The Regarde Bien
Issue No. 3
For the benefit of those unfamiliar with Scottish heraldry, it is important for a moment to set aside those rather romantic and popular images of the highland Chief and his Clansmen in order to consider the practice of heraldry. In Scotland, a person can only be recognised as the chief of a clan or family name by royal approval, a practice that has its origins in the high middle ages, when it was the prerogative of Kings to confer armorial ensigns on those men who had achieved the honour of knighthood. Once granted, it became a heritable possession, passing from the grantee to his successor usually the eldest son with younger sons matriculating a variation of the undifferenced arms. Today, the responsibility for granting and regulating the bearing of all arms lies with the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh.
Essentially, armorial ensigns are used for the purpose of identification, in other words, a surname indicates the clan or family to which a person belongs, whilst armorial ensigns are used for distinguishing persons of, and within, a clan or family. Thus, they indicate the Chief of the clan or family, and the Head of each subsidiary line or household descending from members who have themselves established in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland a right to a subsidiary version of the Chiefs arms, containing a mark of difference which indicates their position in the Clan or Family. The Chiefs arms are the original or undifferenced arms and it is illegal for anyone to assume or purport to use the Chiefs arms without a due and congruent record of difference by the Lord Lyon.
The Public Register of All Arms and Bearing in Scotland began in 1673 and since then, only the armorial ensigns of Major James Milliken Esq. of Milliken, recorded in 1741, have been entered into the register. By confirming the Milliken arms to the Major, the Lord Lyon was satisfied he had a right to bear the undifferenced arms of Milliken, distinguishing him as being a descendant of the chief line of the family of Milliken and not a subsidiary or cadet branch. According to the book of Funeral Escutcheons, which records the Majors pedigree in shield form, his father is titled Milliken of that Ilk, meaning - of the same - indicating he had a right to bear the arms of the Chiefs of the name of Milliken in Scotland.
If the Lord Lyon of 1741 was satisfied the Major had a right to bear the undifferenced arms of Milliken as a successor, we can be assured he was not the original grantee. The arms of the original grantee are depict in an old medieval Armorial dated 1566 and preserved in the Offices of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh; but a facsimile of it can be seen in Robert R. Stoddarts book on Scottish Arms published in 1881. The arms of 1566 are depicted under the name of Mullikine, the Anglo-Scots form of Muligane or Amuligane and pre-date 1566, but probably not much older than by 100 years. It is unfortunate that the entry given in 1566 does not give the Christian name of the man who bore the arms, but this is typical of medieval armorials. Thankfully, however, we are not left without clues and it is known that it was borne by John Mullikine, alias Amuligane, the third Laird of Blackmyre in Nithsdale, and servitor to the famous, William, Lord Ruthven, Earl of Gowrie, who was beheaded for abducting the young King, James VI of Scotland in 1584.
High up in the Galloway hills, in the old Carsphairn graveyard, stands a headstone erected to the memory of Jean Dempster by her son John Milligan Esq. of Westmoreland County in the State of Pennsylvania. Although weather beaten, the inscription reads, she died 2nd September 178-?, aged - -?, and was the spouse of Alex. Milligan. In his book on the Ms the Rev. G. T. Ridlon incorrectly gives his name as John Milligan, the father of John Milligan Esq. of Westmoreland and his two younger brothers Thomas and James Milligan. He is correct, however, to point out that this family had been known by the surname Milliken, and was only changed to Milligan after the death of Alexander in 1785, through the influence of his second wife. The record of his death is also preserved on a headstone in the same graveyard and reads:
[Sandstone Headstone] erected in memory of Alexander Milligan in Meadowhead who died July 26, 1785, aged 60 years.
[Pre-1855 Gravestone Inscriptions, An Index for the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright (1990), Vol. I, Carsphairn, no. 48]
Jean Dempster evidently died in or about 1780 for Alex married his second wife, Margaret Milligan, in 1781 and appears to have been married to Alex for nearly 30 years as her son John was born on 13 Oct., 1752. Alexs second marriage to Margaret, said to have been of the old family so long possessed of Blackmyre farm, came late in life when he was aged about 56 years. There are no early marriages records for the Parish Church of Carsphairn, only a baptismal register which dates from 1758 and records the following entries:
Feb. 24, 1783; baptism of Thomas first child of Alexander Milliken and Margaret Milliken in Meadowhead. [Carsphairn OPR.860/1/27]
July 3, 1785; baptism of James second child of Alexander Milliken and Margaret Milliken in Meadowhead. [Carsphairn OPR.860/1/43]
Recently on a visit to the National Archives of Scotland, previously the Scottish Record Office, I came across the following references in David Dobsons series of books on Scottish Emigrants to the Americas:
Mulligan, Hugh, a smith, member of Boston SCS 1684
Mulligan, John, member of Boston SCS 1685
Milliken, James, member of Boston SCS 1698
Dobson, David: The Original Scots Colonist of Early America (Supplement) 1607-1707.
I am interested in contacting anyone who is likely to undertake research at the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston and would be in a position to examine the early records related to the Scottish Charitable Society.
In the last issue, a number of important genealogical sources were outlined and in this issue, we turn our attention to another source that is almost certainly unlikely to capture the attention of most professional researchers, namely, the Rev. Ridlons book. There are several biographical notes in this book that have a direct bearing on the history of the Ms of Co. Londonderry and relate to Samuel Millikin of Coleraine, Alexander, William & James Milliken of Castledawson, James & William Millikin of Dromore, Robert Milliken of Tobermore, James & Thomas Milliken of Tamneymore, William & John Millican of Co. Londonderry, and of these, the earliest and most important are Samuel Millikin of Coleraine and the Millikens of Castledawson.
In chapter three of his book entitled Compendium of Family History, Ridlon narrates that old men now living in Antrim and Londonderry, have informed the author of visits made by relatives bearing the Milliken name from distant parts of Ireland to the homes of their grandparents when they were children; and they have a distinct recollection of the stories to which they listened when sitting around the peat fires, concerning the sufferings of their Scottish forefathers on the moors and mountains with Cameron, and how they fought at Drumclog and Bothwell Bridge, at the Boyne, Enniskillen and Londonderry.
To illustrate the point, he goes on to recite a tradition narrated to him by the lips of two persons, but only names one, Samuel Milliken of Coleraine, who he describes as being hale and hearty at aged of 85 in 1895 and gives his lineage is given as follows:
Robert Milliken, a shepherd farmer in the shire of Galloway, Scotland, was a zealous Covenantor who escaped with his family to Ireland, in the year 1680. He was born in 1650 and died in Londonderry in the year 1740, aged 90:- James Milliken, son of the preceding, born in the 1670, was ten years of age when he went with his parents to Ulster, Ireland, in 1680, and lived contemporary with his father 70 years, dying in 1750, aged 80:- Robert Milliken, son of the preceding, born in Londonderry, Ireland, in 1695, lived contemporary with his father 54 years, and with his grandfather 45 years, dying in 1791, aged 96 years:- William Milliken, son of the preceding, born in Londonderry, Ireland, in the years 1720, died in 1794, aged 74. He lived contemporary with his father 71 years, and with his grandfather 30 years:- Robert Milliken, son of the preceding, born in Londonderry, Ireland, in the year 1750, died in 1830, aged 80. He lived contemporary with his grandfather 41 years, with his father 44 years:- Samuel Milliken, son of the preceding, born in Coleraine, Ireland, 1810, was living in 1895 in full possession of his mental faculties, and related what his father had received from the lips of his grandfather relating to the experiences of his grandfather who was the exiled Covenanter first in Ulster.
The description by Samuel of his fathers grandfather, the second Robert Milliken, is worth quoting in full - my grandfather lived with my father when an aged man and was a person of peculiar and unalterable habits. He was small of stature, a weaver of the hand-loom by occupation and very stooping. He wore always, indoors and out-of-doors, a blue, knitted Kilmarnock (sic. Killmanmock) bonnet. His hair, heavy and snow-white, fell in curling masses about his neck; his diet in old age consisted of potatoes, which he insisted upon roasting in the embers and oatmeal porridge. When not employed at his loom he spent much of his time in reading the lives of the Covenanters, and was never weary of his description of his grandfather and the recitations to which he had listened in his boyhood from his lips relating to his adventures on the moors and mountains of Galloway when hunted by Claverhouse.
The first Robert Milliken, had two brothers who were at Bothwell Bridge and amongst the prisoners held in Grayfriers Churchyard. His father when an aged man, made the long journey on foot to sign a copy of the Covenant, and died soon afterwards from the fatigue of his exertion. He himself, had escaped to Ireland by a small boat in the night-time, and had returned to Scotland but once to visit kindred in Galloway. He was at the battle of the Boyne and suffered at the siege of Londonderry. He was well known and held in high esteem, and when he died the local militia turned out and gave him a soldier's burial. His body was carried to his grave on chairpoles by his four sons.
A similar tradition is conveyed in the chapter covering the Millikens of Castledawson in the parish of Magherafelt and county Londonderry. This family are said to have descended from Alexander Milliken, who according to Ridlon was a native of the lowlands of Scotland and is said to have been one of four brothers who were among the sturdy defenders of Londonderry in the memorable siege of 1689, he alone surviving. The tradition goes on to say that Alexanders grandson James - who was reared mostly in the family of his grandparents - remembered that at his grandfathers funeral the military turned out to do honour to an old soldiers memory who had been one of the survivors of the siege; he died at Castledawson.
This tradition, like the first, was recorded long after the events cited in it, but the impression left can hardly be disputed, a point that will become more evident in later issues of the Regarde Bien.
Of Samuel himself, he indeed appears to have been born in Coleraine as his name appears in the householders list for the Corporation of Coleraine in 1834, published in the Third Report from the Select Committee on Fictitious Votes in Ireland submitted by the House of Commons to the House of Lords in 1837. As Samuel Milligan, he lived at 1 Society Street, Coleraine, and his house was valued at œ8. Beyond this he has become an enigma, that is to me, unless some one has already managed to identify his whereabouts after 1834. I have searched through a number of records related to the town, but not succeeded in learning anything more about him.
He appears to have been the brother of Robert Millikin, whose name is listed in the 1831 Census returns for Coleraine. He lived in a dwelling house in the Diamond, consisting of two males, two females and one servant, and were Presbyterians. As Robert Millikin, he is listed in the Parliamentary Papers as one whose name had been referred to the Common Council of Coleraine to consider his petition for the freedom of the Corporation but had not been decided on by 1832. Two years later, his name appears as a subscriber to the Coleraine Poor-house and Mendicity Association in 1834, as Robert Milliken, Diamond, paid 8 shillings. He died a widower on 21st November 1870 aged 73 years, giving him a projected birth date of 1797. He had two known children Robert and Isabella Milliken; the latter married Cochran Patterson, a shopkeeper, in 1849.
It is doubtful Samuel Millikins father was a freeman of Coleraine as his name does not appear in the Register of Freemen which dates from 1715. The fact that Robert Millikin had applied to the Corporation of Coleraine for the right to trade freely before 1832, does suggest his application may have been precipitated by the death of his father in 1830, this assumes he is the brother of Samuel, and had taken over the family business. Of course, much depends of how you interpret the tradition that Samuels father, Robert, was born in Londonderry, does this mean the City or County? The only real guide we have lies in the various documents mentioned in the last issue, and Samuels own account of his ancestry which provides two important clues, they were weavers and Presbyterians with a strong Covenanting conviction.
This sub-title calls for some clarification as it refers to the family of James Millikin and Martha Hemphill, styled of Dromore, a designation that has lead to a good deal of confusion by Ridlon mistakenly assuming this referred to the town of Dromore in Co. Down. To avoid further confusion, I have chosen to follow the custom of placing a persons given townland as their address, though, it should probably read as Dromore in the townland of Drumraighland and parish of Tamlaght Finlagan. This couples eldest son, also called James, was born in the townland of Drumraighland on 5th January, 1752. Although, the Religious Survey of 1740 fails to note any Ms living in the parish, this does not negate the possibility there may have been Ms living there at one time as Ballykelly Presbyterian Church, which lies in this parish, records the proclamation of Gilbert Milliken and Margaret McClelen in 1712.
It is known that James Milliken of Drumraighland was born in 1727, but to say he was born in Drumraighland would only add further confusion. He was evidently a weaver, an occupation continued by one of his younger sons, David Millikin, who acquired two spinning looms under the Governments scheme to encourage the linen trade and is styled of the parish of Tamlaght Finlagan in 1796. He is probably the same David Millikin, who leased a small area of land amounting to over 6 acres in the townland of Bovavagh and whose name is listed, along with Samuel Millikin of Glenconway, James and John Millikin of Ardinarive and Alexander Millikin of Straw, in the parish of Bovavagh in 1827. Of the Millikins of Drumraighland, it is surely significant that the home of this God fearing family of Presbyterians and weavers, lay along the main road that runs between the City of Londonderry and the town of Coleraine!
Queries To
August 1999.