Neil MacLean (1809-1871)

Neil was born April 9/1809 and his birth recorded in the Old Parish Register for the Parish of Glasgow. He was named for his paternal grandfather, Neil MacLean of the Parish of Kilfinichen and Kilvicheon, Isle of Mull.

The earliest record of Neil in New-Brunswick is in the 1851 census for the parish of Addington

NEIL McLEAN
age 40, Scotch, farmer, entered Colony 1809 (sic)
Jane his wife is age 35, Scotch, entered Colony 1825
children all born in N.-B.
Rebecca is age 16
James is age 11
Eliza is age 9
Neil is age 7
Angus is age 5
William is age 2

The location of Neil's farm cannot be determined with certainty from public records as the deed was never registered. But from the order of listing on households in the 1851 census, it is evident that his property was in Flat Lands on the Restigouche River some 10 to 12 miles west of Campbellton.

By 1861 the family had moved across the Restigouche River and was farming in Ristigouche township Bonaventure County, Lower Canada (now Quebec). And the 1861 census list the family as

McLEAN NEIL
age 49, farmer, born Scotland
wife Jane age 41, born Scotland
children all born New-Brunswick
Rebecca age 24
James age 21
Isabella (sic) age 18
Neil age 16
Angus age 14
William age 12
Christiana age 8
Mary C. age 4

By 1871, the family was back in N.-B.and living in Dalhousie, NB.
McLEAN NEIL
age 58, born Quebec (sic)
Jane his wife age 54, born Scotland
Angus age 24
William age 22
Mary C. age 18
William Smith son in law and Christiana Smith

In 1975, a Fredericton friend of Donald MacLean was reading the 1890 census for the State of Maine and found a Neil McLean, lumberman born Campbellton (Addington Parish), N.B. in 1845.
Neil was clearly the Neil Jr., noted above from the 1851 and 1861 census. But it could not be certain that his father was Neil Sr was the son of Angus and Mary MacLean.

Doubt was removed when records found at the Town Office in St Francis Maine by Neal A. Williams of Greenville, Maine. Those records state that his great grandfather Neil Jr., was born on Heron Island.

It is not known how long Neil Sr. and Jane lived on Heron Island or how many of their children were born there. But while on the Island, it is likely he was employed at ship building. That industry was established by Alexander and George Dutch who had emigrated from the Tay Valley in Scotland in 1826.

Neil Jr., accompanied by his brother James, moved to St. Francis, Maine sometime between 1861 and his marriage in 1866. Neil became a prominent lumberman and mill owner. McLean Mountain near St. Francis is named for him.

Neil Sr., Jane and family had left Restigouche County by 1881 as none of them are recorded in the census of that year. It is not known if Neil and Jane were accompanied by any of their children when they moved to Maine to join Neil Jr.
Jane lived there until her death in 1913 but the date of the death of Neil Sr., is unknown.

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This page was put together by Irene Doyle July 1999

With information received from Darlene and the findings of Donald MacLean