RESEARCH: There is a Mary LIVINGSTONE born to Archibald Livingstone and Mary McDougall 17Aug1785 in Kilbrandon and Kilchattan. Perhaps this couple are also the parents of Archibald. No other children of this couple appear to be recorded.

RESEARCH: It seems likely that Archibald and wife Ann had children before Mary (b1826), when Ann was be 25-29 and Archibald 35-39. This is suggested also by the lack of any daughters named 'Ann', after their mother. Alternatively one or the other could have had a previous marriage to another spouse who died etc. The 1841 census shows no children older than Catherine (11) so probably Mary (b1826) died and any older children have moved out and formed their own households.

RESEARCH: Colipoole was uncharacteristic of Argyll in general in being more industrial (slate quarries etc.), and having a relatively mobile population. Therefore it seems reasonable to postulate that Archibald and Ann were born and married elsewhere in Argyll and moved to Colipoole sometime soon before Mary is born in 1826. This could also explain the lack of any records reflecting earlier children.

RESEARCH: There are two children born to a like-named couple in Muckairn (some 50 miles north of Colipoole): Dugald (1812) and Alexander (1820). However 1812 seems a bit early for Ann to have been married as she could have been no older than 15 and would then have had her last child, Archibald at age 47.

RESEARCH: The 1851 census could shed some light on their origins as well as providing more accurate determinations of their ages.

BIRTH: While a birth year (1791) and place (Colipoole) were given by IGI, I suspect these were incorrectly derived from 1841 census data, which gives only county of birth and approximate ages.

BIRTH: Birth year (and probably place) is inferred by census - but having looked at the (1841) census it appears they rounded down to the nearest 5 years in reporting ages of adults - thus these birth years shown here are at most approximations. For example adults between the ages of 20 and 24 were reported as age '20', those between 45 and 49 as '45' and so forth. The census recorded only whether or not the individual had been born in the county, so birthplace of 'Colipoole' seems speculative at best. While the original date and place were given by IGI, I suspect these originally derived from census data, most likely the 1841 census.