Peter McIntyre was born on 15^th October 1796, as recorded in the Buchanan Parish Register, a son of Donald McIntyre and Marjory McIntyre MS Martin.

Peter married Mary Cairns on 20^th January 1826 in Luss Parish, as recorded in the Luss Parish Register in an entry dated 14^th January 1826:

Peter McIntyre, Parish of Buchanan & Mary Cairns, Mill of Lufs gave up their names for proclamation of banns in order to marriage

The forthcoming event was also recorded in the Buchanan Parish Register:

Married at Lufs Jany 20th 1826 - Jany 14th 1826 Peter McIntyre in this parish and Mary Cairns in th parish of Lufs gave in their names for proclamation in order to Marriage - On one Sabbath

At the time of the births of their daughter Catharine, presumably their first child, in 1826, and son Donald, in 1828, Peter and Mary were ‘Spouses at Blairvockie’. When son Peter arrived in 1834, they were at Colliemore, though they appear subsequently to have returned to Blairvockie.

At the time of the 1841 census, Peter was living in Wood Cottage, Buchanan. He was an agricultural labourer, aged 44, born in the county. His wife Mary was 42 and born in Scotland but not in the county. Living with them were their eight children, all born in the county: Catharine, 14; Donald, 13; John, 11; Charles, 9; Peter, 6; Marjery, 5; James, 3 and Robert, 1.

The address of the family home in 1851 is illegible (Something’s Wood?) but was once again in Buchanan Parish. Peter was 53, a wood forester. All members of the family were entered as born in Buchanan, with the sole exception of Peter’s wife Mary, who was 51 and born in Luss, Dunbartonshire. Also in residence were various of the couple’s unmarried children, Catherine, 24; John, 21; James, 13; Robert, 11 and Mary, 8.

Peter was designated as a forester at the time of his son Donald’s first marriage in 1855.

Peter MacIntyre died on 15^th December 1860 at two in the morning, at Blairvockie, Buchanan Parish. His age was given as 63, although he was actually 64. He was stated to be married although his wife’s name was not given. The cause of death was certified as ‘Disease of Liver’, from which he had been suffering for some months. He was buried in ‘Buchanan As Certified by Archibald Roberts Grave digger’. The informant was James McIntyre, Peter’s son.

Peter’s gravestone in Buchanan Churchyard bears the following inscription:

1864 Erected by Mary Cairns in memory of her husband Peter McIntyre later Forester Blairvockie who died 16th Dec. 1860 aged 63 years and their children Peter who died 6th Aug, 1860 aged 26 years and Marjory who died 22nd Aug. 1861 aged 25 years Mary Cairns who died 14th May 1890 aged 91

When Peter’s son Donald married for a second time in 1863, he was recalled as a wood forester (deceased) and in identical terms at the time of Donald’s death in 1912.

A ‘chanty’, or spirit measure, once owned by Peter, now belongs to his great-great-granddaughter, Marjory Brown MS MacLaren. I am most reliably informed that whenever he wanted a drink, which, particularly in view of the fact that he died of a disease of the liver, one imagines was not a rare occurence, he would direct his son, Donald:

‘See’s doon the chanty, Dan.’