Munro of Killichoan

The Munros of Killichoan were a minor noble Scottish family and a cadet branch of the ancient Clan Munro, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands. They were seated at Killichoan House which was in the parish of Kiltearn near to the boundary with the parish of Dingwall in Easter Ross.[1] Killichoan House was held by this Munro family for five generations, one of whom was a missionary to the Mohawks.[1][2]

History

David Munro, I of Killichoan

David Munro, 1st of Killichoan was the second son of Farquhar Munro, 3rd of Teanoird, who in turn was a grandson of Farquahar Munro, 1st of Teanoird, who in turn was the fifth son of Alexander Munro 1st of Kiltearn, who in turn was the fourth son of Hugh Munro, 1st of Coul, who in turn was the third son of George Munro, 10th Baron of Foulis, chief of the Clan Munro, (d.1452).[3]

In 1682, David Munro, 1st of Killichoan and his brother Donald were found guilty by the Presbytery of Dingwall for having led cattle into a church, and the Presbytery told them that after a sermon, they were to, in front of the congregation, "humbly acknowledge and confess their fault for offering to profane such a place" and that they would be rebuked.[2]

David Munro, 1st of Killichoan married Margaret, daughter of Roderick Mackenzie, 5th of Fairburn and had the following children:

  1. Alexander Munro, 2nd of Killichoan.
  2. John Munro, who married and left issue.
  3. William Munro, of whom nothing is known.

Alexander Munro, II of Killichoan

Alexander Munro, 2nd of Killichoan was an elder in the Kiltearn parish church.[2] In 1708 he was instructed by the Session to deal with the people of Killichoan who did not attend church, and that if they continued with that "Godless practice" then they would be obliged to answer to the Session.[2] The Session also appointed Alexander and his uncle Donald to keep the Session informed as to those and their locality who did not regularly attend church.[2]

Alexander Munro, 2nd of Killichoan married Janet, daughter of the Rev. John Mackillican, minister of Fodderty and Alness.[2] They had the following children:

  1. John Munro, 3rd of Killichoan.
  2. David Munro, who in 1710 appeared before the Session of Kiltearn on a charge of adultery with a Mary Mitchell and was ordered to appear "before the congregation next Lord’s Day in testimony of his repentance" for the offence.[2]
  3. Robert Munro, tenant of Clare, who was "dilated" for fornication with one Catherine Buie at a meeting of the Kiltearn Session on 28 March 1711, of which there is no further record.[2] In 1723 a woman called Mary Bain in Clare complained to the Kiltearn Session that the same Robert Munro had fathered her child, which Robert denied.[2] However, the Session ordered Robert Munro's servants to assist Mary Bain in Clare.[2][note 1] There is no further record of this case, it having apparently collapsed.[2] Robert Munro seems to have died unmarried.[2] His gravestone dated 1744 with his initials and a Munro Eagle was believed to have been at the Cille Bhrea church, or St.Brig's Chapel or St.Mary's, but since 1966 it has disappeared.[8] An alternative account of Robert Munro is given below in the section about his alleged son, Henry Munro.[9]
  4. Christian Munro, who married the Rev. John Morrison who was successively minister of Glenelg, Boleskine, Gairloch and Urray, with issue.[2]

John Munro, III of Killichoan

John Munro, 3rd of Killichoan appears on record on 5 October 1722 alongside his chief, Sir Robert Munro, 6th Baronet, the baronet’s brother George Munro, 1st of Culcairn and George Munro of Lemlair, who were appointed by the Kiltearn Session to present and prosecute a call given by the congregation to the Rev. William Stewart of Inverness, before the Presbytery of Inverness.[2] John Munro, 3rd of Killichoan was an elder in the Kiltearn Church and also a Justice of the Peace for the county of Ross.[2]

John Munro, 3rd of Killichoan married firstly Margret, daughter of the Rev. William Macbeth, minister of Olrick.[2] Margaret died in 1723 leaving an only son who died in 1724.[2] John Munro married secondly, Janet, daughter of John Mackenzie of Inchvannie, without issue.[2]

Henry Munro

A notable member of the Munro of Killichoan family is Henry Munro (1730 - 1801).[10] Born in Scotland, Henry Munro became a chaplain in the army serving in America.[10] In 1765 he changed to the Church of England, becoming a missionary in the New York frontier and had considerable influence among the Mohawks.[10] He was imprisoned for his Loyalist sympathies, however he eventually escaped and returned to Scotland.[10]

Different sources give a different ancestry for Henry Munro: Alexander Mackenzie doesn't mention him at all.[2] However, according to Henry Munro's son-in-law, Donald Fisher, Henry Munro was the son of Dr Robert Munro who in turn was the son of Alexander Munro, Laird of Killichoan.[9] In contrast to Mackenzie's account of the said Robert Munro (given above), Fisher states that Robert was a physician by profession, and joined the royal forces, under Lord Loudon during the Jacobite rising of 1745 against Bonnie Prince Charlie.[9] Fisher goes on to say that Robert served the whole of the long and fatiguing campaign of 1745, suffered exceedingly from exposure and privation, and died from the consequences the following year, quite a young man.[9] Fisher also gives a more recent connection to the Munros of Foulis than Mackenzie (who's version is given above). Fisher states that the said Alexander Munro, Laird of Killichoan was the son of Robert, son of the Laird of Teanaird (Teanoird) who in turn was a son of Robert Munro of Foulis.[9]

Killichoan

Killichoan House was burnt in 1982, although it had previously been renamed Mountrich by later owners.[1] The remains of the old chapel at Killichoan were destroyed by the Highland Railway.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Munro, R.W. (1987). Mapping the Clan Munro. Published by the Clan Munro (Association). Printed by Lindsay & Co Ltd., Edinburgh.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Mackenzie, Alexander. (1898). History of the Munros of Fowlis. pp. 406 - 409.
  3. ↑ Mackenzie. (1898). pp. 406, 401, 400, 377 and 342.
  4. ↑ Wilson, Donald. A. (2014). Interpreting Land Records (second edition). p. 105
  5. ↑ Hey, David. (2006). Family Names and Family History. p. 87.
  6. ↑ Mosman, J. The Curious Custom of Using Aliases.
  7. ↑ Rogers, Colin. D. (1997). Family Tree Detective: Tracing Your Ancestors in England and Wales. p. 78.
  8. ↑ KILTEARN PARISH THE SETTING p. 4 of 36. studylib.net. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Fisher, Arthur H. - "NY Gen. & Bio. Rec." Vol iv., #3
  10. 1 2 3 4 McNie, Alan. (1986). Your Clan Heritage, Clan Munro. Cascade Publishing Company. ISBN 0 907614 078. p. 28.
  11. ↑ EVANTON ORAL HISTORY PROJECT Booklet no. 5 KILTEARN PARISH - ESTATE NOTES p. 22 of 96. studylib.net. Retrieved April 26, 2016.

Notes

  1. ↑ A Kiltearn parish marriage record of 1750 shows that a Mary Munro "alias Bayne" who lived in the same small farmstead of Clair (Clare) married at the same location of Clair, one Alexander Munro. Several genealogical sources state that the use of an alias in the parish registers was an indication illegitimacy, with Mary Munro "alias Bayne" suggesting that she was the illegitimate daughter of a man with the surname Munro and a woman with the surname Bayne (synonymous with Bain).[4][5][6][7] The children born to this Mary Munro "alias Bayne" and her husband Alexander Munro were: Donald (1751), Kate (1753), Hugh (1756), Alexander (1758), Janet (1760) Donald (1766) and John (1768) as per the Kiltearn parish registers.

See also

External links

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