Hi Jeanne,
I have done some research into the Christians of Kirk Malew. My GGG Grandmother was Margaret Christian, daughter of John Christian and Elizabeth Patience Quayle (sometimes Patience Elizabeth, or just Patience) who married 22 Oct 1822 in Marown. She was one of five siblings (Margaret b. 1823, Edward b. 1825, Edward b. 1829, Elizabeth b. 1831 and Stephen b. 1833 - all born in Malew). John, the father had a wife previous to Elizabeth named Margaret Watterson. From Margaret, John had four other children (Catherine, b. 1816, Charlotte, b. 1817, Robert, b. 1819 and John, b. 1822).
I do not know much about John prior to his marriage to Margaret Watterson (and I can't find the marriage record, although he mentions Patience as his second wife in his will).
The rumor that my GGG Grandmother was descended from Fletcher Christian persists in my family. This is third hand information to me. My Great Aunt told me that her husband (My uncle Elroy Kaighin) told her that Margaret (Elroy's grandmother) mentioned that she was "related" to Fletcher - whatever that means. I have also been in contact with with a descendant of Charlotte Christian who tells me that the same rumor persists in her family.
I have always considered this rumor to be akin to most American's claim that they are descended from someone who came over on the Mayflower. However, I would still like evidence to the contrary, if, for no other reason, to satiate my curiosity. I have spent a considerable amount of time researching this and I've continually come to a dead while trying to find John Christian's parents.
I have one clue to work with and perhaps you've run across this in your research. In John and Patience's joint will from 1844, John passed to Robert "our eldest son and heir and said Patience Christian's Step-Son" the parcels of Croit-y-Crommell and Croit-y-Cuddhair, part of the quarterland of Clogh Chor in Kirk Malew.
I have not been able to locate these parcels or Clogh Chor, although I do remember finding something that points to a location in the vicinity of St. Marks (can't find that at the moment).
Please have a look at this article which I wrote for the IOMFHS Journal. You might find some clues that tie my Christians and yours together:
www.kaighin.com/familyhistory/references/christians.htm
Kind Regards,
Greg Kaighin