Thank you to John Roberts for sending this fascinating and comprehensive information (and images). This is a lot of work which we are sure will be appreciated by many! 

Read on:

THE MCLEANS OF CAERLAVEROCK (1722 – 2019)

Clan Mclean, one of the oldest Highland Clans and whose motto is ‘ Virtue mine honour’ supported ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ in the Jacobite rebellions but on returning from ‘the lost cause’ in England some fighters settled in the borders and this is where the story begins in the village of Greenmill, Caerlaverock

Greenmill ‘stood on Lochar Water at the Eastern village of the Parish of Caerlaverock, contigious with the Post Office village of Bankend

Little appears to have been written about Greenmill but the system of farm work was what we call to-day, ‘contract work’ and changing jobs was quite common. The turn of the century was a time of bad harvest and famine conditions caused by the war with France, the country was in turmoil and so was its record keeping !!!

All is not lost, however, the Mclean gravestones in Caerlaverock church cemetery reveal the place, date and age at death of family members

The eldest was George McClean (Mclean), who died at Greenmill on 10 March 1818, aged 96, which was exceptional when average life expectancy was early 70’s

The first and second generations lived in Greenmill or Kelton and with a few exceptions remained there

The first exception was  Tailor, Joseph Mclean’s (1773 -1847) children ; Robert Mclean (1800 – 1877) who moved to Barton upon Irwell in Lancashire, England, a master builder employing 19 men and 3 boys ! He was later joined by his sister Mary Wilkine Mclean (1799 – 1865), seamstress, and George Peter Phillips Gray (1840 – 1917), Robert Mclean Gray (1842 – ) sons of Elizabeth, Robert’s other sister. Both Grays became successful in the Textile Trade

The second exception was James Mclean’s (1755 – 1818) daughter Marion Mclean (1793 – 1875) who married James Stott (1793 – 1847) of Dunscore, a Master Mariner and Ship Owner, who moved to the Port of Liverpool. James sadly died of Typhoid on one of his voyages and is buried in the British Hospital in Istanbul. Proceeds from the sale of his ship never reached Marion yet she survived to 82 years by taking in lodgers, mainly seamen

It was not until the third generation that the Mcleans were on the move again, of ship’s carpenter Thomas Mclean ( 1810 – 1882) and his wife Elizabeth Finlay’s (1813 – 1874) children of Conheath Lodge, Kelton, three remained with them whilst

James (1834-1920) ship’s carpenter moved to Birkenhead, Grace (1836-1904) domestic servant at Netherwood Mains Farm, married George Irving, a railway engine driver, and moved to Newtown, Carlisle, William (1838 -1919) ship’s carpenter moved to Liverpool, Jane (1842-1927) married Baker Charles Stewart Stott (1840-1919) who ran an Inn,  had five children then moved back to Glencaple and had a further two. Charles ran an Inn in Dumfries, became a Wine merchant and acquired a number of properties in Dumfries and Glencaple before retiring there

Janet Mclean (1860-1909) domestic servant, moved to be near sister Grace in Newtown, Carlisle

With the thriving shipping industry in Liverpool and textiles in Manchester the fourth generation of Mcleans stayed put apart from Jane and family who had returned to Scotland and settled

The first World War inevitably had its impact and the story of one William Smith Mclean (1880-1919), my 1st cousin x 2 removed, son of William Mclean (1838-1919) ship’s carpenter is a touching one and brings the Mclean story right up 10 May 2019

WW1 hero, William Smith McLean has lain in an unmarked grave at St Annes Parish Church for one hundred years, but now at last he has a memorial stone and his service to his country has been recognised. Born in Liverpool in 1880 and married there in 1902, William and his wife Elspet had three children Elsie, Jeanie and William and came to live in St Annes with William working as a watchmaker and jeweller for WS Thompson in The Square. Initially it was unmarried and younger men who went off to fight in the war, but with casualties at record levels older family men had to enlist as well.

In August 1917 William therefore enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps and became an Air Mechanic just as another child, Mona Alberta, had been born. William served in France and was finally discharged on 5th April 1919. Sadly, just as he returned, he caught the Spanish flu and five weeks later on 10th May 1919 he died and was buried 3 days later at St Annes Parish Church. His death is reported in the St Annes Express on 16th May 1919, which said, “He leaves a widow and four young children with whom deep sympathy will be felt.”

Naturally his wife, Elspet, had bigger concerns than the provision of a headstone on his grave, though his name was included on the Ashton Gardens memorial in 1924. Fortunately, all those names have been researched by Fiona & Gerald Wilson, members of Lytham Heritage Group, so William’s story had come to light, but the location of his grave at St Annes Parish Church remained a mystery until early in 2018, when their research took them to Lancashire Archives in Preston and they found a record of the location of the grave in the St Annes Burial Registers.

Unfortunately, as William died after discharge from the RAF, albeit only five weeks afterwards, he does not qualify for a Commonwealth War Graves headstone, Gerald floated the idea with the church congregation that a dozen or so subscribers could club together and
pay for the memorial stone that William did not get when he died. This soon gained enough support for the project to proceed and the stone was finally installed with a service of dedication led by Fr David Lyon on the centenary of William’s death on Sat 10 May 2019. The ceremony was attended by St Annes Town Mayor, Karen Henshaw, donors, and some of William’s family.

See main image (above)

91672 Air Mechanic William Smith Mclean Watchmaker Served in France Discharged 5th April 1919 Died 10 May 1919 Aged 39 Leaving a widow & four children Memorial erected by Community Subscription 2019

 

If you have some interesting information, or local historical data that you’d like to share, do send it to us at caerlaverockcommunity@gmail.com