Angus Annanius McAllister

Angus McAllister BIRTH 1672, County Antrim, Northern Ireland DEATH 1737 (aged 64–65), Londonderry, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, USA BURIAL Old Hill Graveyard, Londonderry, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, USA MEMORIAL ID 136765944

Various printed New Hampshire town histories contain confusing snippets regarding the descendant family of Angus McAllister, the immigrant Scotch Presbyterian settler of Londonderry, NH. Jonathan McAllister of Londonderry, a 5th generation descendant of Angus, left a confused set of facts, first printed in 1880 as part of Cochrane's History of the Town of Antrim, NH then subsequently copied and expanded in 1908 as the basis of the McAllister surname in Vol. 2 of Genealogy and Family History of New Hampshire. Jonathan McAllister added children to Angus McAllister's descendants whose existence cannot be proved, misnamed descendant spouses, claimed marriages took place in Mass. towns far from Londonderry when they took place in present-day New Hampshire, and had persons moving to towns where they never lived.

In 1980 John Brooks Threlfall, F.A.S.G., published Angus McAllister of Lancaster, Mass., and Londonderry, NH (NGSQ, vol. 68.) While Threlfall's research is commendable he introduced several contradictory associations, misstatements and several erroneous assertions. The following is based on more thorough research and due diligence by this descendant of Angus McAllister.

In the cited Threlfall article, he persistently used the term Scotch-Irish in describing Angus and his descendants. That Angus was "Scotch-Irish" (or Scots-Irish) is a misnomer, a hyphenated term misconstrued in America to infer that such immigrants were of both Scotch and Irish descent. Nothing is farther from the truth, certainly given that the surname McAllister and all of its various spellings descending from Clan Donald of Scotland is of Scotch origin. Angus was a Scotch Presbyterian, probably descending from an ethnic Scot family who relocated to Northern Ireland during the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century. That the Scotch Presbyterian immigrants to New England in 1718 may have been born in Ireland does not make them ethnic Irishmen. Most of the so-called Scotch-Irish were descended from Scottish and Northern English families. People in Great Britain and Ireland that are of a similar ancestry usually refer to themselves as Ulster Scots, with the term Scotch-Irish used only in North America.

Angus McAllister was an early Scotch Presbyterian immigrant from Northern Ireland who finally settled at Londonderry, NH. He may have been part of the some 200 Scotch Presbyterians who in 1718 at Northern Ireland petitioned the Gov. of the Mass. Bay for settlement, and subsequently sailed to New England. He is perhaps one and the same as George McAllister, the only McAllister who signed the 1718 petition. However, by the mid 1800s the original petition, now held by the New Hampshire Historical Society, was so deteriorated that Angus' name may have been subsequently misread as George.

In New England, Angus may have first settled at Worcester County, Mass. where the predominance of the earliest records of some of his children appear. In 1726 he and son William were among numerous petitioners that requested a grant and charter for a township to be called "Coulrain." Much confusion concerns this petition with most writers saying it was to be located in New Hampshire. However, no such petition is of record in the Provisional Records and Acts of New Hampshire. Rather, the petition for such town is only found in the NH Provincial Deeds. The vast majority of the names on this petition include the same names of the original settlers of Londonderry, NH. This begs the question where was the family of Angus McAllister actually residing in 1727? The petition was never granted by New Hampshire. Rather, in 1735 the Province of Massachusetts granted a charter for Colrain, now part of Franklin County, Mass. along the border of Vermont, to a completely different group of petitioners essentially all from greater Boston.

In June 1731 Angus' son David, called of Lancester, Worcester County, Province of Mass., acquired from David Morrison of Londonderry "for the love and affection I bear unto the said David McAllester," a small portion of Morrison's large 240 acre land grant at Londonderry. Contrary to the claim that Angus does not appear at Londonderry until 1737, he first appears in the records of the Londonderry West Parish Church on Mar. 14, 1733/4 when he, as Angus "MacAlester," and son William, signed the call for Rev. David McGregor (son of the deceased Rev. James McGregor of Londonderry) to be pastor of the newly formed Presbyterian church in western Londonderry (incorporated in 1740 as Londonderry's West Parish Church) [West Parish Chh. Rec.] On Mar. 5, 1736/7 Angus' sons William and David, but not Angus, were two of the 28 petitioners to the New Hampshire Provincial Court requesting the formal setting off of a separate church parish in the west portion of Londonderry. This petition was destroyed in a fire at the court secretary's house. On Oct. 12, 1737 the same petition, now with 54 named petitioners, was again presented to the court with Angus "McAlester" one of the named petitioners.

The presumptive date of Angus' birth has traditionally been written as 1670 while the date of Angus' death is claimed to have been 1737, but no confirming document can be found regarding his death. Reading of the separate Londonderry East and West Parish Church records yields no record of the names of the church members, no record of baptisms, marriages or deaths during the whole of the 1700s. By family tradition he is assumed to have been buried in an unmarked grave at Londonderry's East Parish burying ground, now Forest Hill Cemetery at East Derry, NH. The same tradition, probably authored by Jonathan McAllister (1817-1907) of the 5th generation, states that at Angus' death he was carried on a bier on the shoulders of four men a distance of six miles to the burying ground at present-day East Derry. On the way they met Thomas Wilson, an old companion in arms, who took off his hat and shouted "Auld Ireland forever! Weel, Angus, they're na taking the lug [ear] aff your head at Pennyburn Mill the day, Mon!"

The Londonderry Town Records and NH Provincial Deeds evidence a Thomas Wilson was a resident of Londonderry prior to and after the 1734 first appearance of Angus at Londonderry. Accordingly, there may be some truth to Jonathan McAllister's claim, but that the actual cry between Thomas Wilson and Angus' pall-bearers could be succinctly quoted 150 years after the fact leads one to consider the element of descendant puffery. Further, it can be fairly well established where Angus' sons William and David's land ownership laid in present-day Londonderry, 4.5 miles not 6 miles, west of Forest Hill Cemetery.

In 1733 Rev. Matthew Clark, the 2nd pastor of the original Londonderry, or old parish, church (now the Derry Congregational Church), donated the land that is the old Hill Cemetery at Londonderry whereas Clark's old friend and predecessor, Rev. James MacGregor, the first minister of the old east parish church, donated the land for what is now Forest Hill cemetery at Derry. Rather than burial at Forest Hill, the memorialist believes it most likely Angus is interred in an unmarked grave at old Hill Cemetery at present-day Londonderry.

By tradition versus documented evidence, Angus' wife was Margaret Boyce versus Margaret Boyle, the former a Scotch surname, the latter an Irish surname. There is no known record that confirms Angus' wife accompanied him to New England.

Following is a brief summary of the known and documentable family of Angus McAllister, the children undoubtedly all born at Northern Ireland. It includes supposed eldest son John of Worcester County, Mass., but the memorialist seriously doubts John was in fact a son of Angus McAllister.

• i. John McAllister, by tradition the presumed, but doubtful, eldest son of Angus, b. circa 1698 and d. testate at Worcester County, Mass. betw. Jan. 6 and Mar. 27, 1769 (date of codicil-date of probate); m. 1) likely before emigration, a wife named Jennett, who d. at Westborough, Mass. in 1729 after giving birth to twins. He m. 2) Oct. 6, 1729 at Westborough, Mass. Margaret Johnson, who died before him. Six documented children of the family. [*1]

• ii. William McAllister, b. AFTER Mar. 10, 1699/700, d. Mar. 10, 1755 at Londonderry, NH (g.s., Æ 55); m. of record Jan. 24, 1726/7 at Marlborough, Mass., Jane Campbell ("Jenne Campbel"), not Jane or Janet Cameron as claimed by Jonathan McAllister. Seven documented children: Margaret, John, David, James, WILLIAM, Andrew and Peter. Jonathan McAllister failed to include son James and added Hugh and Thomas as children, but no verifying record of the latter two children's existence can be found.

• iii. Jane McAllister, b. circa 1702; m. Timothy Knox by early 1727 when the first of their known children were bp. at Lancaster, Mass. Soon after Mar. 1733 the Timothy Knox family relocated to Pembroke, NH (not Pembroke, Mass. as claimed by Jonathan McAllister) where Timothy was a first proprietor of that town. The History of Pembroke includes the statement: "Timothy from whom the Pembroke family traces its descent, was in the direct line of Rev. John Knox, who came to America and settled at Lancaster, Mass." Presumably this infers that Timothy was a descendant of the famous Scotch Presbyterian divine John Knox. However, a direct descent is improbable, as it is well documented that although John Knox was twice married and had two sons by his first wife, they both died young without issue. He had three daughters by his second wife, the daughters marrying men not named Knox.

• iv. David McAllister, b. AFTER July 5, 1704, d. testate at Londonderry betw. July 5 and Oct. 22, 1750 (date of will-date of inventory); m. Eleanor Wilson by whom he had six documented children: Margaret, Alexander, Janette, John, ARCHIBALD and George. The widow Eleanor m. 2) William Addison, who d. intestate at Londonderry before Nov. 8, 1763, when administration was granted to the widow Eleanor. Eleanor was alive at Londonderry Oct. 31, 1765 when she submitted to the court her administrative account. One acknowledged child by her 2nd marriage, dau. Eleanor Addison, who m. Charles Cavender of Londonderry and later Lyndeborough, NH.

• v. Mary McAllister, m. June 17, 1728 of record at Londonderry, NH (by Rev. James MacGregor), John Taggart, who per provincial deeds, town and probate records was still living at Londonderry as late as 1755, but when Mary died has not been found. Mary (McAllister) Taggart DID NOT marry on Jan. 20, 1743/4 at Londonderry as his 2nd wife, John Woodburn. Four recorded daughters; Jannet the youngest was living at Londonderry in 1757 when named the primary legatee to John Cunningham, who died testate as a combatant in the French and Indian War.[*2]

• vi. Martha McAllister, d. at Pembroke, NH 1750-1; m. bef. 1731, Robert White, not John White as claimed by Jonathan McAllister, with two children bapt. of record at Lancaster, Mass. betw. Feb. 1730/1 and June 1733. In Mar. 1732/3 Robert White bought Lot 54 at Pembroke, NH and moved there. Five known children.

• vii. Margaret McAllister, m. Mar. 1, 1731/2 of record at Lancaster, Mass., James White, brother of the husband of Margaret's sister Martha. One month after the above Robert White purchased the whole of Lot 54 at Pembroke, he sold brother James the north half of the same lot with James moving to Pembroke, where he d. in 1754. Three known children.

[*1] Jonathan McAllister (1817-1907) claimed Angus' eldest son John returned to Ireland, which writers have dismissed based on the existence of a John McAllister of Worcester County, Mass. However, no child of John McAllister of Worcester carries the name of his supposed parents Angus and Margaret or of his supposed younger siblings. In addition, no inter-family marriage, no deed in Mass. or NH or other form of evidence can be found connecting John McAllister of Worcester, Mass. to the Angus McAllister family of Londonderry or other NH towns.

On the other hand, in 1744 a John McAllister arrived at Londonderry, NH from Ireland and for a period of time resided at Londonderry. In 1749 while a resident of Londonderry, this John McAllister, a weaver, purchased from Jacob Hurd of Boston, Mass. [Rockingham County, NH Deed 41:186] two lots at New Boston, NH. In 1755 the same John McAllister, now called of New Boston, exchanged lots at New Boston with John Homans of Dorchester, Mass. [ibid, 52:516] where he would live out his adult life. This John McAllister's known children are Archibald; Mary b. during the voyage to America in 1744 who married Daniel Kelso, b. at Londonderry, NH; Ananias (the name sometimes attributed to the Londonderry, NH immigrant Angus McAllister); and Daniel. Two of these names, Archibald and Mary, are found in descendant families of the immigrant Angus McAllister of Londonderry. Was this John McAllister actually Angus McAllister's grandson, son of Angus' son John who Jonathan McAllister claimed returned to Ireland?

[*2] The 1914 printed Londonderry vital records contain a confusing set of data regarding Mary. One marriage record under her surname claims she m. on June 17, 1728, Hugh Taggart, whereas under the Taggart surname Hugh Taggart m. Mary "Macalister" on June 17, 1723. In the film version of Vol. 1 of the original Londonderry Town Records, this marriage is partially faded with only the last letter "n" of the groom's given name visible. It is also among a list of marriages by Rev. James Macgregor or his successor Rev. Matthew Clark that took place between 1727 and 1733. The year of the "Tagart" marriage is clearly 1728. In addition, in the printed vital records a "John and Mary Tagart" are credited with four children: Merrian, printed as b. Apr. 25, 1723, but clearly written in the original record as b. Apr. 25, 1729; Agnus whose name and female gender are clearly written, b. June 7, 1731; Margaret b. Aug. 22, 1733; and Jennet b. Oct. 16, 1735. In the written birth records, the father's name is consistently written as "Jon" with the "n" underlined to indicate an abbreviation of John, with the four birth entries the "daughter of Jon Tagart & Mary his wife..." How Daniel Gage Annis, author of the 1914 printed Londonderry Vital Records, abstracted the name Hugh is a clear mistake.

The marriage and birth dates of the foregoing correct Tagart marriage and four recorded children debunk the undocumented claim that a John Taggart and Mary McAllister, the supposed dau. of Angus, married prior to 1720 and were the parents of a John Taggart born in December 1720 at Roxbury, Mass. No confirming record in print (birth, baptism, or inference otherwise) of the latter John Taggart's birth, or any accompanying statement of the name of the parents, can be found. Failing credible support, an FAG contributor now claims that the supposed Mary (McAllister) Taggart was the dau. of Angus McAllister's son William. This requires Mary to have been born when her father was an infant child.

In addition, the erroneous Taggart-McAllister claim is contained in multiple LDS Ancestral Files, several of which claim to know the name of the immigrant Angus McAllister's father. In the past 150 years no direct Angus McAllister descendant has been able to supply the name of Angus' parents. Further, the best effort of several experienced New England-oriented professional genealogists, specialists in separate Scotch and Irish genealogy, have failed to uncover any suggestion for the name of Angus' parents.

Edited 4/27/2015

Children William McAllister, 1700–1755 David McAllister, 1704–1750

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/136765944/angus-mcallister

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@R753178925@ U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc

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Place: Massachusetts; Year: 1718; Page Number: 222 1,7486::1444386

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@R753178925@ Millennium File Heritage Consulting Ancestry.com Operations Inc

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1,7249::10413166

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@R753178925@ U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc

GEDCOM Source

Place: Massachusetts; Year: 1718; Page Number: 222 1,7486::1444386

GEDCOM Source

@R753178925@ Millennium File Heritage Consulting Ancestry.com Operations Inc

GEDCOM Source

1,7249::10413166

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@R753178925@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

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Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=120279483&pi...

• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Feb 2 2021, 19:39:55 UTC