & Elisabeth were married in Cape Town before Francis & Sarah sailed

Peter McALPIN & Elisabeth ELTON lived in Cape Town until Peter returned to the army barracks on 25 March 1801, Peter & Elizabeth remained at the barracks until 24 April 1802 when he was discharged - they remained in Cape Town until 9 December 1802 when they sailed back to Portsmouth and returned to Killin, Scotland - they settled in Stirling where 3 children were born.

The family moved to London November 1810 immediately after their third child William Glas McALPIN was christened - whilst in London the family were strongly encouraged by letters from Elisabeth's mother to join her in the NSW colony as Francis WHEELER had died - they eventually gained a free passage to the colony after letters to the Governor of NSW.


The ship "General Graham" sailed from England via Rio de Janeiro to Sydney Town - The family arrived from London as free settlers on the ship "General Graham" 29 January 1812 with 3 of their children.

The children of this marriage were:-

1. Sarah MCALPIN b: 15 September 1805 Stirling, Scotland died on the 1 March 1884 Richmond, NSW. m. Thomas EATHER 1800-1886 on the 24 August 1824 at St.Matthews Church of England, Windsor, NSW.

2. Peter McAlpin b: 4 April 1809 Stirling, Scotland and died 23 September 1898 m.Elizabeth HARRISON real name Phoebe Coles nee STIRRUP 1807-1885 at Christ Church of England, Maitland, NSW. Peter's death certificate states her name as Elizabeth COLES and he was married for 25 years. He spent 51 years in NSW and 35 years in Victoria. He was without issue.

3. William Glas McAlpin b:6 October,1810 Stirling, Scotland died 2 February 1902 at Bulga, NSW. m. Susannah ONUS 1815-1882 the daughter of Joseph ONUS 1782-1835 and Ann EATHER 1793-1865 on the 1 February 1833 at Christ Church, Castlereagh, NSW.

4. Catherine 'Kite' MCALPIN born in the colony, 9 May 1814 Richmond and died 28 July 1893 Cullen Bullen, NSW. m. William CLARK 1812-1879 on the 16 January 1832 at St.Peter's Church, Richmond. Catherine McALPIN was the first of the McALPIN family born in Australia.
Not long after they were married, William received the licence to the "Woolpack Inn" in Maitland, NSW on 5 July 1833, which he held for the next two years. The family settled in Bulga and lived at "Kegney's Hill" in Bulga in 1846. They left the district in the late 1860's and settled on a property in Ben Bullen on the road between Lithgow and Mudgee - Catherine, did not remarry and remained there after the death of William in 1879.

Peter MCALPIN 1768-1850 next married Eleanor BLAKE b:1788 London, d: July 1850 in Richmond, NSW. on 7 March 1820 in St Peter's, Church of England, Richmond, NSW, Australia. Eleanor BLAKE was assigned from the female factory compound at Parramatta to Peter McALPIN to help out in his home and care for his 4 young children following the premature death of his wife Elisabeth ELTON.

After they married, Eleanor was granted her freedom, it was a disaster, because as soon as she was free, she absconded in 1821 - returned - and left again in 1823. She returned again at some time as she was living in one of the MCALPIN houses when she died.

'Cuimhnich Bas Ailpein'
janilye

For more history and information have a look see at The Clan
this story I contributed to their newsletter.

One other thing I wanted to mention re the name, MacAlpine, McAlpine and McAlpin.
In newspaper articles the name is printed as M'Alpin. On Peter McAlpin's land grant in 1820 the name is printed as Peter M'Alpin. On the New South Wales 1841 census it appears as McAlpine in the electoral roll of 1844 it's McAlpin, which is probably about when it became common use within the family.
On William Glas McAlpin baptisimal record in Stirlingshire it's McAlpine on the Death cert. 1902 McAlpin.
On the death certificate of Peter McAlpin 1768-1850 McAlpine
On all other certificates registered in NSW it appears as McAlpin.
My great grandfather was registered as Alfred McAlpin Eather; However, the MacAlpine, McAlpine's who settled in Victoria retained the 'E' on the tail. Ever since I can remember If it was McAlpin it was nsw and ours, and if you were McAlpine you were Victorian, with the statement "they are not related to us!" Whether it was because of the 'E' or the fact that they were in Victoria, I don't know.
A lot of it was of course due to illiteracy or the uniquely Australian penchant for shortening just about every word in the english language.