I agree completely.

Meanwhile, I've been trying to determine who the parents of John Looney (md Margaret Kelvie ) might be.

I know for sure it's not the John bp 19 Mar 1698/9 s/o Wm Looney & Joney Quilleash because he is the second husband of Esther Tear (first was Samuel Christian, third was William Stole). This John was buried 21 May 1728. I can write the rational in a separate note, when I get a chance (I'm 500 km from home at the moment).

I also don't think it could be the John bp 10 Oct 1687 s/o John Looney (and Margery Woods?). He's just too old to marry a 16yo in 1742 when he'd be 55, and to then have 9 kids to 1766. If it's him, he's my hero.

Perhaps a clue lies in the will of John Looney 1699 which mentions his "dear wife" [she'd be Margery Woods md 16 Apr 1666], son James Colleash [perhaps illeg], son Donald, son John, Grandchild James and other boy Jo:, Will Xtian balafaile, Robert Quay and his mother, son Will sole exec'r.

The only James I can find in range is the one bapt 21 Jan 1695/96 to Wm Looney. There is a Robert 16 Sep 1698 to Wm Looney. The nearest "other boy Jo:" is 16 Mar 1698/99, which is 6 months after Robert.

These children could be s/o William Looney & Joney Quilleash md 15 Jan 1694/5, but James & Robert do not appear in their 1718 & 1736 wills. Their son John 16 Mar 1698/99 (who I have married to Esther Christian als Tear) could fit the above 1699 will but the grandparents are supposed to be Robert Looney & Joney Callow. For that, you have to refer back to the BB Philip Allen 2/8/2011 8:08pm where he explains the branches of Looneys as described by Constance Radcliffe.

A possibility is that there are two Johns s/o two different Williams around 1698-99, but only one made the register. One of them is Wm 28 Oct 1660 s/o Robert L & Joney Callow. The other could be the William (date unknown but fits into ca 1770) s/o John Looney & Margery Woods. The only Wm marriage in range in the IGI, though, is the 15 Jan 1694/5 one to Joney Quilleash. Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree.

We also can't discount that John wasn't from somewhere else such as Lonan.

A witness to John's 1770 will was Robert Loney. Who might that be? I can't see a single Maughold Robert Looney who'd be alive or old enough in 1770, unless I've missed somebody (which is quite possible). Or is it the 1698 one mentioned above? I just noticed that there's a Malew burial for a Robert Looney 7 Mar 1784 age 86, but the will extract on MNB is not helpful.