28230: John Macaulay

John (1720-1789) was a son of Aulay Macaulay and Margaret Morrison; he was born in Harris where his father was a minister.

John graduated at King’s College, Aberdeen and was ordained minister of Barra in 1745. John and his father Aulay were, according to family tradition, involved in an attempt to turn the fugitive Charles Edward Stuart over to the authorities in 1746.

On 18th July 1747 John married Isobel McNeill. Their son Hector was born on 14th May 1749. Isobel died on 21st May 1749.

On 15th December 1757 John married Margaret Campbell. John and Margaret had twelve children:

• Aulay
• Colin
• Helen
• Margaret
• Jean
• Elizabeth Henrietta
• Zachary
• Penelope
• Alexander
• Kenneth
• John
• Catherine

​Further details of John and Margaret’s children can be found in John’s biography on page 336 of Fasti ecclesiae Scoticanae (new edition, volume III).

In 1756 John was transferred to the Parish of Lismore and Appin, Argyllshire.

In 1765 John was transferred to Inverary, Argyllshire. It was in Inverary in 1773 that he met Dr Samuel Johnson and James Boswell during their tour of the Scottish Highlands and islands; he accompanied them on a visit to Inverary Castle, and subsequently dined and breakfasted with Johnson and Boswell at their inn.

In 1774 John was transferred to Cardross in Dunbartonshire, where he died in 1789.