MacLean & MacLean

MacLean vs McLean – once upon a time I was told the difference between Mac & Mc was about whether they were from Scotland or Ireland – Mac being Scottish – apparently that was pure hogwash.  Based on what I have seen with some of the records, I think more often than not, it was whether the writer added the ‘a’ because Mc was an abbreviation of Mac, same as M’Lean was an abbreviation – all depended on the author and how the records got read over the years.

With this family, the records went back and forth but I went with Mac given the transcription of the cemetery records.

Katie Margaret Maclean was born at Lake Ainsle, Nova Scotia to William John McLean & Jessie Ann McLean in 1893.  In 1916, she married John Edward ‘Eddy’ MacLean, the son of Angus Hector MacLean & Margaret Campbell also from Inverness Co, NS.

I took a peek at trees on Ancestry for John’s group of MacLean/McLeans and didn’t see a direct link to our line – the Inverness Co MacLeans, on both sides, come from Scotland and maybe brothers or cousins a long time ago (late 1700s/early 1800s) from the old country but no connection once they came over.  Katie stems from Laughlin MacLean abt 1803 from Scotland and John stems from a Hector McLean abt 1791 from Scotland (or MacLean).

John was married to Isabella ‘Bella’ McAulay before Katie and had 5 children; Katie and John had 11 children that I could find – this is based mostly on the various obits but it appears many were born after the last published group of vital records so more may come out later and/or solidify to which mother the kids belong.

Chronicle Herald, 3 Jan 1986

Orangedale - Mrs Katie Margaret MacLean, 92, of Orangedale, Inverness County, died Thursday in Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital.  Born in North Lake Ainslie, she was a daughter of the late Mr and Mrs William MacLean.  She was a member of Orangedale Presbyterian Church.  She is survived by five daughters, Mrs Mary Pynsky, Isabelle (Mrs Neil MacKenzie), both of Toronto; Muriel (Mrs Mike Ardelli), Tillsonburg, Ont; Annie (Mrs Edward A King), Port Hastings; Mrs Johanna Repa, Hamilton, Ont; three sons, William Baddeck; John Hector and John Edward, both of Orangedale; two stepsons, Danny, Sydney; Angus, Coburg, Ont; two sisters Mrs Murray Fielding, Truro, Mrs Jane Frank, Norwich, Conn; a brother, Lewis, Truro; 23 grandchildren; several great-grandchildren.  She was predeceased by her husband, John E; a sister and several brothers.  The body is in Dennis Haverstock Funeral Home, Wycocomagh.  Funeral service will be held Saturday at 2 pm in Orangedale Presbyterian Church, Rev Donald MacLeod officiating.  Burial will be in Malagawatch Cemetery