Part 2

EXTRACTS FROM RENT BOOK OF LOUP ESTATE 1835-36:

At this time John McCallum and his son John, Jr., were tenants of the farm of Corran at an annual rental of 130 pounds. The rent was paid in two installments, at Martinmas (November) 1835 and Whitsunday (May) 1836. At Whitsunday 1835 they were in arrears, which they paid off. They made the following payments in 1836.

June 6 ---30 pounds Dec 16 --- 13 pounds
July 11---30 pounds Dec 16 --- 8 pounds-17-3
Oct 31 -- 25 pounds-2-9 Dec. 31 --- (by abatement) 13 pounds --- 130 pounds

This shows the struggle to make the rent due which caused many farmers to abandon any hope of a better life so they left and emigrated to America. The McCallum family remained in Corran until 1841 when they left to farm at Ardlamy in the Isle of Gigha, which lies off the west coast of Kintyre.

By that time many of the smaller farmers were in dire trouble owing to the nature of the weather, which remained wet until 1845, the period of 1839-45 being known as "the six wet years." This was the cause of the failure of the potato crop in Ireland, causing many to die of starvation and huge numbers to emigrate to America.

A further search of the only remaining rent book of Loup Estate revealed that in 1841 the McCallum family gave up their leases of Corran and Achvrad. John McCallum, Sr., remained in Corran, but his son John had the sheep farm of Achvrad at rent of 38 pounds per annum. When the family left they owned nothing to the Laird of Loup.

The writer had a visit from the Rev. John R.H. Fowler and his wife from Ottawa in 1986, who stated they descended from Nathanial McCallum from Kilcalmonell Parish, who early last century emigrated to Canada. A search of the rental of Loup Estate for 1816 found that, with three other tenants, he has a 1/8 share of the farm of South Loup at annual rent of 13 pounds-15. (He was then in arrears for the 37 pounds-8 for the years 1814-15. In 1818, he was paying arrears with a cow and two bolls of potatoes-Ed.) Like many other small farmers and crofters, he was sequestered and turned to life as a lobster fisherman before emigrating to Canada.

Many of the estate farms were then merged into much larger farms and relet to tenant farmers from outwith the area who were able to offer much higher rents for them, and with the ever increasing profitability of sheep farming there was a mass emigration to America of the poorer people as at that period a cottar had no legal rights whatsoever and could be evicted at an hour's notice if he fell foul of the laird or his factor.

In 1815 the McEwing family were also tenants of the farm of Leamnamuic on Loup Estate, it being in the hands of two brothers, James and John Ewing. This family also had several daughters, one of whom married a McCallum and settled in Ontario north of Toronto. The McEwing families later split up following the divisions within the Church of Scotland in 1842-43 and settled in Ontario, returning to Scotland on several occasions to purchase Clydesdale horses which were shipped from the Clyde to Montreal.

JOHN THE WEAVER

John McCallum, born 1774, is listed in the militia list of 1797 as a weaver; on 21 Dec 1799 he married Grizel (Grace) Macalister, daughter of Robert Macalister and his spouse Christy Taylor, who farmed at Oragaig in Skipness Parish. This was one of the principal farms of the time for growing flax for the weaving industry. Their son John, born in Clachan I 1815, emigrated to Canada in 1874. He was married to Mysie McEachran, also from Clachan, and both died in Canada. Archibald McCallum, their son, had a brilliant law career and was appointed to the Judiciary in Canada.

After the purchase of Balinakill and Loup Estates by William McKinnon in 1867, a new Free Church was built by Sir William, who was knighted by Queen Victoria. John McCallum was the founder elder of this church, together with John MacDonald from Contin, Ross-shire, who was chief gardener on the estate. The old lodge, now a listed building, originally was situated at the main entrance to Balinakill House and was the meeting place of the Free Church Session. The last meeting of the Kirk Session attended by John McCallum was the 10 of May, 1873. His name was struck from the Communion Roll in June 1874, reason: Removed to America.

NOTES ON MCCALLUM FAMILIES IN CLACHAN ca 1815-20

There were at least three families in and around the village. Archibald McCallum, schoolmaster and Procurator for Angus MacAlister of Balinakill; John McCallum, tenant of Clachan Smithy, and also the John listed as tenant of the small croft of Achadubh near the village. All these properties were on Balinakill Estate, the property of Angus MacAlister. The old parish register of Kilcalmonell will certainly show the birth of John McCallum. The register is held in Register House, Edinburgh. Records of the McEachern families show that John McCallum married Marion McEachern, the youngest daughter of Malcolm McEachern and Margaret (Peggy) Beith, Lochend of Kiarran, a small farm situated at the east end of Loch Kiarran, some two miles east of Clachan. This old farm is now a ruin with only a few stones of the
actual farmhouse left.

Some of the McEachern families later took the name of Cochran in Canada. Most of the farmers at this time in Kintyre were actively engaged in the making of illicit whisky in order to be able to pay the high rents demanded by landowners of that period.

LIST OF MCCALLUM FAMILIES RECORDING CHILDREN IN KILLEAN AND KILKENZIE
- from earliest baptismal records of parish. These commence May, 1784.

Archibald McCallum and Alice McMillan
Mary Bapt. 27 May 1785 Kilmaluag
Margaret Bapt. 13 Jan 1787 Bellochantuy
Duncan Bapt. 14 May 1789 Bellochantuy
Jean Bapt 3 Oct 1793 Bellochantuy

Neil McCallum and Mary McCallum
Mary Bapt. 21 Aug 1785

Gilbert McCallum and Catherine McFattair
Marion Bapt. 3 Nov 1785 Killean
Duncan Bapt 12 May 1791 Coliska

Alexander McCallum and Catherine McCallum
Elizabeth Bapt. 26 Mar 1786 Breakacha
Archibald Bapt 19 Oct 1788 Breakacha
Mary Bapt 1 Aug 1790 Breakacha

Duncan McCallum and Catherine McCallum
Catherine Bapt 5 Feb 1787 Ballergiebeg

Gilbert McCallum and Mary Leitch
Neil Bapt. 19 May 1787 Arnicle

Malcolm McCallum and Marion McMillan
Alexander Bapt. 19 Apr 1787 Rhudugh]
Donald Bapt 14 Jan 1790 " (Rhudu)
Duncan Bapt. 19 Oct 1792 Rhudugh
Alexander Bapt 2 Oct 1794 Rhudugh
Gilbert Bapt 20 Sept 1796 Largie

Peter McCallum and Florence Blue
Mary Bapt. 30 Sept 1788 Rosehill

Neil McCallum and Mary Curry
Margaret Bapt 17 Jan 1789 Largie
Margaret Bapt 27 June 1791 Achapharic

Duncan McCallum and Isabella McMillan
John Bapt. 22 Apr 1789 Gortenafaul

Duncan McCallum and Florence Micheal (Carmichael)
Neil Bapt. 12 Aug 1789 Becharra

Malcolm McCallum and Isabella McConachy
Mary Bapt. 23 May 1790 Achadaduie
Peter Bapt. 23 Apr 1792 Achadaduie
John Bapt 5 Aug 1794 Achadaduie
Malcolm Bapt 3 Feb 1796 Achadaduie