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Click here for a global route map of their journey to North America...
"In the 4th century A.D., a young man left the northern shores of the Solway Firth to travel to Rome. The Romans named him St. Ninian, and he was both a product and an agent of the culture that flourished in his part of the world. He visited St. Martin of Tours, and when he returned home, he established a great church and monastery which he called St. Martin's at Whithorn (white house) in Galloway. Whithorn was also known as Candida Casa, and was a landmark tourist attraction in those days. Irish captives were sent there to be re-educated, and subsequently returned to Ireland as missionaries and monks - the first Gilla Criosd...or 'slaves of Christ', we may presume." (1) This narrative can only give clues to the origins of the name. It also suggests we may be Irish... Through the centuries, the name has evolved through wars and invasions. There is also some evidence that we may be descended of Norwegian roots due to the Viking invasions of the 9th century, on the western coast of Scotland. There is a narrative available that was produced by Stephen Sidney Gilchrist (1), of Toronto in 1992, that gives a great deal of detail involving the evolution of the surname through the centuries...
As far back as I have been able to trace, so far, is a man named Angus Gilchrist. Angus was born around 1760 in an area called Argylshire. The records are very spotty for Angus, but it looks as if he was involved in farming and cattle herding. Angus had a son named William Gilchrist, who was born in 1795, and a daughter named Catherine, born a few years later. Possibly on the Isle of Islay, in an area called Cragabus. William grew up to marry Sarah McCuaig in 1826. They had 3 children before emigrating to Ontario in 1834. John was born January 12, 1827. Jessie, March 16, 1829. And Margaret, July 20, 1831.
Throughout the centuries, English, Irish and Scottish alike, have fueded over religious philosophies and territorial claims. The 15th and 16th centuries generated tremendous animosity between the Scots and the Kings of England. Over time, the English purging of the Scots became referred to as "the Clearances". A good deal of the population was literally pushed out of the center of the country. A good deal of effort was used by the English to break up the influences of the Clans. This is where our family tree leads us, into the Clans. We don't know which Clan our family emerged from, popular belief would be the Clan Ogilvie. Others have suggested MacLachlan...
As English Lords took over more of the lands for their sheep herds, the farmers and ranchers had no choice but to abandon their homes and land. The Lords condemned the land and took it for their own use. As time went on, more and more people were forced to the coastal areas. Our family ended up on the coastal island of Islay before emigrating to North America.
We may never know the exact reason William and Sarah brought their family to North America, but it seems reasonable that they were simply escaping political tyranny in their time.
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