A Piece of Family History

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I do get asked quite a lot why, when my name is Jeff Carter, is my company called MacLean Communications / MacLean Photographic? I have to explain that my full name is Jeffrey Stuart MacLean Carter and the name comes from my Great Grandmother, Jane, whose maiden name was MacLean and she married my Great Grandfather, Samuel Carter, who came from from Gatehouse of Fleet in Dumfries and Galloway.  


My Great Grandmother grew up in Greenock which is a little further along the Clyde river from Glasgow.  Her Father ran a coach firm that ran a service from Largs and Inverkip to Greenock and they also did coach tours around the region.

 This is the a postcard I was given by my Grandfather which shows his Grandfather (my Great, Great Grandfather) Thomas MacLean with his horse and coach.  He is the gentleman wearing the bowler hat.  Apparently my Great, Great Grandmother, Marion (her maiden name was McNeil), is also in the picture sitting behind the horses and I always assumed she is the lady holding the reins.

 The caption on the postcard says 'McLean's Inverkip Coach at Holmeston' and 'Also Circular Tour round the Gryfe & Loch Thom.'  I don't have a date for this picture but again we estimated it to be the late 1880s or 1890s.  Thomas Maclean died in December 1906.

 I keep this postcard in my office on display to remind me of my MacLean heritage and I am proud to have that name for my company.
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Location: Inverkip, Inverclyde, UK

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