Alexander McLaren (bef. 1806 - 1870)

Born before 2 Jun 1806 in Killin, Perthshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Fatima Pau — married about 1846 in Guyana

Descendants

Died 2 May 1870 after age 63 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England

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Biography

Alexander McLaren was born in 1806 in Perthshire, Scotland. When he was young he went to Guyana to make his fortune in the sugar and rum trade. He was very successful. He became the 50% owner of two plantations in Guyana, one called La Bonne Intention and the other called Zeeburg, both in the area of Demerara.

Alexander McLaren had two sons by his first wife, Ann Lockett, both of whom were born in Guyana. It is not known for certain whether Ann Locket was white or black, nor whether they were actually married, although it is most likely that she was black. He then took another wife, Fatima Pau (or Pan), who was apparently a free black woman in Guyana. Again it is not certain whether they were actually married. With Fatima he had several children, most of whom, and perhaps all, were sent to Scotland to be educated where they stayed and subsequently married. Alexander's oldest son appears to have stayed in Guyana to run businesses there, whereas Alexander's second oldest son appears to have returned permanently to Scotland to run businesses there.

When Alexander McLaren returned to Scotland in his later years, he was not accompanied by Fatima, or Ann, who apparently stayed in Guyana, or perhaps had died. After returning to Scotland, Alexander McLaren apparently established a relationship with another woman, Helen Fullerton, with whom he had two more children (who are listed as illegitimate in their birth records). It is reasonable to assume that these children are his sons as he left them a share of his lands in this will on the same basis as all the sons from his first and second marriages, and he also left funds for their mother.

Alexander McLaren was an extremely successful and wealthy man. This is shown by the fact that upon his death in 1871, his inventory showed that his various assets totalled a sum of £29,690, which would be the equivalent of many tens of millions of dollars in 2015. Further, this total did not include the value of his 50% share of the two plantations in Guyana which were settled in a different document (not yet found), nor did it include the value of all of the land that he owned in Scotland. His landholdings were extensive, as in addition to himself and close relatives, there were 76 different individuals listed as owing him rent on his lands. Thus he was an extremely wealthy individual, whose inventory and will are very interesting to review.

Records show that he bought plantation La Bonne Intention on January 26, 1848 from Peter Watson and Alexander Duff for the sum of £30,200, who in turn had gained control of the plantation on February 28, 1846 as creditors through sequestration. These same records show that plantation Zeeburg was under sequestration in 1849, but not yet sold. Thus Alexander McLaren must have purchased his interest in plantation Zeeburg after 1849. This was at a time of declining sugar prices, when many plantations in Guyana were failing. In the inventory and will of Alexander McLaren, it is represented that he shared ownership of these plantations 50/50 with his business partner Peter Watson. Alexander McLaren clearly had a close relationship with these men as he named one of his sons, Peter Watson McLaren, and another, Alexander Duff McLaren.

Alexander McLaren lived in Southend, Argyllshire after returning to Scotland from Guyana, as shown in the 1861 Census records.

Alexander McLaren died while away from home in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, where he appeared to have many business interests related to shipping. He died on 2 May, 1870 at 132 Duke Street, Liverpool, England.^[1][2] He is buried in the Keil Cemetary, which is just west of Southend, Argyllshire, near the Mull of Kintyre.^[3]

Notes

Nothing has been found about the birth or death of Ann Lockett or Fatima Pau. They are only known by being named in various records relating to their children. At one point it was assumed that Ann Lockett was white and presumably from Scotland and must have died in childbirth, leading Alexander to take a second wife, but this is refuted by the fact that her son, Peter Miller Watson McLaren gave her a bequest in his will dated 1871, thus indicating that she was still alive at that time, well after Fatiam Pau had given birth to children. It is known that Fatima Pau was black or colored due to photographs of her childen, who were clearly colored. It is not clear whether Ann Lockett was black or colored, but one reference was found that suggested that one of her sons was mulatto, which would suggest that she was not white, but the veracity of this is not certain. No records have been found of Fatima Pau or Ann Lockett having ever visited Scotland.

Sources

1. ↑ Death Registration: "England & Wales General Register Office"
   GRO Online Indexes - Death (accessed 16 May 2022)
   Maclaren, Alexander (Age at death: 64).
   GRO Reference: 1870 Apr-May-Jun in Liverpool Volume 08B Page 83.
2. ↑ Liverpool Daily Post; 03 May 1870; page 10; col f; image (£) via Findmypast.co.uk

   MACLAREN - May 2, at 132 Duke-street, Alexander MacLaren, Esq., of Lephenstrath, Campbeltown, Argyleshire, N.B.

3. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/112101519/alexander-mclaren : accessed 15 May 2022), memorial page for Alexander McLaren (unknown–1870), Find A Grave: Memorial #112101519, citing Kilcolmkill Chapel Churchyard, Argyll and Bute, Scotland ; Maintained by Joelle Colville-Hanson (contributor 48735492) Gravestone image

See also:

• See the family history document Our Philip Family
• 02/06/1806 MCLAREN, ALEXANDER [O.P.R. Births 361/00 0020 0315] Available at http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

• "The History of British Guiana" by Henry G. Dalton, M.D., Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, 1855. Available on-line at https://play.google.com/store/books

• 07/04/1861 MCLAURIN, ALEXANDER [Census 1861 532/00 001/00 008] Available at http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

• FreeBMD. England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office.

• 19/12/1871 MCLAREN, ALEXANDER [Reference SC51/32/17 DUNOON SHERIFF COURT] Available at http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk (This is his will & inventory)

• 19/12/1871 MCLAREN, ALEXANDER [Reference SC51/32/18 DUNOON SHERIFF COURT] Available at http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk (This is an addition to his inventory)

• 07/08/1872 MCLAREN, ALEXANDER [Reference SC51/32/18 DUNOON SHERIFF COURT] Available at http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk (This is an addition to his inventory)