Searching for Malcolm Stalker

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Searching for Malcolm Stalker

Postby Barry Stalker » Fri Feb 05, 2016 2:44 pm

Hello everyone

I'm searching for my Gt Gt Gt Grandfather Malcolm Stalker.

When he died in 1839, Malcolm was living at Auchnasavil, near Carradale. He was married to Agnes (Ann) McCallum and they had at least five children: Mary, Grace, Duncan, Malcolm and Neil. He is buried, along with his wife and some of their offspring, at Brackley Cemetery.

What I don't know, is where he was born and who his parents were......the trail has gone completely cold.

I know it's a long-shot, but if anyone has any information or ideas, I would be very pleased to hear from you. :D

Many thanks

Barry Stalker
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Re: Searching for Malcolm Stalker

Postby Shona » Sun Feb 21, 2016 8:43 pm

I’m descended from Janet McStockair/Stalker of Killean parish. I have had no success finding anything out with any certainty pre-1800.

Stalker can also appear as McStalker, McInstalker, McInstockair, McStocker and other variants, so you need to look at these versions of the name as well. Around the time in question, many names were anglicised which adds to the difficulty in tracing family members further back. Shaw, for example, is the anglicised form of McIlheaney. Also, the parish registers may not be available (some were lost in fires, for example).

The name is mainly found in North Kintyre with pockets in Killean parish.

These are the available old registers (pre-1854) for the areas where the name occurs most often in Kintyre:

Saddle births: From 1756.
Skipness births: From 1783.

Saddle marriages: From 1798.
Skipness marriages: From 1801.

The following list is from Andrew McKerral’s book, Kintyre in the 17th Century:

- Patrick in Kilmaloag and Malcolm his surety – 1506.
- John in Kilmaloag and Gilchrist in Stocadale – 1541.
- Donald Og in Kilmaloag and Gilbert in Stocadale – 1596
- Robert and Donald, tacksmen of three merkalnd of Tortastill in Saddell parish – 1633
- Margaret, spouse to Malcolm McIlchatten in Killean parish – 1676.
- Barbara, spouse to Donald McIlglas in Clachaig, Killean, died 1690.
- Duncan Stalker, sometime of the island of Tobago, late resident Killean, 1798.

Looking at the Duke of Argyll’s ‘census’ from 1792, I have found the following McStockers. If you aren’t familiar with the format, the women are recorded with their maiden names.

South Crubastill
Gilbert McStocker, 52
Jane McFattar, 50
Malcolm McStocker, 8
Gilbert McStocker, 3

Kilmaluag
Neill McStocker, 42
Christian Dounie, 40

North Beachmore
Donald McStocker, 21
John McStocker, 17

Braid Auchaloskin
Mary McStcoker, 20
Flory McStocker, 18

Mid Kilmory
Ann McStocker, 18

Looking at the cemetery photo index on Ralston Genealogy, here is the basic info from the headstone you mention in Brackley cemetery. I haven’t looked at the images to check family relationships. Have you by any chance?

Duncan, 1840, aged 14 years
Grace, 1838, aged 8 years
Malcolm, 1839, aged 39 years
Agnes McCallum, 1868, aged 68 years

Which means Malcolm and Agnes were born around 1800 – if the people on the headstone are the correct family.

Are Agnes and Ann the same person?

Have you looked at Agnes’s death on Scotland’s People to confirm her marriage to Malcolm? If so what other details are on the record?

Looking at Family Search, the following children were born in Saddell and Skipness parish to a father was named Malcolm and a mother named Ann. The mother isn’t named with the first two, but that is quite common in the registers at the time.

My problem is that the date of birth for the Duncan below does not tie in with the stated age at death of the Duncan on the headstone. Can we be sure they are the same person?

David, born 28 March 1824
Unnamed, born 9 Jan 1827
Mary, bpt 2 November 1829
Duncan, born 20 May 1834
Malcolm, born 12 March 1837, bpt 15 March
Neill, born 24 Nov 1839

Looking at the census records, there are 33 people in Auchnasavil in 1841 and 42 in 1851.

There are two Stalker households in Auchnasavil in 1841:

John Stalker, 45, farmer
Cathrine Stalker, 47
Marion Stalker, 16
Grace Stalker, 10
Cathrine Stalker, 9
Flora Stalker, 7
Barbara Stalker, 5
Dugald Maceachron, 11, ag lab

Then your Stalker family:

Ann Stalker, labouring widow, not ind
Mary Stalker, 10
Duncan Stalker, 7
Malcolm Stalker, 4
Neil Stalker, 1

This is the same family as the one on the list of baptisms – born to Malcolm and Ann. But according to the headstone, Duncan died in 1838 at the age of 14 and there he is aged seven in 1841.

I’m sure the family headed by John Stalker is likely to be related in some way to Malcolm’s family, especially as John Stalker had a son named Malcolm as well.

Looking at 1851, the Stalkers headed by John and Cathrine are still there with married daughter, Grace (married Malcolm Shaw) and daughter Barbara. The Shaw family’s sons who lived there in 1841 seem to have emigrated to Canada shortly after the 1851 census. What interests me about the 1851 census record is that John Stalker’s place of birth is Kilcalmonell, so if he is related to your Stalker family (more likely than not as in 1841 they are living in the same place), then you may have to extend your search for your Stalkers to Kilcalmonell and Kilberry parish.

Have you traced the family in 1851?
Shona
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Re: Searching for Malcolm Stalker

Postby Barry Stalker » Tue Feb 23, 2016 2:33 pm

Dear Shona

Thank you so much for such a comprehensive reply, it really is appreciated.

The grave at Brackley is certainly the correct one for my branch of the Stalker family and does state the family relationships:

Erected by Malcolm and Neil Stalker, Torrisdale.

In memory of their father Malcolm Stalker who died at Auchnasavil 15th Aug 1839 aged 39
And their sister Grace who died 17th Feb 1838 aged 8
Also their brother Duncan died 20th May 1840 aged 14
Also their mother Agnes McCallum who died at Lephenbeg March 21st 1868 aged 68

I too have never understood the discrepancy in Duncan’s age.

The 1828 OPR for Saddell & Skipness records the marriage of Malcolm Stalker and Ann McCallum. Indeed, apart from the gravestone that mentions Agnes instead of Ann, every other document only refers to Ann, so it’s a little strange. I can only imagine that she was baptized Agnes but took Ann as her every-day name.

I didn’t know about David or the unnamed child. As Malcolm didn’t marry Ann until 1828, both of these would have been illegitimate, if indeed, it is the same Malcolm.

There doesn’t seem to be any birth or death record for Malcolm; at least I couldn’t find anything on Scotland’s People – this was probably my only realistic chance of progress.

The 1851 census shows Ann listed as a pauper and living with sons Malcolm junior and Neil in Waterfoot, Carradale. Her death certificate does indeed confirm that she was married to Malcolm.

I agree, the two Stalker families at Auchnasavil were almost certainly related. I’ll probably never know for sure, but will indeed extend my search area to Kilcalmonell and Kilberry as you suggested.

Thanks again Shona

Best wishes

Barry
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