While all care has been taken in compiling this family record the writer can give no guarantee as to its accuracy and I would be pleased to hear from any other researchers of the Graham Family of any errors or who can supply further information about this family. Ian Gazzard, Lake Wanaka, New Zealand whose email address can be obtained on the Home Page

Alexander Graham born 1700? Kildalton died ?? married 1720's to Katherine McDuffie. They were the parents of -

Archibald born 31st July 1726 Kildalton Parish at Loribols. Argyll Islay .( Father, Alexander was the tenant at Lyrabolls 1733/41 also called Lyrabus which means muddy field )

Child Illegable, Male A Patrick?, born 8th June 1738 Kildalton Parish,at Callibolls Argyll Islay ( Also known as Coullabus, which means homestead ) m. Mary Gilchrist 14th December 1759 maybe sister of Katherine who married brother John ?

Child Illegable, Male, born 14th June 1739 Kildalton Parish at Laribolls ( Lyrabus ? )

Alexander b. 10th October 1743 Kildalton Parish

Margaret b. 8th June 1747 Kildalton Parish

John Graham born 27th January 1741 Kildalton Parish Islay at Callibols ( Coullabus? ) died ?? married 10th ?? 1762 to Katherine Gilchrist?? , Kildalton Parish and they are the parents of -

Samuel Graham, occupation weaver, Scarrabus ( b. circa 1765 d. 1870 aged 94 ) married to Catherine, also Kitty or Kate, Dow ( or usually Macalman, Macallan )b. 1776 d. 1870 aged 94, were probably the parents of -

1. John Graham born 1786 ( born Ireland by census 1851? ) d. 1870. Linen hand loom weaver who lived at Couabell ( Coullabus? ) married 28th January 1813 to (1) Mary McPherson born 1796, died 1819? children, Alexander b 1814 Carrabus d young, Kath b. 25th April 1816, Mary b. 15th October 1818, John m. (2) Mary McDougall 20th December 1820 Kilarrow Parish. Children Samuel b. 26th October 1821, Marion born 24th December 1824 m. Neil McTaggart in 1859, Angus b. 20th May 1827, Alexander born 16th November 1829, Mary born 5th October 1834 at Kilchoman Parish, .Lived at Corsapol 1841 census. Mary d. 1851.

.1. Mary Graham born 17th September 1792 Blackrock Kilarrow. Unmarried. The 1851 census shows her at Octomore Kilchoman aged 60 a pauper. Died 1877 24th November aged 86 at county poorhouse Oban.

1. Alexander Graham b. 1795. m. Flora McArthur Children John b. 1816 d. 27th August 1863 at Dundysan Old Monkland.Glasgow children Alexander b. 1833, Mary b. 1836. lived Gruinart. 1841 census. Archibald b. 1823. m. Catherine Ramsay d. 1896, Donald b. 1825 m. Margaret McTaggart 4th November 1848,, Samuel b. 1826, d. 1908 Lyrabus, m. Catherine McEachern 9th November 1852 Kilchoman Parish, Charles b. 1829, Alexander b. 1831, Mary b. 1834, 1841 census shows living at Gruinart.

*1. Archibald Graham born 1796 see below

1. Henry (Harry ) Graham born 1799 died 11th April 1870 aged 71, of chronic bronchitus at Gruinart. Married 1st March 1825 to Douglass_Whyte who was a daughter of William Whyte born 1807 and Margaret Currie. They Henry and Douglass were living in 1851 at Arrath, Kilchoman then aged 50, an agricultural labourer with Douglass who was then aged 45. They had 9 children, John born 29th November 1825 c.8th January 1826, Margaret born 28th September 1827 c. 22nd March 1829 she had an illegitimate child Flora born 1852 who died unmarried on 19th july 1873 of epilepsy at Gruinart - Margaret later married John Campbell in 1857 and lived at Greenock and had 2 children Christina born 1860 and William born 1862, Catherine born 30th October 1830 c. 2nd January1831 d.30th January 1908 at Aoradh, Catherine was a general servant in 1841and was working at Mary and Ron McDougall's Kilbride Kildalton and still there in 1851, William born 26th October 1832, Archibald born 10th January 1835, Angus born 11th July 1837, Neil born 7th May 1840 married Mary Sinclair. Isabell born 4th March 1842 c. 4th December 1842, Alexander born 20th July 1844 married Elizabeth Stevenson 16th June 1875 in Glasgow and had 5 children Alexander, Henry, Angus, Annie and James. The 1881 census shows Douglass a widow living at number 2 cottars house Kilchoman with daughters Catherine aged 53 an outdoor worker and Isabella Bonner a widow aged 36 an outdoor worker plus grand children Jessie, Angus, John, Neil and Bella. Douglass died aged 74 on 17th August 1881 at Carnduncan Kilchoman

1. Elizabeth Graham born 3rd February 1804 Scarabus Kilarrow.

* 1. Archibald Graham (b. c. 1790 Kilchoman ) Agricultural Labourer partner of Mary Campbell. b.1785/6, died. of wasting, 20th September 1859 at Conisby aged 74 Kilchoman Parish. No record has been found for any marriage. Archibald was officially married to a Martha Graham on 25th November 1817 (see below +.) and had only one child christened Mary but later called Martha. They lived on the Isle of Islay, Argyllshire, Scotland. Archibald died 30th April 1882 aged 92.at 9.30 pm at Conisby, at cottars house, then listed as a Widower ( Pauper ), in the Parish of Kilchoman, Islay. Witness to death was Alexander Campbell b 1803 d. 8th March 1883 aged 80., a step son, ( his father was Duncan Campbell a Merchant seaman, from Port Charlotte ), and he signed with an X. Archibald was predeceased by Mary, prior to 1869 when her son born 1821 Archibald died in Glasgow. The 1841 and 1851 censuses shows Archibald and Mary then living at Coullabus ( Culabols or Carabus ) The 1861 census shows only Archibald and Martha alive and at Kentraw very near Conisby. The 1871 / 81 censuses shows Archibald, widower, aged 80 / 91, living at Conisby with his unmarried daughter Martha aged 50 / 60. Archibald at age 75, was convicted of stealing a sheeps carcass on 15th June 1866 and along with his daughter Martha then aged 41 and they were both sentenced to a 2 months imprisonment at the Inverarary Jail. Presumably they did it because they were hungry!

They had 6 Children. All were born on Islay at either Kilchoman or Kilarrow.

2. #Archibald Graham b.19th April 1821 - Carsable, ( Corsapol ), Kilchoman Parish, d. Glasgow, Typhus Fever, 1869.

2. Mary, later called Matty or Martha Graham b.30th July 1823 - Kilchoman. Her mother listed as a Martha Graham whom Archibald married 25th November 1817 at Kilarrow and NOT Mary Campbell !!. Martha, an unmarried domestic servant, was still living with father Archibald when he died at Conisby in 1882. Martha died March 20th 1895 single aged 75, at Conisby in Kilchomen Parish, of influenza, congested lungs. Death notice states mother was Mary Graham, nee Campbell ?? The (+) Martha Graham whom Archibald married on 25th November 1817 was possibly a cousin born 9th September1792 Kildalton Parish, the illegtimate daughter of a John Graham b. 3rd March 1750 Ballichatrigrin.

2. Isabella Graham b. 28h July 1823 Parish Kilchoman. An Isabella Graham lost a child, Jane, illegitimate, on 17th July 1865 aged 10 months.

2. Mary Graham b.16th May 1826 - Kilarrow Parish at Cragabus or Scarabus.

2. Catherine Graham b. 27th January 1830 - Kilarrow. Parish at Gortantoid. .m. 27th july, 1848 to Hugh McLellan lived Grainel House Islay and after 1853 was living at Greenock near Glasgow. Children Mary b. 1850, Duncan b. 1853, Angus b. 1855, Hugh b. 1859, Neil b. 1861. Catherine d. 1908 aged 78.

2. Lucy Graham b.31st May 1831- Kilarrow Parish at Kilinalen,. Went to Greenock Glasgow. m. Peter. McLean.b.1826/7, aged 24 a general labourer, Kilchoman. 1851 Kilchoman census shows them living at Coullabus with daughter 1 year old Christina b. 1850 ?, Other children later were son Archibald b. 1858 Kilchoman and daughter Mary b. 2nd January 1859 Kilchoman. Lucy died Greenock, Middle District, Renfrew, 2nd March 1883 aged 53.

2. #Archibald Graham .b. 19th April 1821 in Kilchoman Parish, Island of Islay at Carsable ( probably Corsapol ), Scotland. He later moved to Glasgow, occupation then a Coal Master Carter. He died March 30th 1869 of typhus fever, at 9 Clyde Street Glasgow, was then married to Agnes McLiver, a domestic servant, living at South Woodside, Glasgow, ( She signed Archibald's death cert. with an X ) and were the parents of Archibald Graham b.1848, his father* was still living on Islay at the time of his death in 1869. They were married on the 21st February 1847 at Old Monkland, Larnak, Glasgow, Lived earler at Milton, Glasgow, Lanark, and later at166 Parliamentary Road Glasgow Anderston Burgh. Agnes McLiver was daughter of Archibald McLiver fisherman and Mary McDermid of Octomore.. In 1891 census shows Agnes Graham living at Dodside House Mearns East Renfrewshire with sisters, she died 12th October 1892 . Parents of -

3. Archibald Graham b. 8th January 1848

3 John Graham b. 14th March 1855 at Milton Glasgow Larnak.

3 Donald Graham b. 4th October 1857 at Milton Glasgow Lanark.

3 Angus Graham b. 21st February 1863 at Milton Glasgow Lanark.

3. Archibald Graham b. 8th January 1848 Glasgow, where he was a dairy man, married to Archibaldina Spiers b April 1849, on 30th April 1872 in United Presbyterian Church 8 Wellesley Place, district of Anderston Burgh Glasgow. ( She signed register with an X ). Archibald, died 1st January 1924 Dunedin N.Z. to where he emigrated in 1876 per the ship "Dunedin", with his family. Occupation in 1884 was listed as a pattern maker. He lived in Henry Street and later Baxter streets, Maori Hill Dunedin. Archibaldina Spiers lived at South Woodside Glasgow was a domestic servant,died March 6th 1909 Both buried in Dunedin's Northern Cemetery block 140a plot 7.They lived in the District Lanark St. Rollox New Keppochhill Road Glasgow. ( Archibaldina was the daughter of Archibald Spiers, a coal miner who married Christina Gourlay they lived South Woodside Glasgow ) They had 9 children. The entire family emmigrated to Dunedin New Zealand in 1876.

 

 

 

Left. (*)Jim Graham's cart in a hedge in Claremont Street Maori Hill Dunedin 1938 when his horse bolted after being frightened. Right. (*) Jim Graham in 1912 aged 40.

4. . 1 a Archibald Spiers Graham b. 17th March 1873 Blythswood, Glasgow, Larnak, d. 21st September 1876 on the ship "Dunedin" en route to N. Z.

. 1 b Annie Graham b. 3rd August 1874 d Dunedin 9th November 1959 buried Northen Cemetery Dunedin N.Z. with Mary Graham d 1903 Northern Cemetery block 165 plot 22 Annie never married.

1 c (*)James Graham born 9th June 1876 at 614 New Keppochhill Road Glasgow, district of Rollox, County of Larnak, died in Dunedin New Zealand, 19th August 1944 buried at Andersons Bay cemetery. Married Barbara Hollebon b. 22nd September 1883 Waihola d. 1st November 1964, daughter of #John Abel Hollebon b. 1852 Willingdon Sussex UK d. 10th June 1936 St Leonards Dunedin NZ, and Agnes Anne Hollebon nee Andrews b. 1865 d. 23rd July 1906, who married on 27th July 1881 at Waihola. John and Agnes lived at Lakeholme Berwick Waihola and then at Roundhill Waitahuna where John had purchased a 226 acre farm in 1905. Agnes was the daughter of Thomas and Susan Andrews who lived at Lake Waihola. James Graham was the local Maori Hill Carrier for many years.When he died in 1944 his son Frank ( Jock ) was seconded back from the NZ Army in Italy where he was on active duty as a transport driver. James and Barbara had 6 children -

More about #John Abel Hollebon, son of Francis Hollebon b. 1815 d. 1887, and Barbara Dennis b. 1816 d. 1902, Willingdon. Parish. Sussex UK

2 (a) Olive Agnes Graham m Thomas Harwood Gazzard,. 6 children, Graham, Margaret, Pater, Ian, Kathleen, Kenneth.(b) Elwyn James Alfred Graham m. Mary Alberta Berry d 1st January 1981 buried Greenpark Cemetery block 52 plot 19. 3 children. Dick James d 2012 m. Murial Green ( Bunty ) 4 chldren, Deanne Jan Christine Clark, Ira m. Carole Bates 3 children Tracy Peter Neil, Eleanor m Sid Wilmott 2 children Nicola and Rosalyn, (c). Ivan Graham m. Daphne Kerr lived Tauranga 2 chldren Kenneth m Rhonda Jenkins 2 children Melanie and Michael and Caroline. Kenneth d. 2010., (d) Doris Rose Graham m. Harold Vause 3 children Marilyne m Alister Lee 3 childen Michael Stephen and Murray. Geoffry m Patricia Gale 2children Craig and Bronwyn who d. 1981.. Murray never married. (e). Frank Hollebon Graham ( Jock ) married Mary Dora Williamson d July 1974 4 Children Lorraine m Keith Lay 2 sons Brian and John. Lorraine d. November 2012., Maureen m Walter Scott 2 daughters Linda and Julie d. 6th August 2006, Maureen and Wally divorced 1993., Valda m Bryan MacManus 4 children Philip Shane Sandra Annette, Noeline m Noel Boylan lived Ireland 2 sons Ashley and Darren.. (f) Alfred John Graham m Patricia Taylor daughter Rowena m. first Terry Coogan 2nd Peter Trainor 2 childen Cheryl m Dennis Donovan and David not married lived Fairlie NZ.

1 d Angus Graham b 17th October 1878 died 25th December 1918,of influenza, lived 1 Baxter Street Maori Hill Dunedin. Occupation Carrier. Buried Northern Cemetery Dunedin.

1 e Christina Graham b. May 31st 1880 d. 1956

1 f Margaret Graham born November 13th 1884 died April 1918 in Dunedin Hospital, of influenza, Mantle Maker buried Northern Cemetery block 140a plot 7 with Angus, Archibald, and Archibaldina.

1 g Mary Graham born November 13th 1884 died aged 18 years 6th April 1903 block 65 plot 22 Northern Cemetery.

1 h John Millar Graham born 2nd December 1886 died 26th May 1958 buried Andersons Bay Cemetery. Married Christine McLeod died 19th August 1980 at Lawrence Otago. buried Andersons Bay Cemetery Dunedin block 214 plot 8 with John Miller Graham. 4 children Archibald Clifford, John, Cyril and Gwen.

1 i Archibald Graham jnr. born April 18th 1889 died 1st Feruary 1943 buried Andersons Bay Cemetery block 170 plot 11. Lived 399 Leith Street Dunedin. Occupation baker. Married Dollina McLeod. 3 children Margaret m Bill Cousins Archibald Clifford married Bedford, Colin married ?

The Graham Family probably arrived in Islay, Western Isles, from Cawdor near Inverness about 1726 when the Isle was bought by Sir James Campbell and he moved in some of his people from north to repopulate the island after it was earlier in 1717/18 devastated by small-pox which wiped out many cattle and people. Although Campbells had been on the isle since about 1614. Many people in the 1700s also emigrated to USA etc. Prior to the Campbells the MacDonald clan were dominant. From then until the 1830s there were many tenant farmers including the Grahams and the Campbells. In the 1830s the clearances took place with many tenant farmers being deposed/moved on because of the land lords finding running sheep much more profitable than having tenants. Many crofts were abandoned and people moved away to Glasgow for work and emigrating to other countries. The population on Islay was still growing rapidly, despite migration, and reached its peak in 1831 when Islay had 15,000 inhabitants. The pressure on the land became huge and after national decline in cattle and crop prices after the Napoleonic wars, lots of people weren't able to pay their rents. Walter Campbell, the Laird, tried to persuade people to move to villages instead of encouraging migration, which was promoted by the Select Committee. The Campbells of Shawfield who bought the island in 1726, however were humane and realised that total clearance, to reduce the number of tenants on the land, was not an option but the situation with the overpopulation was still critical. When in the middle of the 1840s the potato disease spread from Northern Ireland to Islay, an alarming situation arised. Thousands of people were threatened by starvation and something needed to be done. Many people on Islay migrated and the population decreased rapidly and by the end of the century was down to about 8000.
Gaellic was the main language spoken until the mid 18th century. Many of the crofts have obviously Gaellic names of which there are several variations of spelling.
The island is about 30 kls wide 40 kls long. The people were mainly of Celtic and Scandinavian blood with little Anglo-Norman or Flemish stock.
Today there are still many distilleries producing a good local whisky exported world wide. The population now is about 3500.