Donald MacBean (abt. 1610 - 1690)

I am commenting in an official capacity as Seanachaidh to the Chief and Clan Historian of the Clan MacBean, in the hope that a collaborative effort may be made to fix a maelstrom of a genealogical mix-up that has arisen and been multiplied and copied across the internet, relating to this profile and its connected and claimed early lineage. The task of untangling this looks almost impossible, but this is an effort to try and see what may be possible, careful step by step, with the help of anyone who may be able to offer assistance. At the same time, in parallel, the lineage of the chiefly line of the MacBeans of Kinchyle is being brought up to date as best can be on Wikitree and elsewhere.

Family genealogies and histories are greatly cherished, and it is therefore to be greatly regretted that this profile for the son of 'Angus Gillephadrick Macbean' is part of a genealogical error of lineage and facts from many years before when hypotheses or mistaken reading of old pedigrees resulted in what may be best be described as a mail-merge mix-up, like pieces of a jigsaw that appeared to fit together but were in fact unconnected.

Primary source material from contemporary manuscripts, and secondary sources from the great Clan Chattan historians of the past (Charles Fraser-Mackintosh, Alexander M. Mackintosh), show that there was no such person as 'Angus Gillephadrick Macbean' - or as elsewhere found called 'Angus Aaron Gillephatrick MacBean'.

A glance at the name reveals that it is a literal genealogical mail-merge of the names of different men from different branches of Clan MacBean, from different time periods. 'Gillephadrick' is the name one finds attached to the first of the family of the MacBeans of Faillie, and 'Angus' (or in its other forms 'Aeneas' / 'Æneas') is a name often found used in the Kinchyle family. 'Aaron' is a name never found used by any branch of the clan in the 1600s or 1700s, and is most likely a mis-transcription of the alternative name for 'Angus' - 'Æneas'.

Online genealogies have been found that have given this Angus Gillephadrick Macbean as father of a Donald MacBean (MacBean-36) 'born about 1 Jul 1610 in Faullis, Lochabar, Inverness-shire, Scotland'. One can presume immediately that 'Faullis' is a mis-transcription of 'Faillie' and this place is in Strathnairn south of Inverness and not to the south of the Great Glen in Lochaber, which was a district where the clan originated from hundreds of years earlier.

This profile states this 'Angus Gillephadrick Macbean' was born 27 Jun 1590 in Daviot, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The Daviot parish where the MacBeans of Faillie were from is in Strathdearn, Inverness-shire, not Aberdeenshire. It is important to note that no parish records survive for births and marriages in Daviot & Dunlichity parish (where Faillie is situated) until 1774. It is not known from what source this date of 27 June 1590 is taken, but perhaps it is a date contained within a manuscript that is connected with one of the MacBeans, rather than a birth date. The profile also states that this 'Angus Gillephadrick Macbean' died in 1689. However, by that year Paul MacBean of Kinchyle was still living, and had succeeded his father John MacBean of Kinchyle, son of Angus son of Paul (MacBean) of Kinchyle. In this year 1689, the MacBeans of Faillie were led by Donald MacBean of Faillie, son of Donald MacGilliephadrick of Faillie.

This Donald is then given as the father of John (MacBayne) Bean of Exeter (MacBayne-2). The Clan MacBean's genealogical team have no knowledge of an original source that confirms the names of the parents of John Bean of Exeter. They do not have any documentary evidence (yet) that details of his parentage was handed down to his children and onwards to their descendants. If such evidence exists, from original sources (letters, manuscripts etc), it would be wonderful to see it.

Whilst the story of John Bean and his descendants in North America is well documented, the story of his life before and original source material to inform historians about this appears to be non-existent, with the exception of a list of Scottish prisoners who were destined to become indentured servants, travelling on the ship that brought him to New England, which was written up in London before the ship sailed across the Atlantic.

The story of John Bean's origins in the Highlands and from among the MacBeans has remained a strong theme firmly rooted in oral tradition. What would be absolutely fantastic is to find out how this first arose. A diary, a letter, an oral story with the name of the person who passed it on i.e. a daughter of John Bean or a grandchild etc. The contribution of the Bean family to the Clan is very significant. Without their John Bean of Exeter Family association, the Clan MacBean organisation that exists today in the United States may never have come into existence as it did. So, the Clan owe's something important to the Beans, and this is one of a number of good reasons for delving more into John Bean and seeing if interested clansfolk and historians can pull together an updated story of his life and origins for future generations to have as a helpful reference point on him, and replace all the unfortunate errors that have multiplied across the internet.

The first step is to begin to fix this mistaken genealogy and untangle the original sources of its data, like precise birth and death dates from times contemporary parish records didn't survive.

The story of John Bean of Exeter starts with his name appearing among the list of Scottish prisoners - members of the Royal Army of King Charles II, captured after the battles of Worcester (3rd September 1651) and Dunbar (3rd September 1650), and transported to New England in May 1652 aboard a ship called 'the John and Sara'. This list was written up in London before the ship sailed across the Atlantic and an original handwritten copy survives. A transcript was published in The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, Volume I, 1847.

I would appreciate it if you could provide the original source of information on Donald which shows he is the son of Angus, Thank you!

Is this ANOTHER duplicate? https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Macbean-14

If so, he has a lower internal entry number and the merge should flow INTO that profile.

from the biography, "Donald MacBean/MacBayne is the son of Angus Aaron MacBean/MacBayne and Isobel Bailie, of the Clan Chattan, in Lochbar, Scotland." This seems to match up with MacBean-43, which has limited info and a different birth year. Could these be the same person?

Last name at birth should be MacBean

Bean-15 and MacBayne-1 appear to represent the same person because: Help reduce duplicates.

Thanks, Bob