Hi All, Perhaps someone out there might have the answer. In the 1891 Census we have :- 1891 Torosay District : 1 Page No : 1 House No : 4 Locality : Post Office Fletcher Alexander 32 Head Postmaster Argyllshire Torosay Fletcher Annie 40 Sister Housekeeper Argyllshire Torosay McKechnie Neilina 22 Cousin Assistant Telegraphist Argyllshire Kilmore Anderson Mary 14 Servant General Servant Argyllshire Kilfinichen As you will see Alexander and Neilina are shown as Cousins. From other census records I have :- 1871 Kilninian & Kilmore District : 8 Page No : 4 House No : 15 Locality : No of House 15 Baligown McKechnie Alexander 67 Head Smith Argyllshire Kilninian McPhail b1811 Margaret 60 Wife Smith's wife Argyllshire Kilninian McKechnie John 12 Son Scholar Argyllshire Kilninian McKechnie Mary 10 Dau Scholar Argyllshire Kilninian McKechnie Margaret 8 Dau Scholar Argyllshire Kilninian McKechnie Catherine 5 Dau Scholar Argyllshire Kilninian McKechnie Neilina ** 2 Dau Smith's daughter Argyllshire Kilninian 1851 Torosay District : Page No : 83 House No : 31 Locality : Lochdonhead Fletcher Donald 45 road contractor Kilninian McPhail b1813 Marion 38 w Salen Fletcher Archibald 12 s Salen Fletcher Mary Ann 10 d Salen Fletcher John 8 s Salen Fletcher John A 6 s Salen Fletcher Joseph 4 s Salen Fletcher Anne 2 d Salen 1871 census Fletcher Alexander ** 14 Son Argyll Torosay Fletcher Donald 11 Son Scholar Argyll Torosay It would look like Marion [Sarah] and Margaret are sisters but looking further back we have Marion's parents as Archibald McPhail and Anne McPherson and Margaret's as Angus McPhail and Mary McPhail (this could be her married name not her maiden name). Anybody any ideas on how Neilina and Alexander are cousins or have I missed something really simple. Ian Ps Bob (Murray) - I'm on the case as you can see :-)

Any chance they could be 2nd or 3rd cousins? Maybe Archibald McPhail and Angus McPhail are brothers? Linda (MacCormick) Towne -----Original Message----- From: sct-isleofmull-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:sct-isleofmull-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Ian Phillips Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 2:15 PM To: sct-isleofmull@rootsweb.com Subject: [SCT-ISLEOFMULL] McPhail/Fletcher/McKechnie Hi All, Perhaps someone out there might have the answer. In the 1891 Census we have :- 1891 Torosay District : 1 Page No : 1 House No : 4 Locality : Post Office Fletcher Alexander 32 Head Postmaster Argyllshire Torosay Fletcher Annie 40 Sister Housekeeper Argyllshire Torosay McKechnie Neilina 22 Cousin Assistant Telegraphist Argyllshire Kilmore Anderson Mary 14 Servant General Servant Argyllshire Kilfinichen As you will see Alexander and Neilina are shown as Cousins. From other census records I have :- 1871 Kilninian & Kilmore District : 8 Page No : 4 House No : 15 Locality : No of House 15 Baligown McKechnie Alexander 67 Head Smith Argyllshire Kilninian McPhail b1811 Margaret 60 Wife Smith's wife Argyllshire Kilninian McKechnie John 12 Son Scholar Argyllshire Kilninian McKechnie Mary 10 Dau Scholar Argyllshire Kilninian McKechnie Margaret 8 Dau Scholar Argyllshire Kilninian McKechnie Catherine 5 Dau Scholar Argyllshire Kilninian McKechnie Neilina ** 2 Dau Smith's daughter Argyllshire Kilninian 1851 Torosay District : Page No : 83 House No : 31 Locality : Lochdonhead Fletcher Donald 45 road contractor Kilninian McPhail b1813 Marion 38 w Salen Fletcher Archibald 12 s Salen Fletcher Mary Ann 10 d Salen Fletcher John 8 s Salen Fletcher John A 6 s Salen Fletcher Joseph 4 s Salen Fletcher Anne 2 d Salen 1871 census Fletcher Alexander ** 14 Son Argyll Torosay Fletcher Donald 11 Son Scholar Argyll Torosay It would look like Marion [Sarah] and Margaret are sisters but looking further back we have Marion's parents as Archibald McPhail and Anne McPherson and Margaret's as Angus McPhail and Mary McPhail (this could be her married name not her maiden name). Anybody any ideas on how Neilina and Alexander are cousins or have I missed something really simple. Ian Ps Bob (Murray) - I'm on the case as you can see :-) ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to SCT-ISLEOFMULL-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I have come late on this discussion as I have been away. Moira MacPhail's recent posting says everything I know (and hope!), and she says it more clearly than I could have done. But as usual proof is missing! To my mind we must try to widen our search on the McKechnies/ MacEacherns. Remember that the Fragments tell us that the MacEacherns and Fletchers were already related. So the link might be that far back. I have the birth of Margaret MacPhail, daughter of Angus MacPhail and Mary MacPhail as 1832. Is that correct? The 1871 census entry for Baligown shows Margaret MacPhail wife of Alexander McKechnie as aged 60, i.e. born 1811. This is a fairly big date discrepancy. But also note that the last three children of that family were born when Margaret was over 50 if 1811 is correct. It shows Neilina born when her mother was 58. That is a bit improbable and puts doubts in my mind. Bob Murray