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DDerry Family Archive
MacKinnon Line

Neil Chambers McKinnon

b. 1827

Verified

Life

Neil Chambers McKinnon is your 3× great-grandfather on the MacKinnon side. Born in 1827 on the Isle of Tiree, Argyll, Scotland, he is the son of Donald McKinnon (b. 1790, Balevullin, Tiree) and Christina McFarlane (b. 1802, Kilkenneth, Tiree). He emigrated to Bruce Township, Ontario, and married Janet McLaren (born in Perthshire, Scotland). Together they farmed land on Lot 11, Concession 1 of Bruce Township — in the tight Tiverton/Inverhuron orbit where your family still has a cottage today. His son John MacKinnon was born in 1868 in Bruce County, Ontario (the first of the line to be born in Canada). John married Isabelle Scott, and their daughter Catherine became your great-grandmother.

Timeline

  1. 1827
    Born1827 — Isle of Tiree, Argyll, Scotland
  2. 1827
    SettledLot 11 Con 1, Bruce Township, Ontario

Claims in the record

Neil Chambers McKinnon
1827 — Isle of Tiree, Argyll, Scotland
✅ Donald McKinnon (b. 1790, Balevullin, Tiree, Argyll)
✅ Christina McFarlane (b. 1802, Kilkenneth, Tiree, Argyll)
Janet McLaren (b. Perthshire, Scotland)
Lot 11 Con 1, Bruce Township, Ontario
John (b.1868), Catherine, Christina (b.~1862), Hugh, and others

Research next

Pull the Ontario marriage registration for Neil McKinnon + Janet McLaren (likely 1850s). This is the key document to confirm his exact Tiree birthplace and push the record back further. Also check Ontario census 1851/1861 for Bruce County. His parents Donald + Christina are now confirmed through Scottish genealogy records.