McDonalds

[Pandabean]

Jack,

Thanks again for doing more looking into it.

I have indeed been in contact with the MacDonald Centre on Skye and recieved the following email a month or so ago:

-----
Thanks for your email.

There is no baptism or birth record for James born c1825-1830 in the
Strath parish records. However I did find him with his parents John
Macdonald and Marion (nee MacInnes) in the 1841 census. They were living
in Harrapool, which is just to the east of Broadford, where the family
had croft No 14. James is listed as 12 in 1841, which would fit with the
rough birth dates you have. Neither of his two siblings, Donald and
Ellen, are recorded in the Parish records either – this was not uncommon
at that time as registration was not compulsory till civil registration
came in in 1855.

John’s father Donald and mother Ann are also there in the 1841 census.
Ann Mackenzie has died by the 1851 census. Family tradition is that her
father was Finlay MacKenzie who was tutor to the family of MacKinnon of
Corry. Donald dies before 1855 so we can get no record of who his
parents were.

The Finlay MacDonald, listed with the family in 1871 is John’s nephew,
son of his brother Donald.

I hope all this makes sense.
------



So I have got one further back than John to my Alexander's possible Great Grandfather, Donald.

I also have been trying to trace William and Sarah's kids and this morning I phoned up the local crematorium records office and found that their son William died in 1986 in the Airth area. I do not know if it is worth tracing down the family and asking them. I also have some names for William's kids based on what I have from my Nana before she passed away. Some of them didn't go on to have families and that there was a twin that died at birth or a young age.


As for Margaret Reid, the only death certificate I have is the one that is blank, she is 10 years too young but died in the same place as her daughter (Janet). It may be possible that it is her. Would they really put a baby in a Poorhouse all by her self?


Thanks,
Andy

[Pandabean]

I got another email back from the Skye Centre. Turns out they may be Glengarry McDonalds. They are 99.9% sure that there is a connection between James, John & Donald.



On another note for this family.

I have William's son Alexander and daughter Margaret who both died quite young.

Basically I phoned the local cemeteries dept and they gave me dates of internment and I thought it was Alexander's son & daughter since they were in his grave. But it turned out to be William's son and daughter.

Dates:
Alexander d.24/3/1916 (died when he was young) buried - 27/3/1916
Margaret d.25/9/1923 aged 4 wks 1 day buried - 26/9/1923

[jimjeffr]

Pandabean,
There is a reply which lists my grandmother Margaret S MacDonald. The reply also lists some new information to me, but sufficient to say that is that have been trying to go backwards from my gt grandparents Jas MacDonald /Joan Brown for years.

A breakthrough, maybe?

Contact me please.

Jim Jeffrey

[Pandabean]

Jim,

Are you saying that you are related in with my McDonalds and descended from James and Joan Brown? If so how much research have you done into the McDonald line? I would be more than happy to hear what you have.

Regards,
Andy

[jimjeffr]

Yes, James was my Gt Grandfather and he did have a brother Alexander as you have seen from the IGI listing of Mgt Reid's children.

Mgt Shepherd MacDonald was my grandmother. Her details have been posted in this topic. However she was the adopted daughter of Jas MacDonald and Joan Brown. Her BC lists her parents as Robert Brown and Maggie MacDonald.

So to add more complication to this long topic, I've not been able to find whether if as I suspect Joan Brown or Jas MacDonald were related to her parents and therefore motivated to adopt her. The clue may lie in her middle name of Shepherd.

Before this post (and even now?) I can only go back to Jas McD and Mgt Reid but am very interested in going back further.

As I read this post you are descended from Alexander MacDonald. If so I'd be happy to shre what i have. But please send me a private mesage as this topic was quite difficult due to its length.

I'd like to thank those who have participated in this post. some fine work was done to get this far.

Jim