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The Argyll Colonists of 1739

This list of colonists was made by Malcolm Fowler in his book, Valley of the Scots, in which he said there were "others whose names will be added when verified". Malcolm Fowler died in 1980 and as far as I can determine, no other men were identified as having received grants with the colony.

However, I have seen records for two men who were granted land June 4, 1740, the date the Argyll colonists recieved their grants: Francis Davis had a large grant in Bladen County, NC for 640 acres on Waccamaw in Bladen County dated June 4, 1740, and John Owen had a grant for 200 acres on Cape Fear River adjacent John Smith's tract, also dated June 4, 1740.

Notes in red are mine and change frequently.



Thomas Armstrong

Lachlan McNeill (Had a son named Hector McNeill, per Cumberland Co. deed. Some say this Lachlan McNeill is the husband of Margaret Johnston & that they were the parents of Turquill McNeill, James McNeill of Rockfish, Hector McNeill of Carvers Creek & Archibald McNeill but I have not seen the proof of this.)

Alexander Clark

Hector McNeill, carver (of Carver's Creek; had one child, Elizabeth who married James McNeill of Rockfish Crk; owned land on Lower Little River by 1756. Hector bought land from Turquill McNeill on CFR adjacent to Neill, Archibald & Turquill McNeill.)

John Clark

"Long Neill" McNeill (This appears to be the legendary giant "Red Neill" McNeill of today's Harnett County that Malcolm Fowler wrote about. If so, Long Neill had no children.)

Archibald Clark

Nathaniel Smylie

Alexander Colvin

Matthew Smylie

Alexander McAlester (One of the colony's leaders)

James Campbell

Coll McAlester

Malcolm McNeill

Hector McAlester

Torquill McNeill (moved to the western corner of Cumberland Co., now Hoke Co., c. 1765 & lived near his son Laughlin McNeill there. Owned land on CFR & Carver's Creek & tracts on Robeson Co. on Wilkinson Swamp.)

James McAlester

Will Stevens

John McAlester

Daniel McNeill (Daniel McNeill of Taynish; one of the leaders of the colony; alive till 1774; ancestor of the painter James MacNeill Whistler)

Alexander McKay

John Cameron

Hugh McLaughlin

Daniel McDuffie

James McLachlan

Gilbert Patterson (There is no proof that Gilbert Patterson ever lived on his land in cumberland Co.)

John McPherson (Granted 320A on Cross Creek 1740 but left Cumberland Co. c. 1765 to live on Raft Swamp with his son Daniel, where he died in January of 1791 with his two little grandsons, Archibald & Neill McPherson.)

Neill Dubh McNeill (aka"Black Neill" McNeill, he was a colony leader & did not live in the Cape Fear region but remained in Brunswick where he operated a tavern. He is dead by 1749. He was father of "Bluff Hector", Duncan and Archibald McNeill.)

Archibald Buie, Cape Fear River

Dugal Stewart

Duncan Buie

Patrick Stewart

Daniel Buie

Malcolm Clark

Hugh McCranie

Miles Ward

Murdock McCranie

Samuel McGaw (or McGraw)

Duncan Campbell (Believed to have been the colony's prime leader, he returned to Scotland in 1756, sold his Cape Fear lands from there through "Bluff Hector" McNeill. Duncan had no children.)

Daniel McDougald

Archibald Campbell (Possibly the father of Duncan Campbell of Bladen Co. who in 1783 owned land on Cape Fear River and had owned it for decades before that.)

Archibald McGill

"Little Neill" McNeill (Is this the Neill McNeill whose wife's name was Catherine & together donated the land for Bluff Church?)

Neill McGill

Neill McNeill (Did he settle on Job's Branch, in today's Hoke Co.? Was he father of "Sailor Hector" McNeill who is said to have come to NC in 1740?)

John Smith (After landing at Brunswick & embarking from Wilmington upriver on barges & flatboats with the colonists, Smith's wife, Margaret Gilchrist, died on the journey & was buried along the shore in Bladen County.)

"Bluff Hector" McNeill (Son of Neill Dubh McNeill aka "Black Neill McNeill"; Cumberl& Co.'s first sheriff; operated as Attorney for Duncan Campbell & sold his Cape Fear lands for him [see above].)

Edward Conner

Archibald McNeill (Bluff Hector's brother. This is NOT "Bluff Archie" McNeill who was also known as "Laird Archie" McNeill. "Bluff Archie" immigrated 1746.)

Archibald Buie, Gum Swamp

Dugald McNeill (Dugald McNeill of Lossit. One of the colony's leaders; dead by 1741, no children)

Hugh Ward