by MaryM » Thu Jul 02, 2020 7:42 pm
There is a strong possibility that the place name may be Bealach a' Chaochain which is written down in many different forms in the OPRs and Statutory Registers eg Bellochgoichan. It also sometimes just Belloch/Balloch/Bulloch.
In the Duke of Argyll's 1792 Census, it is on page 202 as Belochgoichan.
There are quite a few families living here including the following McMurchy group, but no Janet, and no McCallums, at the time of the census.
John McMurchy 53
Janet McMichell 27
Archibald McMurchy 20
Mary McMurchy 16
Ann McMurchy 3
John McMurchy 1
You can speculate on this grouping; Janet McMichell [sometimes Carmichael] and John 53, husband and wife with two children Ann & John. Maybe John had first wife who died, mother of Archibald 20, and Mary 16? Maybe they are the father and siblings of your Janet?
I cannot see either a 'suitable' Janet in the other Janet McMurchys in the census - wrong ages/married, and the Iver McCallum listed is aged 56, a widower with family.
There were several other landowners in the area, so your Janet, and Iver, could be close by but not recorded as they were not living on the Duke's land when the census was taken.
ScotlandsPeople have a map dating from 1777 of the United Parishes of Killean and Kilchenzie which shows the places and identifies the landowners but no other names.