John McClain
      Sex: M
Individual Information
          Birth: 1690 - , , , Northern Ireland ²
        Baptism: 
          Death: 
         Burial: 
 Cause of Death: 
Spouses and Children
1.  *Unknown 
       Children:
                1. Nathaniel McLean (      -      ) ³ ⁴
                2. Fergus McLean (1746-1837)
Notes
General:

". . . Fergus McClain whose parental line, it is said, goes back to Gillean of Duart (1174), the founder of the surname. From MacGillean or son of Gillean this was shortened to McClain and later to McLean"

MacLean clan: The clan MacLean was centered in the Western Hebrides. Chief of the main branch was seated at Duart Castle on the Isle of Mull. The name originally derived from Gillean of the Battle Axe, the Mac/Mc extention meaning "son of". Much has been written on the clan history.

The earliest McLean we have found immigrated to the American colonies from Northern Ireland. This family soon made a real mark in their new land and is even cited in at least one clan book as an example of MacLeans in the new world. See McNie's Clan MacLean (Cascade Publishing Co., 1983). He telescopes two generations (Fergus-John) and got the place of immediate origin wrong (says Scotland instead of Ireland), yet singling out our ancestors for their main example of having made a mark is quite an honour. - The challenge now is to pick up John in N. Ireland and extend the family line further back. ⁵

Sources

1 Francis P. Weisenburger, The Life of John McLean, a Politician on the United States Supreme Court (Graduate School Series, History and Political Science No. 15. Ohio State University Press, Columbus, OH, 1937), p. 1, 2.

2 Ibid, p. 2.

3 Bennett H. Young, Courier, A History of Jessamine County, Kentucky (Journal Job Printing Co., Louisville, KY, 1898), p. 81.

4 Timothy MacLaine, Clan MacLean/MacLaine Genealogy Database (Ancestry.com Roots Web http://www.gillean.com/Roots/index.htm, 2002).

5 Alan McNie, Clan McLean, Your Scottish Heritage ("Your Scottish Heritage" booklets, Cascade Publishing Co., Jedburgh, Scotland, 1983, 1989). Due to editing changes between editions the material is found on different pages.

If you are interested in or have ANY further information about the persons in this study, please:

GET IN TOUCH BY EMAIL NOW