JOHN ARROL was bapt 22/5/1709 at Kilearn Stirlingshire Scotland. John was the son of MUNGO ARROLL and MARGARET BUCHANAN.

He was a schoolmaster at RHU (ROW) Dumbartonshire. He died 2/2/1760, aged 52. He was murdered by a man named, Cunningham who resided at Dumbarton. The murderer afterwards confessed that he had paid John Arroll the sum of thirty pounds, a dept which he owed, and, having got a receipt for the money, stabbed his victim to the heart with a knife.

After hiding the body for some time in a disused chimney, he took it one dark night to the Leven and sunk it in the stream. Cunningham was suspected fro the first to have murdered the poor schoolmaster, and, after the body was recovered from the Leven, he was asked to undergo the trial by touch, from the universal belief that is the murderer, touched the body of his victim, the wound would bleed afresh. Cunningham, however, declined the ordeal, but his conscience gave him no rest until he had confessed his guilt.

JOHN ARROL's (spelled John Aroll) grave is #128 in the southeast corner of the parish churchyard at Dumbarton, with the inscription, "Here lyes the body of John Aroll, schoolmaster, at ye Row, who died February the 2^nd, 1760, aged 52 years," followed by a latin inscription. There is a memorial in the Dumbarton churchyard. He is believed to have married JANET McAUAY at Row. Janet was the daughter of JOHN McAULEY of Cairndow, Argyllshire and MARGARET DAVIE.

They had:

1. *JAMES ARROLL circa b 1741 ~ see web page
2. JOHN ARROLL ~ b circa 1739 he married Janet Cochrane in 1777

 

NB * denotes direct lineage to Scott Duncan Arrol of New Zealand

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