A Scottish Settlement to North Carolina
Argyllshire.
Argyll, sometimes called Argyllshire, is an ancient and historic county in western Scotland. The timeline of Argyll corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of Dál Riata on Great Britain. Campbell and MacDougall are noted as the two most powerful Clans in Argyllshire.
There was a feud between the MacGregors and the Campbells which is historically known, but Clan Campbell of Breadalbane was particuarly feared and dominated a large swathe of Scotland. Essentially, the clans in Argyllshire were of protestant origin.
Since quit rents were not collected in Scotland for two years after the issuance thereof, the average Highland tenant was able to pay transportation costs to America after selling off his livestock and tools.
In 1739 a group of 350 people from Argyllshire settled in North Carolina and those numbers appear to be reflected in the land grant statistics of 1740 as "33." That number was the largest settlement because thereafter, between 1741 to 1751, between two and five grants were allowed.
The genealogist should put on the hat of the historian and research into the politics of Argyll during this period.
Listed below are some Scottish settlers found in Bladen County, North Carolina records, viz:
McCall, Duncan | McConkey, Robert | McDonell, Alexander | McDougal, Allen | McDugald, Margaret | McEwen, John | McKay, Ann | McKay, Iver | McKay, James | McKay, Ralph | McKee, Ann | McKuhan, Duncan | McKuhan, D. F. | McLeod, Lauchlin | McLearn, John | McLelland, Andrew | McMaster, Felix | McMillan, Dugard | McMillan, Duncan | McMillan, Edward | McMillan, Jeannette | McMillan, John | McMillan, Joseph | McNaughton, John | McNeill, John | McNeill, Mary | McNeill, Hector | McRee, James | McRee, Robert | McRee, William | Meek, George | Melvin, Daniel | Melvin, George | Melvin, John | Melvin, Joshua | Melvin, Robert | Meredith, James | Miller, Frederick | Monroe, Duncan } Monroe, Nancy | Moore, Berenger | Moore, James | Moore, Maurice | Moore, William | Moore, William etc.
Source: North Carolina Pioneers