Thanks Sue and Dixie. I actually knew about the Robert born in 1831. He died in 1864 and could not be the father of my grandfather Duncan McAlister who was born in 1876. Seems like confirmation of the grandson bit, with the 1831 Robert his uncle. If the 1850/51 Robert was the illegitimate son of Kirsty McAlister, why might he be called McDougall in 1851 and 1861, then McAlister thereafter. I have been looking around to see if I could find a McDougall who might have been married to Kirsty, hence the name used in 1851 and 1861, but there are just too many possibilities. No idea where to go from here. Thanks anyway Fiona _________________________________________________________________ Be the first to hear what's new at MSN - sign up to our free newsletters! http://www.msn.co.uk/newsletters

I had a relation, circa 1850's, in Argyll, who had an illegitimate baby and named the father. She never married but the child went under the surname of the father. This could have been the case with your Robert McDougall. Maybe when Robert got older he rejected his father's surname and took on his mother's and grandfather's surname. A possibility?. Celia.