Collection : 1772-1791.

Clan Maclaine of Lochbuie is a Scottish Clan located on the southern end of the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, western Scottish Highlands. During the American Revolution, many Highland regiments were raised in Scotland. Many Maclaines migrated to North Carolina before the American Revolution and were often loyalists during the war. 

Individuals appearing in the selected documents include: 

Murdoch McLain (b.1730 d.1804) fought in the Seven Years War in America, becoming Lieutenant in the 114th Royal Highland Volunteers. He returned to Scotland and took up mercantile occupations in Edinburgh before resuming his military career in 1775 as Captain in the 2nd Battalion of the 84th Royal Highland Emigrant Regiment, serving until 1784. Again, he came back to Scotland after the war to become heir to Lochbuie and also advanced to the eventual rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Dumbarton Fencibles and Argyll Fencibles.

The brothers, Archibald McLaine, who was promoted to Captain in of the New York Volunteers in 1777, and Gillean McLaine, cousins to Murdoch MacLain.

Allan Maclean of Torloisk (b. 1725 Isle of Mull d. 1798) was a Jacobite and career soldier, best known for leading the 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants) in the Battle of Quebec, a regiment proposed by Maclean to serve in the colonies. Maclean advanced through the ranks of Colonel, Adjutant-General of the army in Canada, and Brigadier-General (1777), retiring from the military in 1784. 

The 84th Regiment of Foot 

Three regiments have ranked successively as the 84th Foot. The second 84th Regiment was raised at the outbreak of the American Revolution to defend the province of Quebec and Atlantic Canada from the constant land and sea attacks by the Americans and consisted of two battalions wearing full highland garb. The 1st Battalion was raised in Canada, the Mohawk Valley, New York City, Massachusetts, and the Carolinas covertly by Colonel Allan Maclean; the 2nd Battalion was raised in Nova Scotia, St. John's Island (Prince Edward Island), and Newfoundland commanded by Major General John Small. Officers were Scottish and recruiting was directed mainly at Highlanders, many who had fought in the Seven Years' War. The two battalions operated independently of each other and saw little action together. 

During the American Revolution, the Colonel of the 84th was Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton until Lieutenant General Sir Guy Carleton took over in 1783. In 1779, the regiment was finally commissioned as a member of the Regular Establishment as the 84th (Royal Highland Emigrants) Regiment of Foot, and its officers were supplied with commissions in the permanent army. Captain Alexander McDonald commanded the 2^nd Battalion companies in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, under the operational command of the Commanding General for Nova Scotia and administrational command under Major Small in New York. In Nova Scotia (which then included New Brunswick), part of the 2nd Battalion was stationed for periods in Halifax, Fort Edward (Windsor), and Fort Howe (Saint John).

Companies in the 2^nd Battalion saw service in New York, Philadelphia, Charlestown, and Jamaica during the course of the war, while the 1^st Battalion remained in Canada.  After the war, the soldiers of the 2nd Battalion were disbanded in Nova Scotia and became part of the loyalist settlement, particularly in Rawdon Township. Some members of the 84^th settled in what would become New Brunswick, especially in the Magaguadavic and Passamaquoddy regions.

Note: surname has spelling variations in documents including McLean, Maclean, McLaine, and Maclaine.