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I found your website while googling Tolduquhill. Duncan Allanach (1749-1807) was my maternal 4 x Great Grandfather through his third child John. John’s daughter Helen Lumsden Allanach married Robert Farquharson (1812-1869) in 1849 (my 2 x Great Grandparents). I was very interested to read your Tolduquhill summaries as my Farquharson, Allanach and McHardy ancestors lived there for at least 250 years between 1626 and 1873. I was also encouraged to read your assessment that Allanach’s were not numerous in the area, as I have been trying to find another Allanach link to Duncan from my Farquharson line. The paternal grandmother of my Robert Farquharson is Jocabed Allanach (b1712) who married William Farquharson in 1735. Given that all these families are located in the same area I’d be very surprised if there is no relationship. Perhaps you, or your Allanach readers, may have this information? Would be interested in email contact as we may be able to swap some information. regards Gary Girvan

i am doing research into the stuarts of drimin and kilmachlie. in strathaven and glenlivet(called then Strathdown, see area on oposite side of riverlivet from drimin castle)). the OPRs for the inveraven parish start in 1611. we find no allanachs until 1638. there are loads of stuarts in this area and all use alias's, Mor and Rioch, Bain, Allanach, even job sitles, tailor, smith (gow in gaelic) and the alanachs use the name interchangably, eg alister alanach and his wife Agnes NicGillchrist have a daughter called jonet (1646) and the witnesses are barbara and Isobel stuart, his sisters ! Alister alanach stuart and his wife Agnes NicGillchrist have a son John in 1638, witnesses, Thomas stuart of Drimin and Gordon of Blairfindy. the 2 most senior men in the area. the Alanachs here are unquestionably Stuarts. The first Stewart to come to scotland was walter fitz alan eventially adopted the name stuart, but his brothers in england adopted the surname Fitz Alan. I think Alanach is a reference to this. the stuarts in glenlivet are descended from Sir Andrew Stuart, baron of Strathaven, 1410, a son of the wolf of badenoch. all the stuarts, and alanachs in strathdon, claim to have come from strathaven and strathdown(glenlivet. unfortunately, the OPRs in strathdon dont start until 1667. if you want more info, let me know 🙂

Hello Gary, I too stumbled across your website, great effort and very interesting reading. My grandfather was Patrick Murdoch Allanach b. 1906 (I believe) originally from Alford. He was a Chemist in Ellon who along with his wife Jessie Allanach (Sergeant) had 3 children. (James) Malcolm (my uncle, sadly passed in 2017), Neil (my father, sadly passed in 2022) and Kathleen (my aunt). I grew up in the village of Ellon, where my cousin Colin (son of Malcolm) and his wife still live. My family have not fallen far from the tree, we now live about 10 miles from Alford and 20 from Strathdon. Feel free to drop me a note. Greg

Hello Gary Thanks to your ANESFHS journal article I found your website. I can't tell you how exciting it was to discover a website devoted to the Allanachs. I'm still working my way through it but at last I have an answer as to where James Paull Allanach disappeared to, more on slavery, the descriptions of rural life and other sources that I haven't seen before. Congratulations! As the G-G Grandson of John Allanach 1814-80 I have been collecting Allanach information for a long time and I think that I have much information which could help you. For example I could give you more information on John Allanach 1814-80, Elijah 1887-1955, Jean born 1780 and Margaret born 1775. I could also lay out the colourful history of John 1817-78, provide an alternative theory as to the parents of Duncan 1812-94 and if you are interested provide a list of places which housed Allanachs with grid references where known. Let me know if I can help in any way. Best wishes for your endeavour David