Genealogy Chat

Please can anyone give me any idea what they think this name is supposed to be? MC Gilthighnich I found it in the LDS (typed out with no source of info). Archibald McGilthighnich is the father of Duncan b c 1771 and Niel b c1773 - McGilthighnich or Shaw on Islay Island, Argyll Sure its been mis-transcribed as have used surname index and tried to check births/marriages on census. Any ideas greatfully received.

Not sure Julie, it could be gaelic. At that time they would not speak that much english would they? I know that "Tigh an Truish" translates to House of Trousers so I could see that they would spell it magnificently! Also could the recorder have been unused to the language and accent so that they simply wrote down what they heard? Try saying it out loud and writing down what you hear. Could make it clearer. Good luck Abigail

The name McGilthighnich (or Shaw) also appears on this page http://www.members.shaw.ca/Buteshire/marriages_buteshire_database_exchange%20M-Mc-Mac.htm There is a name there you could contact (unless YOU are Bill McKinlay!).

Thanks for the web address - have just emailed Bill and thank you all for the other suggestions too. So there's at least 3 people (children?) with this unusual father's name. (quite a mouthful). There are some other interesting surnames on that site too. I'm just hoping Bill can shed some light on it. He's seems to have lots of interest in Bute.

Hi Julie, my mother is from the outer hebrides and it certainly looks like Gaelic to me. Just rung her up but she's not in so i'll ask her when she calls me back. (My mothers maiden name is Smith, not very scottish sounding i know, but this translates to something that doesn't sound anything like it) Gaelic is a very difficult language and a lot of the people from the outer isles had nick names in gaelic too which makes things doubly difficult, i.e. Malcolm Smith was known as Calum Taileir. Calum is gaelic for Malcolm and Taileir was something to do with the profession of a tailor, which this Malcolm wasn't but someone further down the line probably was. Who said family research was easy!! will let you know. Pam

Julie, mum just called me back. She thinks its definately gaelic if its from Islay but she has no idea what it means. She will lookin her gaelic dictionary to see if anything comes up for Shaw or McGilthighnich. Just to confuse things further, she told me the name for Smith is different for men and women! Macagaobhainn is male meaning "son of" Smith and nicagaobhainn is female and means "daughter of" Smith. Told you it was a difficult language. Pam

Thanks Pam Wonder then if the name is Shaw in gaelic???/. Well hubbies family has gone everywhere - started off in Edinburgh moved up to Angus then down to Glasgow and then Berwick on Tweed back to Edinburgh and now Western Isles. Thank goodness for scotlandspeople. I've just dabbled in my english and irish roots so far but I'm beginning to fear that I won't get back very far and it takes an awful lot longer and is more expensive!!! The dreaded 1881 census and born in Ireland springs to mind!!!!!

Could well be Shaw. No response from mother dearest so i assume she hasn't the foggiest (a lot of good that was). Maybe try putting gaelic translations into google? Isn't Scotlands Poeple fantastic? Just spent yet another £12 on there tonight but it's never wasted, excellent value. Haven't had to order any certs yet but i think i may well have hit the wall now at c1755. Best of luck Pam

Have done as you suggested and gone on a scots gaelic translation forum and left a message. Hope someone can make sense of it. Have you also tried scotsorigins com - I've used it to cross reference parish records. I think I've hit a brick wall too on a couple of threads as IGI records don't like going into the 1700's.

Hi Julie, Have you tried the Islay and Jura Family History Centre in Bowmore, Islay they may be able to help you. I have lived on Islay but am not familiar with this spelling and I know a wee bit of Gaelic. The "th" is usually silent in the middle of a word, the "gh" could be silent or a guttural g. Could it be McGillivray or McGill or a very bad spelling of McLean? There are families named Shaw still living on Islay. Hope you find what you're looking for. Siobhan

I got a reply from Bill who said that a lot of names were anglicised in Bute from around 1750. He also suggested looking at a book called BLACK'S "SURNAMES OF SCOTLAND" Thanks everyone for your help and Pam for asking your Mum too. Will try the Bowmore Islay and Jura genealogy and probably post on the rootsweb islay site too (if I haven't done it already) I get their digest of scotland and have registered the digests for loads of surnames too. Thanks everyone