Gilbert de Inrelauren, 1296
The first recorded mention of Inverlauren (aka Inverlaurin, Inverlaran, Inverlarin, Innerlaran, Innerlarran, Inuerlawren etc) was back in 1296, when “Gilbert de Inrelauran” (Gilbert of Inverlauren) was one of the Lennox vassals who pledged allegiance to the English King Edward I at “Berewyk sur Twede” (Berwick-upon-Tween). (Ragman Roll, 1834, 145). The English translation of the Norman French text reads:
“Domnall ‘Makachelsou’, Nicholas son of Adam of Dumbarton, Gilbert of Inverlauren, Donald Galbraith of Kilbride, Duncan MacGilchrist of Lennox, Domnall son of Michael More of Lennox, Duncan Alpinson of Auchentullich, Patrick Fleming, of the county of Dumbarton; Ewen of Cargill, Duncan MacEdolf of Cameron, Malcolm of Buchanan, Gilbert of Baldernock, Duncan Barde, Brice Finlayson of Nentboig, Thomas son of Malcolm of ‘Garthgeuerton’ or ‘-ron’, Robert Crochet, Richard ‘Pessun’ of Stirling, Robert of Ireland, Thomas de Montgomery, Gille Folan le Rous, and Odo son of Maurice (poss. Aed son of Murdoch), of the county of Stirling; Gilbert Hannay, Fergus Askolo, Gilbert of Hannay, and Thomas of Kilhilt, of the county of Wigtown; Gilbert Wischard, Joan de la Haye, Angus of Newtibber, Robert of Kinross, Richard of Newtibber, John of Strathearn, of the county of Forfar; William son of Alan the clerk of Lauder, Robert of the Hospital, Ralph Philip of Berwick, Thomas of Selkirk, Alice of Dunbar, and Robert of Kimmerghame, of the county of Berwick; Robert of ‘Cribbes’, John of Bickerton, Michael Scot, Philip of Carribber, John [of] Craigie, Saer of Dundas, Gervase of ‘Longhill’, Henry of Dalmahoy, Richard Arnold, Hugh of Durrisdeer, Alexander of Pardovan, Freskin of Douglas, Marjory of ‘Fairhalughe’, Patrick son of John the marshall, of the county of Linlithgow; since they have come to the faith and will of their lord, Edward, king of England, they promise to serve him well and loyally; and ech one has performed fealty to the king.“
Instrumenta Publica, pp. 145-6 (Ragman Roll).
Malcolm Lexax of Inuerlawren, 1395
The next mention of Inverlauren was on 4th July 1395 when Malcolm Lenax of Inuerlawren was (along with Johne MacAuslane of the Caldenocht), witness to a charter between Humphrey Colquhoun of Luss and his brother Robert, in which Humphrey granted Robert the lands of Camstradden.
(Colquhoun of Luss charters)
Humphra McCauslane in Inerlarran, 1694
It is not known when Inverlauren was first inhabited by McAuslands, but it had been tenanted by them since at least 1694 when a Humphra McCauslane was listed in the Hearth Tax records for the parish of Luss in Dunbartonshire.
The Last Mcauslands in Inverlauren
In this article we look at the last McAusland tenants of Inverlauren.
Humphrey McAusland, Tenant in Inverlauren until 1862
When Humphrey McAusland died on 18 January 1862, aged 71, he left two sons, John and Duncan and three surviving daughters, Sarah, Mary and Helen – Margaret had predeceased him on 05 February 1865.
However, on 28 December 1859, Duncan had sailed from London and emigrated to New Zealand. Duncan seemingly went to manage a property called “Wairuna” which belonged to a George Steele who had gone to New Zealand in 1850. Duncan married Ann Evered, the sister of George Steele’s wife. Duncan McAuslan died on 22 July 1883 at Ingham, Hinchbrook, Queensland, Australia leaving two daughters, Anna Maria and Mary.
In his will, Humphrey McAusland left £100 to his second son Duncan, then resident in New Zealand, but only should he return to Scotland. He explained that this was because Duncan had already received his share of the estate prior to leaving Scotland.
John McAusland, Tenant in Inverlauren from 1882 until 1876
John McAusland, elder son of Humphrey, succeeded his father as the tenant in Inverlauran. However he never married and when he died on 06 May 1876, he was the last of the direct male line of the Inverlauren McAuslands in Scotland, with his brother George then living in Australia and only three sisters to succeed him. He left a personal estate of £2,299 14s 6d and made bequests to his three surviving sisters and four cousins plus provisions for his brother Duncan should he be located. These bequests included:
- Sarah McAusland (sister), wife of John Campbell, Dealer at Bonny Bridge near Denny. £250.
- May McAusland (sister), wife of Alexander Munn, farmer near Bishopton. £250.
- Helen McAuslan (sister), wife of George Muirhead. £250.
- James McFarlan (cousin), residing in Glasgow. £100.
- Angus McFarlane (cousin, residing in Glasgow. £100.
- John McFarlan (cousin, residing in London. £100.
- Mrs Helen Cairns (cousin), residing near Luss. £60.
John McAusland also left, with conditions, the sum of £60 to his ploughman, John West. The conditions were that John West should remain in his employment and in the employment of of his trustees until the expiry of the lease of the farm, and that the sum would be paid up on the expiry of the lease, should the trustees be satisfied with his conduct. It is not known whether or not these conditions were fulfilled.
John Campbell, Tenant in Inverlauren from 1876 to between 1901 and 1911
However, John was not the last McAusland to live at Inverlauren.
At the 1881 census, Inverlaurin was occupied by John Campbell, brother-in-law of the late John McAusland, along with his wife Sarah McAuslan and their family.
Sarah McAuslan died on 11 June 1910, at Inverlaurin in the parish of Luss. She was aged 74, the daughter of Humphrey McAuslan, Farmer (deceased) and Mary McAuslan, Maiden Surname McFarlan (deceased), and married to John Campbell, Farmer. The cause of death was Heart Disease, Death Sudden, as certified by William R. Sewell, M.D., Helensburgh.
Mary Campbell, Mrs Charles Kinloch Tenant in Inverlauren from 1901 to at least 1911
By 1911, Sarah McAuslan’s widower John Campbell was living at Inverlaurin Cottage with their daughter Bessie Walker Campbell. He was described as aged 73, a widower of independent means, while she was described as aged 24 and a housekeeper.
John Campbell and Sarah McAuslan had two sons, but the elder, Peter moved to Glasgow where he worked as a carman or carter. He married Christina Fleming Penman on 28 January 1892 and died in Glasgow on 14 February 1943 aged 78.
The younger son, Humphrey McAusland Campbell was living with his parents in 1881 when he was aged 13 and a Scholar. After that his whereabouts are unknown.
In 1911, Inverlaurin Farm was occupied by John Campbell and Sarah McAuslan’s daughter Mary A. Kinloch, aged 37, a Farmer (own account) and the widow of Charles Kinloch. With her were her children Sarah, aged 8, at school, Catherine, aged 6, at school and John, aged 4. It is assumed that Charles Kinloch and Mary Campbell took over the tenancy of Inverlaurin some time after their marriage in 1901. Charles Kinloch died on 03 April 1908 at Inverlaurin.
Mary Campbell, Mrs Kinloch died aged 69 at Helensburgh in Row parish on 15 September 1939. It is not known for how long she continued as the tenant in Inverlaurin. The soon to be published 1921 census should hopefully reveal who was living there at that date.
Update: In 1921, Mary Ann Campbell (widow Campbell) was living in Row parish in Dunbartsonshire.
Postscript: Donald McAuslan of the Kirkmichael line
It is interesting to note that, at least according to the 1911 census schedule, the next neighbour to Inverlaurin was Meikle Dumfin. There the tenant farmer was Donald McAuslan, aged 38, from Helensburgh. He was born on 11 November 1872 at Helensburgh in Row parish, to James Chalmers McAusland and Mary McLachlan. His family had farmed Kirkmichael in Row parish since before the birth of his great grandfather Alexander in 1764 and no connection between his family and that of the McAuslands of Inverlauren has yet been found so his proximity to Inverlauren appears to be a coincidence. But was it?
Vecchio 
Hi There Baroness McAusland,
My name is Graham McAuslan. I am an Australian McAuslan descended directly from the Alexanders (b.1737, 1764, 1800) of Kirkmichael Farm, (near Helensburgh).
I believed I have discovered a connection between the McAuslans of Inverlaran Farm in Luss and my McAuslans of Kirkmichael Farm.
The connection goes like this: James McAuslan (1795-1884 of Inverlaran Farm) brother of Humphrey McAuslan (1789-1862) married Mary McAuslan (b.1793 at Kirkmichael Farm) daughter of Alexander McAuslan (b.1764 at Kirkmichael Farm).
I am descended from the Great Grandson of Alexander (b.1764), William (Bill) Pollock McAuslan, who was first of the Kirkmichael McAuslan line to emigrate to Australia in 1882 settling in Williamstown Victoria. I am the Great Grandson of Bill McAuslan and live in Pakenham Victoria.
Thank you very much for all the work you have done on the Story of the McAuslans, particularly those of Dunbartonshire. I have found your research very interesting and enlightening.
Regards and Best Wishes
Graham McAuslan
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much indeed for your kind words and the fascinating post. We were aware that members of the Inverlaran line had ended up in Australia, but not that there were also living descendants of the Kirkmichael branch there too.
It was very interesting to hear of the marriage between members of the Inverlaren and Kirkmichael branches. We were unaware of that, but we have only looked at Scottish records and perhaps they did not marry here?
We are incredibly lucky here to have one of the best and easily accessed genealogical databases in the world at ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/). However, when people emigrated, even to England, it can be rather more difficult to follow them – which is why input from people like yourself with local knowledge is invaluable.
We believe that, as with the Inverlaran branch, the Kirkmichael McAuslands were probably descended from the Baronial line, but to what degree, we can only speculate. However, a BigY700 DNA test of one of the direct male Kirkmichael line would likely confirm whether that is the case. If you would be interested and would like advice don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Thanks again.
LikeLike