Family Tree (Denison, Douglas, Harvey, Helmcken, Mackenzie, Maclean, Maclennan, McTavish, Norcross, Riley)

Isabella was the 4th of 9 children born to John and Mary:

1. Female McLENNAN, b. 17 Sep 1822, Fodderty, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, d. 1824 (Age 1 years)
2. William McLENNAN, b. 21 Oct 1825, Fodderty, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, d. 18 Aug 1907, Maryborough, Victoria, Australia (Age 81 years)
3. Janet McLENNAN, b. 1828, Fodderty, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
4. Isabella McLENNAN, b. 4 Jan 1830, Fodderty, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, d. 19 Jul 1873, Rosskeen, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland (Age 43 years)
5. John McLENNAN, b. 23 Apr 1832, Fodderty, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
6. Alexander McLENNAN, b. 26 Nov 1834, Fodderty, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, d. Bef 1841 (Age 6 years)
7. Mary Ann McLENNAN, b. 17 Mar 1836, Avoch, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
8. Donald Munro McLENNAN, b. 1840, Fodderty, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, d. 9 Sep 1907, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia (Age 67 years)
9. Margaret McLENNAN, b. 17 May 1842, Fodderty, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, d. 6 Mar 1893, Inverness, Inverness-shire, Scotland (Age 50 years)

Source:
https://www.clanmaclennan-worldwide.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I1098&tree=tree101

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Further Notes from https://www.clanmaclennan-worldwide.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I4397&tree=tree101:

Birth citation (Ancestry.com. Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950): Isabella Mc Lennan; Gender: Female; Birth Date: 14 Jan 1830; Birth Place: Fodderty, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland; Father: John Mc Lennan; Mother: Mary Munro; FHL Film Number: 990582

1841 - Fodderty - Maryburgh - Aged 10, with parents

1851 - Fodderty - Maryboro - Aged 19, with parents and siblings:
Name........................ Age
John Mclennan........ 58 Head, Cartwright bn Fodderty abt 1793
Mary Mclennan......... 30 Cartwright Wife, bn Urgashay, Rossshire abt 1821
Janet Mclennan........ 21 Cartwright Dau, bn Fodderty abt 1830
Isabella Mclennan... 19 Cartwright Dau, bn Fodderty abt 1832
John Mclennan......... 17 Cartwright Son, bn Fodderty abt 1834
Mary Mclennan.......... 13 Cartwright Dau, bn Fodderty abt 1838
Danold Mclennan..... 10 [Donald] Son, Scholar bn Fodderty abt 1841
Margaret Mclennan.... 8 Dau, Scholar bn Fodderty abt 1843

Marriage citation (ScotlandsPeople): MACLEAN RODERICK, MCLENAN ISABELLA, 1857, 685/7 183, Heriot and Warriston.

Transcription (see media): On the Twenty First day of December 1857, at Edinburgh, 12 So St David Street, [Heriot & Warriston registration district], marriage after Banns was solemnized between us according to the forms of the Free Church of Scotland, by William S Blaikie, Minister; Roderick Maclean, Clerk, aged 28, Residence: Alness, Parents: Hector MacLean, Labourer, and Isabella MacKenzie; and Isabella McLenan, aged 25, Residence: Edinburgh, Parents: John McLennan, Carpenter, and Mary Munro; Witnesses: Lauchlan McBean and Wm McNicol

Death citation (ScotlandsPeople): 1873, MACLENNAN ISABELLA, Other surname: MACLEAN, F, 40, ROSSKEEN/ROSS AND CROMARTY, 081/00 0037.

Transcription (see media): Isabella Maclean (Married to Roderick Maclean, Factor's Clerk) died 19 Jul 1873 at Easter Ardross [Rosskeen registration district], Female, 40 years; Parents: John Maclennan, Cartwright (Deceased), and Mary Maclennan MS Munro (Deceased); Cause: Pulmonary Phthisis; Informant: Roderick Maclean, Widower, Present.

Headstone transcription at Rosskeen Cemetery (see media): Rosskeen - Erected/by RODERICK MACLEAN/Easter Ardross/in memory of his beloved wife/ISABELLA MACLENNAN/who died 19th July 1873/aged 43 years. "Thy maker is thy husband." Also the said/RODERICK MACLEAN/died 4th July 1894/and his eldest son HECTOR/died 18 March 1894/also W.G.DUDLEY/died 11 Aug. 1952/wife of D. MACLEAN/also the said/D. MACLEAN/who died 14 Nov. 1957 aged 80 years.

Roderick Maclean (18 May 1829-4 July 1894), known as ‘Rorie of the Highlands’, is the eldest son of Hector Maclean and Isabella Mackenzie. He married Isabella McLennan (4 January 1830-19 July 1873), daughter to John McLennan and Mary Munro, in 1857. They had seven children:(1)

• Hector (1859-18 March 1894)
• John (1861-)
• Roderick (1863-)
• Mary (1865-)
• Isabella (1866-)
• William (30 September 1868-15 October 1951)
• Donald (1877-14 November 1957)

In 1861 Roderick ‘Rorie of the Highlands’ Maclean was about 31 years old. His wife, Isabella McLennan, was 29. The family lived just a few miles north of Alness, which is located in the county of Ross and Cromarty.

Census data between 1861 and 1881 show that they lived in the tiny rural community of Easter Ardross and lists Roderick’s occupation as a Land Agent’s Clerk.(2)

The situation in the Highlands during the late 1700s and early 1800s was dire and life was extremely difficult due to the Highland Clearances from 1750-1860, however, Roderick’s father Hector apparently did quite well for himself, as did Roderick himself under employ by landowners. He was well-educated, having attended Edinburgh University, and the family always had servants listed in their household employ.

Roderick was an active member of the Gaelic Society of Inverness from 1873-1890, and served as a Council member in 1890 as one of the three Chieftains.(3) Roderick was a true scholar and was fluent in the Gaelic language, and had a deep knowledge of the land and its history. He wrote and presented three papers for the Society, which have been transcribed in the following pages:

• The Parish of Rosskeen, 7 April 1886
• Notes on the Parish of Alness, 28 March 1888
• Notes on the Parish of Kiltearn, 8 May 1889

Roderick’s grandson, William Revington, provided the following information to Alan Toft, who writes:

August 1993 – William Revington Maclean gave me a note which had the following information:
‘Rorie of the Highlands – finest shot of Highlands. Shot 2 or 3 times hand running for Queen’s Cup. Colonel-in Chief of Seaforth Highlanders. Invented forceps (instruments) in child birth the likes of which were still used until a few years ago’

The information above is interesting but questionable, and I have been unable to verify if he was a champion shot and whether he was a member of the Seaforth Highlanders.(4) Further, the forceps were invented in the late 16th century by Peter Chamberlen the elder, long before Roderick’s time.

According to the 1871 census, Roderick and his family were still living in Easter Ardross. William Andrew Mackenzie was now 2 years old, being born in 1868, and the household grew in that period from 2 children to 7. At that time, Roderick and his wife, Isabella, had her sister, Margaret McLennan, 27 years old, living with them and registered as a housekeeper. There were 2 additional servants as well. Roderick was listed as a Factor’s Clerk, which suggests he was a land manager for property holders.(5)
Sadly, Roderick’s wife Isabella died on 19 July 1873 from pulmonary phthisis (tuberculosis) at the young age of 43. Her son, William Andrew Mackenzie, would have been around 4 years old when she passed away. The census data shows that her unmarried sister, Margaret, stayed to live with them for many years following Isabella’s death.

In the 1881 census, they were still in Easter Ardross. William Andrew Mackenzie was about 12 at this time.

The 1891 census states that they resided in Inverness on Old Edinburgh Road and that Roderick was a retired Estate Factor. The exact year the family moved to Inverness is unknown, but Roderick was about 62 years of age in 1891. The 1891 census shows that he still had four children at home, as well as his sister-in-law Margaret, including a niece, one granddaughter and four servants: a silk nurse (Ellen K S Fraser), a cook (Sophia Munro), and nurse (Catherine Campbell), and a housemaid (Christina MacLeod). His son, William Andrew Mackenzie, is not registered as living with them in the 1891 census so it appears he moved away from the household before he was 21-22 years of age.

Notes:

1. Roderick and Isabella, and their eldest son Hector, and their youngest son Donald and his wife Winifred Grace Maclean (nee Dudley), are buried together at Rosskeen Cemetery, Scotland.
2. Traditionally, a land agent or factor’s clerk, was a managerial employee who conducted the business affairs of a large landed estate for a member of the landed gentry, supervising the farming of the property by farm labourers and/or tenants and collecting rents or other payments.
3. Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, Volume XVI, 1889-1890.
4. The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany’s) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, mainly associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The regiment existed from 1881 to 1961 (Wikipedia).
5. It is possible, though unproven, that Roderick's employer, or one of his employers, may have been Sir Alexander Matheson, 1st Baronet (16 January 1805 – 26 July 1886). Sir Matheson leased the Dalmore distillery to the Mackenzies, to which his father, Hector, was an investor. Another connection is that in The History and Genealogy of the Mathesons, by Alexander Mackenzie, F. S. A. Scot. – which can be found at https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/9556/95561804.23.pdf – Roderick is listed on page vii as a subscriber: Maclean, Rodk., Esq., Factor for Lochalsh and Ardross.

Census Data:

1861 - Rosskeen (ED2/57) - Easter Ardross - Aged 29, with husband, children, 1 servant and 1 visitor:
Name..... Age, etc
Trederick Mclean..... 30 Head, [Roderick], Land Agents Cl, bn Fermtosh [Ferintosh], Rossshire abt 1831
Isabello Mclean..... 29 Wife, bn Fodderty, Rossshire abt 1832
Hector Mclean..... 2 Son, Land Agent Cl Son, bn Rosskeen, Rossshire abt 1859
John Lean..... 1Mo Son, Land Agent Cl Son, bn Rosskeen, Rossshire 1860
Christina Menzies..... 23 Servant, Domestic servant, bn Rosskeen, Rossshire abt 1838
Isabella Mcdonald..... 50 Visitor, Pauper Formerly Dairymaid, bn Fermtosh [Ferintosh], Rossshire abt 1811

1871 - Rosskeen - Easter Ardross - Aged 38, with husband, family, sister and 2 servants (findmypast transcription):
Name..... Age, etc
Roderick MacLean..... 41 Head, Married, Factor's Clerk, bn Urquhart, Ross & Cromarty abt 1830
Isabella MacLean..... 38 Wife, Married, Factor's Clerk Wife, bn Fodderty, Ross & Cromarty abt 1833
Hector MacLean..... 12 Son, Scholar, bn Rosskeen, Ross & Cromarty abt 1859
John MacLean..... 10 Son, Scholar, bn Rosskeen, Ross & Cromarty abt 1861
Roderick MacLean..... 8 Son, Scholar, bn Rosskeen, Ross & Cromarty abt 1863
Mary MacLean..... 7 Daughter, Scholar, bn Rosskeen, Ross & Cromarty abt 1864
Isabella MacLean..... 5 Daughter, Scholar, bn Rosskeen, Ross & Cromarty abt 1866
William MacLean..... 2 Son, bn Rosskeen, Ross & Cromarty abt 1869
Donald A MacLean..... 0 Son, bn Rosskeen, Ross & Cromarty abt 1871
Margaret MacLennan..... 27 Sister-In-Law, Unmarried, Housekeeper, bn Fodderty, Ross & Cromarty abt 1844
Catherine McKenzie..... 33 Servant, Unmarried, Domestic Serv, bn Cromarty, Cromartyshire abt 1838
Ann Ross..... 18 Servant, Unmarried, Domestic Serv, bn Alness, Ross & Cromarty abt 1853

1891 - Inverness (ED4/259) - Ardgour Court, Old Edinburgh Rd - Husband is with her sister, children and others:
Name..... Age, etc
Roderick MacLean..... 61 Head, Formerly Estate Factor, bn Fevrmtosh [Urq & Logie Wstr], Ross Shire abt 1830
Hector MacLean..... 32 Son, Clerk, bn Roskeen, Ross Shire abt 1859
Mary MacLean...... 27 Dau, bn Roskeen, Ross Shire abt 1864
Isabella MacLean..... 25 Dau, bn Roskeen, Ross Shire abt 1866
Donald A MacLean..... 20 Son, Clerk, bn Roskeen, Ross Shire abt 1871
Margaret McLennan..... 48 Sister-in-Law, bn Fodderty, Ross Shire abt 1843
Jessie D Scott...... 10 Niece, Scholar, bn Kinghorn Fifeshire abt 1881
Isabel E MacLean..... 2 Grand Daur (Granddaughter), bn Inverness, Inverness-shire abt 1889
Ellen K S Fraser...... 45 Servant, Silk [Milk] Nurse Dom Servt, bn Gairloch, Rossshire abt 1846
Sophia Munro..... 28 Servant, Cook Dom Servt, bn Roskeen, Rossshire abt 1863
Catherine Campbell.... 26 Servant, Nurse Dom Servt, bn Kilmorack, Inverness-shire abt 1865
Christina MacLeod..... 16 Servant, Housemaid Dom Servt, bn Alness, Rossshire abt 1875