Biographical notes

Quote from Wallace Allan's (b.1848 - d 1931) Family History written in 1930

quote : John Allan - my Gt. Gt. Grandfather. Made mention of in Bairds Life of Thomson of Duddingston [Baird, William 1895. John Thomson of Duddingston, Pastor and Painter. Andrew Elliot, Edinburgh.], -Thomson once Parish minister of Dailly. [John Allan] lived in Barr, headstone in Barr Churchyard, the gable end of house he lived in was standing in my younger days. Shoemaker.

The inscriptions of Barr Kirkyard were recorded and published by David Hunter in 1990. The inscription number 46 (page 12) is almost certainly the one described by Wallace Allan. The transcription reads:

quote : In memory of Jean McCeahie in Barr spouse to John Allan Shoemaker who died 24 Feb 1802 aged 81 years. John Allan died 30th Dec. 1807 aged 74. And Margaret Allan died August 1813 aged 4 years. Also John Allan the erecter of this stone who died 13th Feb 1832 aged 77 years.

The name McCeahie is possibly a phonetic spelling of the name McKie or McKay? There appears to be no record of the birth of John Allan (1733) in the surviving Barr Parish Registers or of his marriage to Jean McCeahie. Jean's name on the gravestone seems to be her only surviving record. There are possible entries in the old parish registers for their children named Robert, John and William.