Livingstone Relations.  Livingstone 1: David's Ancestry.

David Livingstone, the African missionary and explorer, is descended from Scots who lived on the island of Ulva. There are many conflicting stories about his lineage. We present here only that which seems certain. Related sites include:

• Other Livingstone Families of Blantyre
• Other Livingston Families of Lismore
• Other Livingston Families of Kilbride
• David Livingstone Centre, worth a real visit - in person - in Blantyre, Scotland.

Neil Livingstone & Mary Morrison

• Neil (b. c. 1746)
• Mary, dau. of Charles Morrison & Margaret McDougall (b. c. 1752)
• 27 Dec. 1774, m. Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll, Scotland (Neil in Letermore)
1. 4 Feb. 1776, dau. Mary Livingstone bap. Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll, Scotland (res. Letermore) [ch. b. to Robert McAuld 1806, m. John Lawrie 1806]
2. 13 Apr. 1777, son John Livingstone bap. Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll, Scotland (res. Letermore)
3. 23 May 1779, son Charles Livingstone bap. Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll, Scotland (res. Cove)
4. 6 Apr. 1783, dau. Margaret Livingstone bap. Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll, Scotland (res. Cove) [d. 19 Oct. 1864, Glasgow Row, Blantyre Works, Blantyre, age 81, dyeworker, inf. John McKinnon, mason Glasgow]
5. 10 Sep. 1785, dau. Catherine Livingstone bap. Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll, Scotland (res. Cove) [m. Donald McKinnon 1807]
6. 30 Nov. 1788, son Neil Livingstone bap. Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll, Scotland (res. Ferininandory) [m. Agnes Hunter 1810]
7. 20 Aug. 1796, dau. Agnes Livingstone b. Blantyre, Lanark, Scotland

Neil Livingstone moved from Ulva to Blantyre in 1792, to work in the cotton mills there.  A letter of recommendation given to him at his departure stated that he had four sons and three daughters, so at least one son is not yet listed above.

(Sources:  Campbell, LivFT, OPR Blantyre, OPR Kilninian, ScotRD, Seaver, Sinclair2)

Neil Livingstone & Agnes Hunter

• Neil, son of Neil Livingstone & Mary Morrison (b. 1788, Kilninian & Kilmore)
• Agnes, dau. of David Hunter & Janet Moffat (b. 1783, New Monkland)
• 2 Dec. 1810, m. procl. Blantyre, Lanark, Scotland (both from Blantyre)
1. 15 May 1811, son John Livingstone b. Blantyre, Lanark, Scotland (Neil, tailor at Blantyre Works) [m. Sarah Mackenzie 1835]
2. 19 Mar. 1813, son David Livingstone b. Blantyre, Lanark, Scotland (Neil, tailor at Blantyre Works) [m. Mary Moffat 1845]
3. 9 Mar. 1816, son Charles Livingstone b. Blantyre, Lanark, Scotland (Neil, tailor at Blantyre Works, 2nd entry states res. Stonefield) [d. by 1821]
4. 25 Mar. 1818, dau. Janet Livingstone b. Blantyre, Lanark, Scotland (Neil, tailor at Blantyre Works)  [d. 23 Nov. 1895, Edinburgh]
5. 28 Feb. 1821, son Charles Livingstone b. Blantyre, Lanark, Scotland (res. Blantyre Works) [m. Harriet Ingraham c. 1850]
6. 16 Apr. 1823, dau. Agnes Livingstone b. Blantyre, Lanark, Scotland (res. Blantyre Works) [d. 3 Jan. 1895, Kendal, Westmoreland]
7. 22 July 1825, son Neil Livingstone b. Blantyre, Lanark, Scotland (res. Blantyre Works) [d. young]
• 10 Feb. 1856, Neil Livingstone d. (bur. Hamilton)
• 18 June 1865, Agnes Livingstone d. (bur. Hamilton)
   
• Census Records:
• 1841, Hamilton, Lanark (res. Clayholes or Almada St., Neil Livingston 50 tea dealer N, Agnes 50 Y, Janet 20 Y, Agnes 15 Y)
• 1851, Hamilton, Lanark (res. 46 Almada St, Alexander Livingston 61 tea dealer Ulva, Agnes 66 Airdrie, Janet 33 milliner Blantyre, Agnes 27 milliner Blantyre)
• 1861, Hamilton, Lanark (res. Burnbank Rd., Agnes Livingstone wd 76 Airdrie, Janet 39 milliner Blantyre, Agnes 34 milliner Blantyre)
• Unmarried children:
• 1850, Chittenden Co., Vermont (res. Williston, Charles Livingston 28 clergyman Scotland, at Luther J Bingham)
• 1871, Hamilton, Lanark (res. Ulva Cottage, Thomas S Livingston 17 clerk S Africa, sis Anna M 12 S Africa, aunt Janet 52 Blantyre, aunt Agnes 47 Blantyre)
• 1881, Hamilton, Lanark (res. Ulva Cottage, 23 Burnbank Rd., Janet Livingstone 63 Blantyre, sis Agnes 57 Blantyre)

After being apprenticed to a tailor, Neil Livingstone became a small tea dealer. He joined the independent church at Hamilton in 1830, where he served as a deacon for twenty years.

(Sources:  Blaikie, C1841S, C1850, C1851S, C1861S, C1871S, C1881S, Campbell, LivFT, OPR Blantyre, Seaver)

David Livingstone & Mary Moffat

• David, son of Neil Livingstone & Agnes Hunter (b. 1813, Blantyre)
• Mary, dau. of Robert Moffat & Mary Smith (b. 1821, Griquatown)
• 2 Jan. 1845, m. Kuruman, South Africa
1. 9 Jan. 1846, son Robert Moffat Livingstone b. Mabotsa, Bechuanaland (now South Africa) [d. 5 Dec. 1864, Salisbury, North Carolina, USA]
2. 13 June 1847, dau. Agnes Livingstone b. Chonuane, Bechuanaland (now South Africa) [m. Alexander Bruce 1875]
3. 7 Mar. 1849, son Thomas Steele Livingstone b. Kolobeng, Bechuanaland (now Botswana) [d. 15 Mar. 1876, Alexandria, Egypt]
4. c. 4 Aug. 1850, dau. Elizabeth Pyne Livingstone b. Kolobeng, Bechuanaland (now Botswana) [d. 18 Sep. 1850, Kolobeng, age 6 weeks]
5. 15 Sep. 1851, son William Oswell Livingstone b. River Zouga, Bechuanaland (now River Botetle, Botswana) [m. Kate Anderson 1875]
6. 16 Nov. 1858, dau. Anna Mary Livingstone b. Kuruman, Bechuanaland (now South Africa) [m. Frank Wilson 1881]
• 27 Apr. 1862, Mary Livingstone d. Shupanga, Mozambique
• 1 May 1873, David Livingstone d. Chitambo's Village, Africa (now Zambia, bur. 18 Apr. 1874, Westminster Abbey, London, England)
   
• Census Records:
• 1861, Ecclesmachan, West Lothian (res. Ecclesmachan Manse, John Smith 60 minister Pencaitland, Agnes 37 Bathgate, visitor Mary Livingston 39 South Africa, visitor Anna Mary 2y6m South Africa, servant Agnes Drydale 27 domestic Bathgate, servant Elizabeth Morris 16 domestic Surrey)
• Unmarried children:
• 1871, Hamilton, Lanark (res. Ulva Cottage, Thomas S Livingston 17 clerk S Africa, sis Anna M 12 S Africa, aunt Janet 52 Blantyre, aunt Agnes 47 Blantyre)
• 1881, Kendal, Westmoreland (res. Underfell, Frank Wilson 28 woolen manufacturer Kendal, sis Edith 30 Kendal, nephew Norman Foster 12 Kendal, visitor Anna Mary Livingstone 22 Kuruman, servant Anna Robinson 33 cook Barrow, servant Sarah 24 waitress Dent, servant Jane Charnley 27 housemaid Patton, servant Isabella Breaks 16 underhousemaid Kendal)

David Livingstone left for Africa in 1840, only returning for two brief periods in 1856-1858 and 1864-1865. Before 1856, his travels were an extension of his work as a missionary of the London Missionary Society. Afterwards, he worked independently, and viewed exploration as the means to opening the continent to missionary work and eliminate the Arab slave trade.

Until 1852, Mary remained with her husband and assisted in the mission work.  From 1852 to 1856, she returned to England, staying in Hamilton, Manchester, Kendal, and Epsom, while her husband travelled across the continent.  She rejoined him upon his return to England, accompanied him to Africa, but when she was expecting her last child, she went to Kuruman while her husband went on to Mozambique. 

David's son Robert travelled from England to Natal, then in 1863 to Boston, Massachusetts, where he was inducted into the New Hampshire Volunteers, 10th Army Corps, in the American Civil War, under the alias of Rupert Vincent. He was wounded at Laurel Hill, Virginia, captured there, and died in a prisoner-of-war camp at Salisbury, North Carolina.

David's son Thomas studied in Glasgow with the Free Church minister.  He then joined the University Mission, arriving in East Africa in January, 1862.

(Sources:  Blaikie, Campbell, C1861S, C1871S, C1881E, Fioravanti, Holmes, IGI, Jeal, LivFT, Livingstone1, Livingstone2, MoffatJ, NPGLiv, Schapera, Seaver, Wallis, WilsonA, WilsonH)