My my name is Roderick James Ryburn and my great grandfather, Robert McNair Ryburn, departed from Gartvaigh, near Southend, for Auckland, New Zealand, in 1859. Although I was born in Dunedin, NZ, I and most of my family now live in Australia -- to be precise, Canberra for me and my wife.
My earliest ancestors in Kintyre were John Ryburn and Janet Jameison, who were in Backs Farm by 1659. John was a tacksman in 1666, and is mentioned in Andrew McKerral's excellent book "Kintyre in the 17th Century". I recently found his Testamnet Dative on ScotlandsPeople website -- he died at Uigle in 1705 and his son Mathew of Killeonan was the executor. Mathew was probably my g X 5 grandfather. In later years my ancestors inhabited several farms in and around Drumlemble. My Gx2 grandfather was a baker on Main Street in Campbeltown, probably at the same site as H McIlcherie & Son today.
Enough of dry old genealogy. You can see it all on my website "The History of the Ryburns" at http://www.netspeed.com.au/rryburn/Kintyre.html, including the mob in Ayrshire before they came to Kintyre.
Rod Ryburn