MSP traces family history to Auchindrain

Tracing her family tree led a Scottish politician from Fife to Auchindrain in Argyll on Friday March 15.

 

MSP Jenny Gilruth was in the area to visit the home of her great-great grandfather.

 

The SNP Scottish minister from Fife traced her father's ancestors back to Edward McCallum, whose home is still intact and on display in Auchindrain Museum and was offered a tour of the museum to learn more.

 

Spurred on by a suggestion from Argyll and Bute MSP Michael Russell, Jenny stopped by with partner Kezia Dugdale to learn more about her great-great-grandfather's life in Argyll.

 

'My mum had taken an interest in the family line, even though this is not my mum's line,' said Jenny. 'My granny on my dad's side was born on Arran and her dad's from Islay and her mum is from Lochgilphead.'

 

'I've traced more than 200 members of my family going as far back at 1740. It was marginally obsessive for a while.'

 

Jenny Gilruth's great-great grandfather Archibald McCallum was born in Cairndow in 1823 and moved into Edwards House in Auchindrain township in 1829. When his mother died, his father Edward remarried while he was a young boy.

 

With his father too young to give up the farm, Archibald moved to Lochgilphead and started a drapers shop with his brother on Lorne Street. In the late 1890's Archibald became the provost of Lochgilphead and died in his 80s in Lorne Street.

 

'I was quite interested in the politics side of it, because I didn't think anyone in my family had any politics, but we were saying it was less of a political position and more of a civic duty. He would have been respected, or feared. I've got a book about the McCallum's that talks about him being feared which I thought was hilarious.

 

'It's really interesting because the further back you go, especially in Scotland, a lot of things were recorded in Gaelic, or they just weren't recorded or it says 'Eideard' rather than 'Edward', 'MacCallum' or 'McCallum', then it chops and changes and it's difficult to follow the person through the census,' Jenny added.

 

It seems Jenny was pointed to Edward's home in Auchindrain after some small talk with MSP Michael Russell.

 

Jenny said: 'When speaking to Mike in the chamber one day, I randomly mentioned I'm doing my family tree and it turns out that my great-great-grandfather was from somewhere in your neck of the woods. So it was an off the chance mention or I would have never have found out about it.'

 

Jenny has said she would like to return in the summer to hear more stories about her great-great-grandfather.

 

PIC:

 

MSP Michael Russell and former Argyll and Bute councillor Alison Hay offer a certificate of friendship to Jenny Gilruth from Auchindrain Museum. 51_a12Auchindrain07

 

Jenny enjoyed the hospitality of Auchindrain. 51_a12Auchindrain15