Mistress Helen MacAuslane of Caldenoch

On 6th March 1965, a “Mistress Helen MacAuslane of Caldenoch” was “Officially-Recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms in matriculating from them arms” “of Caldenoch”. Caldenoch had been part of the original McAusland barony but had been sold to the Colquhouns of Luss before 1718. So who exactly was “Mistress Helen MacAuslane of Caldenoch” and how was she connected to the McAusland Barons?

Thanks to the members of the Scottish Indexes group on Facebook, we were able to find out.

“Baroness” MacAuslane and her daughter “Lady” Helen are arrested

They discovered that in 1976, a “Baroness” Helen MacAuslane of Caldenoch, aged 63, and her daughter “Lady” Helen MacAuslane, aged 39, had been found guilty at Oban Sheriff Court of obstructing a road near Croig Pier on Mull with their caravan. The two defendants had refused to take the Oath and stated that as the road in question was private, no offence had been committed.

Regarding the titles used by the two ladies, The court of the Lord Lyon stated that when the armorial bearings of Helen MacAuslane of Caldenoch were recorded, the Lord Lyon had not determined whether Caldenoch was a barony.

The crucial point would seem to be whether Ms MacAuslane’s suffix “of Caldenoch” was due to her being the senior representative of the McAuslands of Caldenoch, or whether she actually owned the caput, or seat, of the ancient Scottish feudal barony of the McAuslands. In the former case she would be head of the family, but not Baroness MacAuslane, but if she held the caput, she would indeed be the holder of a (pre-2004) Scottish feudal Barony.

Helen McAuslane appeared to be a senior member of the Prestilloch line of McAuslands

The newspaper report suggested that Helen MacAuslane of Caldenoch was born around 1913, seemingly confirming suggestions by Scottish Indexes group members that she had died in 1980 in Strathaven aged was 67 under the name Helen McAuslane or Davis mmn McGeorge and that she had been born in Camlachie in 1912.

The group surmised that Helen MacAuslane had married Henry William Davis in 1935 in Blythswood, Glasgow and that her daughter was born Helen McGeorge Davis in Shettleston, Glasgow in 1936 and had died in Tobermory in 1996.

Helen MacAuslane parents were suggested to be Peter McAuslane and Helen McGeorge who married in Bridgeton, Glasgow in 1910.

Peter McAuslane was suggested to be the son of John McAuslane and Agnes Murdison/Murdieson who married in Bridgeton in 1886, with it being suggested that, according to census reports, John McAuslane had been born in 1853.

This information overlapped with some of that previously in the McAusland tree.

Original records from ScotlandsPeople were consulted and all the suggestions proved to be correct with the only exceptions (in bold) that John McAuslane had married Mary Murdieson (whose mother was named Agnes) and John McAuslane had been born in 1862 (rather than 1853).

Thanks to the research by the Scottish Indexes group members, we were able to determine that the “Helen MacAuslane of Caldenoch” who had matriculated arms in 1964 was the first cousin twice removed of James McAuslane, Esquire who had matriculated arms in 1891.

In addition, she appeared to be the only (surviving) child of Peter McAuslane and his wife Helen McGeorge, who was the eldest son of Peter McAusland and his wife Mary Murdison, who was the eldest son of Peter McAuslane and his wife Rose Williamson, who was in turn the eldest son of Peter McAuslane of the Prestilloch line and his wife Mary McAllum.

According to John McAuslane, Esquire’s 1891 matriculation, he was:

“the son of the Reverend Alexander McAuslane, Doctor of Divinity of Washington and Lee University, United States of America and of Margaret Smith, his wife;

“that the said Alexander McAuslane was the son of Peter McAuslane of Prestalloch in Glendouglas in the county of Dumbarton (who during his lifetime added the terminal e to to name) and Mary MacCallum his wife; (Peter McAuslane of Prestalloch and Mary MacAllum were also the ancestors of Helen MacAuslane of Caldenoch).

“that the said Peter McAuslane was by family tradition said to be the son of Peter McAuslan, who was the son of Humphrey McAuslan, who was the son of Alexander McAuslan, all of Prestalloch, aforesaid;“

Humphrey McAuslan is thought to be the son of Alexander McAusland (born circa 1733), son of Dougal McAuslan (born in Prestilloch and baptised on 6 June 1698), who is believed to be the son of the John McCauslan in Prestilloch who appeared in the 1694 hearth tax rolls.

The Missing Link between the McAusland Barons of Caldenoch and the McAuslands in Prestilloch

As noted previously, in 1694, John McCauslan in Prestilach and son appear immediately below the entry for Alexander McCauslane of Caldenoch, i.e. the last Baron MacAusland, and directly above an entry for a John McCauslane in Caldenoch. It seems possible that Helen MacAuslane’s claim to Caldenoch was based on her direct descent from John McCauslan in Prestilach and that he was in turn a relative (possibly a brother or cousin) of Alexander McCauslane, the last McAusland Baron of Caldenoch.

Helen McAuslane of Caldenoch was a descendant of King Robert II and of Robert the Bruce

As previously noted, James McAuslane’s 1891 submission stated that:
“and that the said Mary MacCallum, wife of the first mentioned Peter, was also said by family tradition to have been the daughter of Malcom MacCallum and Mary MacColl his wife, daughter of John MacColl and Isabella Stewart, daughter of Alexander Stewart, fourth laird of Ballachulush.”

The Stewarts of Ballachullish trace their descent from the Stewarts of Appin, and the Stewart Lords of Lorne to Robert, 1st Duke of Albany, who acted as regent for his father Robert II, his brother Robert III and his nephew James I.

Thus, Helen MacAuslane of Caldenocht was – and would no doubt be aware that she was – the descendant of the first Stewart King and of his grandfather, Robert the Bruce.