Malcolm M'millan was born about 1716 in Mull of Kintyre, Scotland. Passenger records indicate he migrated to America in 1774 with his wife, Margaret McArthur (or some records note McAlester) and three sons: Daniel, Archibald, and Gilbert. Some research indicates his sons Malcolm and John migrated earlier that same year.

Robert H. McMillan's "Record of McMillan and Allied Families" - a genealogical source for this branch of the clan - indicates Malcolm is the son of John who, with his brothers Archibald, Duncan and Gilbert ("All tenants in the Mull"), is the son of Duncan ("Tenant") son of John ("Tenant in 1678") son of Malcolm son of John ("Land Officer in 1639") son of Malcolm ("Tenant in 1605") son of Duncan ("Tenant in 1541") son of Neil/Nigellus ("1505 in Mull of Kintyre") son of Alexander of the Cross. With naming traditions and the names of Malcolm's sons, this is more than plausible.

IMMIGRATION LETTER REGARDING MALCOLM MCMILLAN and FAMILY:

Pursuant to a letter from John Robinson, secretary of the Treasury, December 8, 1773, customs officials in England and Scotland supplied lists of persons who took passage on ships leaving Great Britain during the years 1773-1776, giving names, ages, quality, occupation, employment, former residence, reasons for emigrating, and the name of the vessel and master.

Movement from Scotland was due chiefly to the oppressive rent policy of the Highland proprietors and middlemen of the region extending from Ayr County to the Shetland Islands. A traveler on an emigrant ship in 1774 wrote: "It is needless to make any comment on the conduct of our Highland and Island proprietors. It is self evident what consequences must be produced in time from such numbers of subjects being driven from the country." Should levies be again necessary, the recruiting drum may long be at a loss to procure such soldiers as are now aboard this vessel."

With less attractive economic conditions, North Carolina did not receive so large a share of the new settlers, particularly those from England, as did Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, or New York. The mass movement to North Carolina was more pronounced among the Scotch Highlanders, due partly to the fact that since about 1739 many of their kinsmen had already settled on the Cape Fear in the counties of Cumberland, Bladen, and Anson. In 1770 the General Assembly, in behalf of about sixteen hundred Highlanders who had landed in the province during the past three years, passed an act exempting settlers who came direct from Europe from the payment of all taxes for a term of four years.

At the outbreak of the Revolution, the estimated number of Scotch Highlanders in North Carolina was 15.000. Nearly five hundred names are in the lists from Scotland. The majority consists of farmers and laborers from the Highland counties of Argyle and Sutherland. Malcolm McMillan, along with his wife and children were among them, as were other McMillans. North Carolina was rapidly growing and on the eve of the American Revolution.

1774 IMMIGRATION LIST REGARDING MALCOLM MCMILLAN:

Sir, The enclosed Paper is a List of Persons lately sailed as Emigrants, to Wilmington in North Carolina, from the Port of Greenock, which We transmit to you Sir, for the Information of the Right Honorable the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury.
Charterhouse Edinburgh, 22 August 1774.
Archd Menzies
George Clerk Maxwell
Basil Cochrane
List of Passengers on board the Ship Ulysses James Chalmers Mastr" for Wilmington in North Carolina.

(Classified under headings of: passenger names, age, former place of residence, business, reason for emigrating - partial list)

Neil McKichan, 5, Kintyre, their son, High rents/Oppression.
Malm McMullan, 58, Kintyre, Farmer, High rents/Oppression.
Cathn McArthur, 58, his wife....
Daniel McMullan, 24, Farmer, their child, High rents Oppression.
Archd McMullan, 16, their child, High rents/Oppression.
Gelbt McMullan , 8, their child.
Donald McKay, 20, ......, Taylor, High rents/Oppression.

Malcolm McMillan died in 1805 in Cumberland County, North Carolina.