Kenneth MacLeay

Kenneth McLeay RSA lived at No. 3 from about 1868 to 1878.¹ He was born at Oban on 04 July 1802, son of Kenneth McLeay, physician and antiquary.² He studied at the Trustees’ Academy in Edinburgh. He was a Foundation Associate Member of the Scottish Academy – and became RSA from 1839.

He was a chiefly a watercolour portrait painter, producing both miniature and full-size portraits. He is recorded as a portrait painter in the Edinburgh trade directories from 1822 until 1878, living at twelve different addresses over this period. He produced a series of watercolours for the Queen, published as “The Highlanders of Scotland” in 1870.³

Kenneth MacLeay also exhibited photographs in many of the PSS Exhibitions from 1856 to 1864 and was a professional photographer between 1859 to 1863.

He died at No. 3 Malta Terrace on 03 November 1878.⁴

Kenneth McLeay married Louisa Campbell in Edinburgh on 01 July 1840.⁵ She was born at Brussels on 14 November 1815, the daughter of Sir James Callendar Campbell of Ardkinglas and Craigforth, by his fourth wife Melle Descot.⁶ She died at 26 Hamilton Place, Edinburgh on 01 January 1868.⁷

Kenneth MacLeay’s daughter, Millicent MacLeay, was recorded living at No. 3 in the 1871 census.⁸ She was born in Edinburgh on 02 February 1853.⁹ She died unmarried in Moffat on 04 May 1920.¹⁰

His unmarried sister, Flora MacLeay, and sister-in-law, Menie Campbell, were also at No. 3 in 1871. Both were described as annuitants. Flora MacLeay was born at Oban in 1812 and died at Stirling on 04 May 1877.¹¹ Menie Callendar or Campbell, younger sister of Louisa Campbell, was born at Basle, Switzerland on 28 May 1820.¹² She died an unmarried gentlewoman at Moffat on 20 October 1899.¹³

1. PO Directories 1868-69 to 1878.
2. Gray, John Miller. (1885) Macleay, Kenneth, the younger. In: Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith Elder. vol. 35. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Macleay,_Kenneth_(1802-1878): accessed 30 June 2021.
3. Gray, John Miller. (1885) Macleay, Kenneth, the younger. In: Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith Elder. vol. 35. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Macleay,_Kenneth_(1802-1878): accessed 30 June 2021.
4. Death announcements. 1878. Edinburgh Evening News. 04 November 1878. MACLEAY, Kenneth. p. 02, col. 03. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 30 June 2021.
5. Marriages index (OPR) Scotland. St Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh. 01 July 1840. MACLEAY, Kenneth and CAMPBELL, Louisa. 685/2 440 415. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 30 June 2021.
6. MacGregor, Gordon. (2020) The Red Book of Scotland, vol. II. Edinburgh: Red Book of Scotland. p. 328.
7. Death announcements. 1868. Edinburgh Evening Courant. 02 January 1868. CAMPBELL or MACLEAY, Louisa. p. 02, col. 02. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 30 June 2021.
8. Census records. Scotland. Edinburgh. 02 April 1871. MACLEAY, Kenneth (Head). 685/1 88, p. 10. https://findmypast.com: accessed 30 June 2021.
9. Baptisms index (OPR) Scotland. St Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh. 02 February 1853. MACLEAY, Millicent Flora Louisa. 685/2 370 50. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 30 June 2021.
10. Testamentary records. Scotland. Edinburgh. 24 July 1920. MACLEAY, Millicent Flora Louisa. Confirmation. National Probate Calendar. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 30 June 2021.
11. Deaths index (SR) Scotland. Stirling, Stirlingshire. 1877. MACLEAY,  Flora (aged 65). 490/ 124. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 30 June 2021.
12. MacGregor, Gordon. (2020) The Red Book of Scotland, vol. II. Edinburgh: Red Book of Scotland. p. 328.
13. Deaths (SR) Scotland. Moffat, Dumfriesshire. 23 October 1899. CAMPBELL, Menie. 842/ 37. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 30 June 2021.