Dear Linda,
I saw your message on the Campbell mailing list digest. Yes there
was a parish named Kirkbean in the south east extremity of the stewardtry of
Kirkcudbrightshire, occuping a peninsular place between the estuary of the
Nith and the body of the Solway frith.... The village of Kirkbean is 12
miles south of Dumfries and 12 east of Dalbeatie. Another village
Southerness is 16 miles south of Dumfries and 11 miles southeast of
Dalbeatie, close upon the shore. There was a decayed and almost extinct
village of Preston (quote from 1843).There is a mansion of Arbigland and two
ancient castles(Cavens and Weaths).
Population of the parish in 1801 was 696.In 1831 it was 802. houses
142. Therefore a small parish.
I was looking at a film of the parish registries of it
yesterday-not for Kirkbean but for the parish of Kirkcudbright (pronounced
'Kir-coo-bree'!)on the same film. It has Kirkbean birth, deaths and
marriages for 1714 onwards. The number is 1068032, available for hire at
your nearest Family History Centre of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latterday Saints.[confirm the number from the Library catalog!] it's $6
Australian, but about $3 US for 4 weeks. There is a list on the internet of
LDS FHC. Try Cyndi Howell's site if you can't find it.
If he is Presbyterian (Church of Scotland) have a look in "Fasti
Ecclesiae??.. Scoticanae" This gives the succession of ministers of the
Church of Scotland from the mid sixteenth century onwards. It gives the
parish, including overseas ones, where each minister served and often
includes parentage,spouse, childrens names,birth dates and places and their
spouses and other useful details such as degrees.
I found two editions in my State Library. Try the oldest you can
find. Look up the surname index which gives you a volume which is
geographic, so that within the Kirkbean parish you will find your Campbell.
I quote from an 1843 gazeteer I have:
"Admiral John Campbell, and the notorious Paul Jones, were natives of
Kirkbean; the former the son of the parish minister, and born in 1719,-the
latter the son of John Paul,a gardener, and born about the year 1745."
Look up the Old Parochial Registers (Scottish records CD on Family
Search on computer at an LDS FHC) for birth and parents of John Campbell.
Filter for region- Kirkcudbrightshire and time 1815+ then skim through
using Details looking for Kirkbean. when you find him use parent search and
parent marriage to get the whole family. i guess you have done this previously.
A word of warning though about doing genealogy from a famous person
towards the present!...!!
Good luck, Valerie Anderson.
You wrote:
I have just returned from Newfoundland where i spent some time
researching my Campbell ancestors. Unfortunately, most records were
destroyed in the great fire of 1892. I did , however, find out that
Vice-Admiral John Campbell, governor of Newfoundland from 1782 to 1786
was supposedly my ancestor. I found some notes in an old family bible
that say he was the son of a minister from Kirkbean in Kirkcudbrightshire
(at least that's what it looks like). Can anyone tell me if there is
such a place and where exactly it is? Also, does anyone have any info on
this gentleman and his ancestors and descendents. I am missing two or
three generations between this man and my ancestor Daniel Campbell born
in 1838. John was born about 1720 and died in 1790 in London.
Linda Stent-Campbell
Valerie Anderson andyvt(a)netlink.com.au
searching
Campbell in Tayvallich and Taynish, ) all in North Knapdale,
Argyllshire, Scotland
McLeod in Carsaig, )
McLean in Tayviallich, )
Johnston in Carsaig, )
also Campbell in Borgue, Twynholm and Kirkcudbright, Kirkcudbright, Scotland
Campbell in Stoneham, DEVON, England