Mull MacGillivray Genealogy
This section brings together reconstructed MacGillivray family lines connected with the Isle of Mull.
The research is evidence-led: relationships and events described as certain are supported by surviving records or independently verifiable sources, while probabilities and possibilities are identified clearly.
Research Principles
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Information described as certain must be supported by surviving evidence or be independently verifiable.
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Where the evidence allows only a probability or possibility, that distinction is stated clearly.
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MacGillivray is used as the standard spelling throughout the project, while recognising the many historical variants found in records.
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Additional evidence, corrections and family material are welcome.
Select a family name below to explore the available genealogy and supporting records
What careful research can uncover
“It’s great to trace family history back so far without having to guess and get muddled up. The report was excellent.”
— Andrew McGillivray
Case Study: The MacGillivrays of Lismore and Their Links to Mull
This case study traces one MacGillivray family line from Lismore and explores the evidence linking it to Mull. Using census returns, civil records and family documents, the research separates what can be verified from what is probable or possible, creating a clearer picture of the family without relying on unsupported assumptions.
Malcolm MacGillivray was born in Ardalanish, Isle of Mull, around 1795. He was married to Catherine Campbell on March 29th 1825. Below is their direct family including marriages that are verified so far.
The photo on the right is of Shiaba, where some of the family lived in 1851. This family forms a part of the story in Echoes of the Clearances.
John 's exact date and place of birth cannot be verified, but we do know lots about him and his family. John married Annie McLean in 1860 in Torrans. John and Annie built the farmhouse Cnocoran on the Isle of Iona's West End in the late 1860's after relocating from Killunaig on Mull. Their story is the subject of my book Echoes of the Clearances.
Christina MacGillivray, daughter of Malcolm MacGillivray (1795-1872) and Donald Mckinnon were married in Clyde, Scotland on 29 November 1870. They emigrated to New Zealand on board the Peter Denny, 24 August 1875 sailing from Clyde to Otago.
Below is a photo of the ship Peter Denny, (Credit - De Maus, David Alexander, 1847-1925. The sailing ship Peter Denny in Otago Harbour. De Maus, David Alexander, 1847-1925 :Shipping negatives. Ref: 1/2-015489-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23188466)
