In two previous posts we looked into McAusland graves in the Kirkyard of Rhu (or Row) parish and in another article we looked into the last McAusland (various spellings) tenants of Inverlaren (various spellings) in Luss parish, but were unable to make a connection between them.

However, thanks to the transcriptions and some sketches in Rhu Parish Church & Tombstone Inscriptions, published in 1999 by the Clan Colquhoun Society of the United Kingdom, the situation is a little clearer.

The graves of interest are numbers 30 and 31 at the bottom right of Rhu Kirkyard as noted in the plan above.

The inscription on tombstone 30 confirms that Humphrey McAuslan who died on 18 January 1862 aged 72 was the son of John McAusland and Mary McNaught(an).

However, Humprey’s father, John McAuslan, farmer of Inverlauren was recorded as having died on 28 January 1834, aged 83 and he was the son of Humphrey McCaslan, farmer of Inverlaran and Helen McLellan. This John’s baptism has not been found in the Old Parish Registers and therefore he had been wrongly assigned.

The new tree now makes sense with Humphrey McAusland who was born 1789 being the eldest son in turn of the eldest son of Humphrey McAusland and Helen McLellan. This revised tree demonstrates that Humphrey was named after his paternal grandfather, and explains how he came to inherit the tenancy of Inverlaren.

However, what about tombstone 31? This is badly eroded and somewhat difficult to read. This is the tombstone of Archibald McCaslan, tenant in Inverlauren and a lady who is presumably his wife, Janet McAulay. While it is impossible to be certain, it seems likely that the Archibald McCaslan, tenant in Inverlauren who is buried in grave 31 is the father of Humphrey McCaslan, tenant in Inverlauren who is buried in grave 30.

It also seems likely that the Archibald McCaslan, tenant in Inverlauren who is buried in grave 31 is the son of the Humphra McCauslune in Innerlarran who is mentioned in the 1694 hearth tax records for Luss parish.

While conjectural rather than confirmed, this would mean that there was a documented, unbroken line of McAusland tenants in Inverlaren for at least six generations from Humphra McCauslune in 1694 until the death of his great (x3) grandson John MacAuslan in 1876.

The Clan Colquhoun Society of the United Kingdom and The Scottish Genealogy Society have included very helpful sketches of the shield that appears on gravestone 31. But, why is there a coat of arms on this gravestone? ScotlandsPeople have indexed the Coats of Arms that were matriculated with the Lord Lyon King at Arms from 1672 to 1921. However the only recorded grants of arms in Scotland to McAuslands between those dates were to Robert McCasland of Newlandmuir in 1863 and to James McAuslane in 1891, with two later grants, to Peter McAuslane in 1945, and to Peter’s daughter Helen in 1965, as detailed in previous articles. It seems possible therefore that the coat of arms on tombstone 31 were either never officially matriculated in Scotland, not matriculated there between 1672 and 1921, or that the record of their matriculation does not survive. We suspect that the McAusland arms were in use prior to 1672 and were never subsequently registered in the Public Register of Arms.

As noted previously, Donald MacLeod’s 1891 book states that the McAusland families of “Prestalloch, Stockidow and Innerlaurin” were descended from three brothers, Peter, James and Humphrey. “Prestellach”, along with “Innerquhonlanes” and “Craigfad”, was held by the McAusland Barons of Caldenoch.

Meanwhile Polly Aird’s book notes a letter where her ancestor Peter McAuslan, of the “Stuckiedow” line, wrote to his daughter stating that his grandfather was the son or grandson of one of the McAusland Barons.

The fact that the McAuslands of Innerlaren displayed a coat of arms on one of their tombstones fits in with these stories. The McAusland barony itself was sold to the Colquhouns some time between 1694 and 1707. However, it seems possible that, either in their own right as junior members of the baronial family, or as the heir males of the McAusland barons, the McAuslands of Innerlaren may have matriculated arms prior to 1672.

Many of their theories regarding these various McAusland branches could probably be answered should suitable male candidates be found who would be willing to take BigY700 tests.