Kilchonate

[Saltheart]

I am not a member of Clan Cameron, but actually trace my roots to Clan McNaughten. In researching my family's history, I found a book that mentions that we go back to the area around a village called Kilquahanitie. I've searched for almost 20 years but have been unable to find any trace of such a place. Then I found on your history pages regarding the Battle of Inverlochy a mention of a village called Kilchonate. I'm thinking that the author of the book I originally found just misspelled the name, and actually meant this village of Kilchonate. The only problem I find now is that I can't seem to locate this village on any map. Does anyone know where it is, or possibly was, if it is no longer in existence? I want to find out in preparation for an upcoming trip to Scotland. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[ChrisDoak]

Hiya,

Loathe as I am to dissuade you from travelling to Lochaber,I think the place you are looking for is actually located at the other end of Scotland - in Galloway,in south-west Scotland.

Kilquhanity lies in the County of Kirkcudbrightshire,just to the north of the town of Castle Douglas,and to the south-east of Knockvennie.

I don't believe there is much there now apart from Kilquhanity House,which was built in 1820,and which was until recently,the infamous Kilquhanity House School - a boarding school run on progressive lines.

I think I am right in saying that there was a sept of the McNaughton Clan in this part of Galloway.

I hope you enjoy your visit to Scotland,and if you do come up to the Highlands,the farm of Kyllichonate(and numerous other variations of spellings) can be found just to the south-east of Spean Bridge.

Regards,Chris.

[Saltheart]

Finally, after 20 years of searching, my quest yields fruit. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I've looked into this and you are quite right. Everything fits. This will be a once in a lifetime trip for me, so I plan on exploring all of Scotland that I can, so this doesn't necessarily dissuade me from visiting Lochaber. If everyone in Scotland is as nice and helpful as you've been, it truly will be a wonderful experience. God's blessings on ya.

[Eilidh]

Hi Saltheart and Chris
Further to this query. W & A K Johnston's Gazeteer of Scotland published in 1937 says:
Kilquahanity - hamlet 2 m. west of Kirkpatrick-Durham, Kirkcudbrightshire. And for
Kirkpatrick-Durham it says - parish (pop 738) and village(pop 241) on the Urr in N E Kirkcudbrightshire. Village 5 miles NE of Castle-Douglas. Have a lovely trip
Best wishes Ele

[Elizabeth]

Dear Saltheart,
I have just found your enquiry. Kilchonate is about a mile from Spean Bridge in Lochaber. I am a Macnaughton and there are Macnaughtons from Kilchonate recorded in the Old Parish Registers.
Kilmonivaig OPR
Baptism 14th may 1820 Mary, Dau. of John Macnaughton, Kilchonnet
Marriage. 15th June 1819 Angus Campbell , Munaface and Kett Macnaughton Kilochonnet
There are a number of Macnaughtons recorded in surrounding areas also. e.g. Tirandris, Blarour, Greenfield, Lianachan,
Coirechoille, Achindaul, Choillechirreil and Letterfinlay. There were more in the area around Fort William an Locheilside. My gg grandfather, John MacNaughton was married to Margaret Cameron but I cannot find their birth or baptism. His death certificate states that he was born in Kilmonivaig and we know that he and his wife died in Corriebeg, Locheilside in Kilmallie.
Have you any details of your Macnaughtons? Would love to find the birth of John Macnaughton in !789 and his brother, Duncan and sister, Mary.
Will be glad to give you any help that I can for your forthcoming visit. I definately think that the Kiochonnet you want is here in Lochaber.
Every good wish,
Elizabeth

[ChrisDoak]

Hi Elizabeth,

When I replied to Saltheart's query ,I didn't want to muddy the waters (and add more confusion to his quest to locate the McNaughtons from Kilquhanity) ,by mentioning the various McNaughtons who did live in the neighbourhood of Killiechonate.

As far as I can ascertain,the McNaughtons only seem to have arrived in the Lochaber area after the 1745 Rebellion,maybe only a couple of families,and possibly from the Loch Tay region.In Lochaber they were all tenants of the Duke of Gordon,resident in the Kilmonivaig Parish.I shall list a few bits and pieces of information I have picked up over the years,which may be of use to you in the research of your family:

Always a good starting point is the Survey carried out by the Duke of Gordon in 1778,of all able-bodied men between the ages of 16 and 60 living on his property in Lochaber (he was promised a bounty from the Government for every man he recruited for the Military).The following are recorded:

TOMICHARRICH:Donald McNaughton.

CORYCONLIE (CORRYCHOILE):Malcolm McNaughton and his sons John and Duncan,and two other Duncan McNaughtons.

Regarding the Donald McNaughton in Tomicharrich,he was a witness that same year(1778) in a Land Court Hearing,when he was described as being aged 50,married,and resident at that village for 27 years.For the past 20 years he had been the Collector of the Cess.

The McNaughtons in Coryconlie were more numerous,and I have a bit more on them as follows:

1771:Land Court Witness- Malcolm McNaughton.

1779:Malcolm McNaughton drowns in a river.His son Malcolm complains to the Factor that the Tacksman of the farm,a Bailie McPherson,is trying to turn out his widow and her children.

1780:Bailie McPherson makes an attempt to evict Malcolm and Duncan McNaughton for "having too many infected goats".In a petition to the Factor,Duncan clarifies that he has lived here since 1773,and Malcolm since 1770.Malcolm lived previously at nearby Fersit.

1805:Lease not re-newed:John,Donald,and Duncan McNaughton.They claimed they had lived here with their father since 1788,but were also former Tacksmen of Letterfinlay.

That same year,possibly the above three,were recorded as living at Letterfinlay:

1805.Valuation Roll - Duncan doun McNaughton,Duncan McNaughton vic Homas (residing at Borline of Glengarry),Donald McNaughton,and John McNaughton.

I know also of a Finlay McNaughton in Tirindrish,who in 1808 took out some Legal Action against a John McNaughton in Bohenie.

Anyone here you can connect to,Elizabeth?

Regards,Chris.

[Saltheart]

Well, I seem to have sparked some discussion here, which I think is a good thing. Thanks so much for your input. I need to go back to our local genealogy library and look at the book where I originally gleaned my info from, but I'm pretty sure I recall it mentioning Galloway, so I suspect Chris is on the money with my branch. I do know that my branch was in the U.S., in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia by the mid to late 1700's, so the lists mentioned wouldn't affect my line. They were also going by the name McNutt by that time. I'll check out the book again and update you on what I find out. Again, thank you so much for your help and I can't wait to visit my Mother Country. I want to see as much of it as possible while I'm there. As I said, this trip has been a lifelong dream of mine and I want to make the most of it, so I will do my best to visit Lochaber as well where my family springs from.