Donald Blue

Notes:

1827 census Gigha


Died:
Died aged 60 at Ardelay

Donald married Barbara Smith on 18 Jun 1840 in Isle of Gigha, Argyll, Scotland, UK. Barbara (daughter of Archibald Smith and Barbara MacNeill) was born on 25 Jun 1813 in Isle of Gigha, Argyll, Scotland, UK; died on 31 Jan 1849 in Isle of Gigha, Argyll, Scotland, UK. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Donald Blue from Killean Parish with Barbara Smith from Carnvigoith

Source Kintyre Magazine nr 23
Research on the Gigha branch of the family showed Malcolm Blue to be miller at Ardelay in 1795. In 1827 Ardelay was occupied by Elizabeth Galbraith, a widow of 64 years. She engaged Donald Blue from Killean as miller. In an old record he gave his age as 40 years at that time. He subsequently married Barbra Smith, daughter of a nearby farmer. In 1847 his mother died at Ardelay aged 84 years to be followed by himself shortly afterwards. His wife died early in 1849 but it is probable they had a family as a Donald Blue signed the call to a Mr. Duncan Black to come as parish minister after the death of the Rev. Dr. James Curdie. The old document was dated 24 December 1868.

1. Donald Blue was born on 18 Jun 1846 in Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland, UK; was christened on 20 Jun 1846 in Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland, UK; died on 12 Apr 1915 in Isle of Gigha, Argyll, Scotland, UK; was buried in Isle of Gigha, Argyll, Scotland, UK.

Notes:

We do not know if the fathers name was Donald or not, but we presume it was Donald as the first son of son Donald is called Donald

Donald married Elizabeth Galbraith. Elizabeth was born about 1767; died on 30 Mar 1847 in Isle of Gigha, Argyll, Scotland, UK. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

1827 census Gigha


Died:
Died at Mill

Notes:

Died:
died at Ardelay

Buried:
Sacred to the memory of Donald Blue, miller, Ardelay who died April 1778 aged 69 years and of Merran McNeil his wife who died Sep 1758 aged 46 years.

Donald married Merran MacNeill. Merran was born about 1711; died in Sep 1758 in Isle of Gigha, Argyll, Scotland, UK; was buried in Isle of Gigha, Argyll, Scotland, UK. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried:
Sacred to the memory of Donald Blue, miller, Ardelay who died April 1778 aged 69 years and of Merran McNeil his wife who died Sep 1758 aged 46 years.

Notes:

Married:
Source Kintyre Magazine 23
The Blues of North Kintyre
Ian MacDonald
A letter to our editor from Mr. John Blue of Plano, Texas, asking for confirmation that the family originally McGORME or McGURMEN had originated in Knapdale before spreading to Kintyre and the nearby islands, was sent to me and the subsequent research on the families produced some interesting details on the families in Kintyre and Knapdale. The old Gaelic surname was found to vary from being written as McGURMEN, McGURMAN, McGURMAINE, depending on the locality. The earliest traces, however, were found in North Kintyre in the parish of Kilcalmonell and later in Killean parish to the south, before several listed as rebels in the 1685 rising by the Earl of Argyll were located in the Tayvallish peninsula of North Knapdale. The remainder both in Knapdale and Kintyre remained loyal and are all listed as fensible men of various parishes in 1692.
The family were renowned meal millers and operated the mills at Ballochroy, Tayinloan (Largie), Killean, Glachaig, Glenbarr and Kylipole (Calliburn) during the 18th and 19th centuries. Several were weavers, shoemakers and farmers in various parts of Kintyre. Later generations became shoemakers, slaters and builders in Campbeltown, whilst others left their native shores to settle in America and Canada. The earliest member traced was Malcolm Blue, a tenant at Kilhammag in Kilcalmonell Parish, Barony of Knapdale in 1627.
On 26 February 1627 John MacDonald, heritable proprietor of the 8 merklands of KILCHAMAG, GARNAGRENOCK and MUCKROY issued a Precept of Warning to the four pretended tenants of his lands in Knapdale. It was written in Edinburgh, signed by himself and witnessed by Charles McAlester and John McKay. The warning was sent to Adam McKay, sheriff in Kintyre to execute. It ordered Malcolm MoIlgorme and the other three pretended tenants to flit, remove with their spouses, bairns and stock, etc. before Whitsunday 1627.
The warning was to be made at the next preaching of God's word or prayers in the parish church of Kilcalmonell allowing 40 days for the completion and compliance. No further details were found until 1685 when Donald, Donald jun., Iver and John (Blue) McGurman living on the island of Gigha took the oath of allegiance on 10th Sept. 1685 at Campbeltown together with a number of others from the Glen Barr area of Kintyre who had fled to the island for safety. By then Angus and Dugald McIlguirme were located on the farms of Ducheran and Barmollach in Saddell, then part of Killean Parish whilst Duncan McIlguirme was farmer at Amod, also nearby in Barr Glen.
When emigration from Kintyre, due to high rents and oppresion, commenced about 1730 Malcolm Blue, his spouce More (Sara) Smith, and their three young sons left, it is believed with the Neil McNeill batch of colonisers about 1746/47. Their three sons were Daniel, Duncan and John and five more children were born near Campbelltown (Fayetteville). Subsequently several other members of the family also emigrated to the Cape Fear area the main port of arrival being Wilmington, North Carolina. On 2nd September 1748 the Presbyterian Community in Bladen Country petitioned the Synod of Argyll to send them out a minister. Malcolm Blue was one of the signatories of the original which is preserved in the Archives of Inverary Castle. His son John 1745-1781 was a colonel in the Revolutionary War. He married Mary McKay and their eldest son John married Effie Gilchrist, the only daughter of John Gilchrist and Flora Currie. The Gilchrist family farmed at North Loch Kiarran near the village of Clachan before emigrating in 1771 to North Carolina. Their grandson, Rear Admiral Victor Blue, was accorded every possible military honour when he died in 1928. In an illustrious career in the Navy he was decorated many times and served in the North Sea Fleet, being commander of U.S.S. Texas in World War I.
After the Jacobite rebellion of 1745 and the onset of less troubled times the most of the Blue families located in the Largieside area of Kintyre. The oldest grave stones known to the writer are in