John FLETCHER (Alias MCDONALD)

[scotincanada]

Hello,

Trying to solve a mystery. My great grandfather, Angus FLETCHER, born on Mull, Argyll to Alexander FLETCHER & Catherine MCPHAIL was one of 10 children. The others were Ronald, John, Colin, Alexander, Mary, Catherine, Margaret, Lilly & Jane. The mystery man is John FLETCHER. I wonder if anyone can help??

John FLETCHER was born October 25, 1858 at Salen, Mull, Argyllshire. We know very little about him after that. Seemingly, he joined the British Army at some point and then desserted, after that lived under the radar using an alias John MCDONALD/MACDONALD. He spent the rest of his years around Taynult. His nephew, Colin FLETCHER, (son of his brother Colin FLETCHER) was in charge of taking care of John's final affairs after his death. I do not know when John FLETCHER/MCDONALD died but perhaps around 1930s?

The other part of the mystery, that really has my own Dad intrigued, is did his great uncle John marry and did he have any children? We ask this mostly due to a photograph taken over 100 years ago that includes a mystery child. This was a family portrait taken around 1900, give or take a few years, of the family of my great grandfather, Angus FLETCHER, John's brother. It shows Angus FLETCHER, his wife Jane MATHISON, their children Mary, Kate, Liza, Jimmy and Alec (my grandfather) plus an unknown child. Dad thinks his name was John and had assumed he was another sibling of his father who had died in childhood. But an older cousin looked at the picture and said he wasn't a sibling, but had indeed died in childhood. So who was he? Dad has a theory that he may have been perhaps John FLETCHER, a son of the elder John FLETCHER (aka MCDONALD) the army desserter. During these years, this family was in different houses, but always in the same parish ... not sure what that is precisely, but they were living at isolated Rowchoish, near Inversnaid, on Loch Lomond for part of the time. My grandfather and his siblings are listed on the books as having attended Inversnaid School, but no extra FLETCHERs or MCDONALDs are shown. Maybe the boy died before school age?

Looking for any clues about John FLETCHER/MCDONALD at all (marriage, children, death) or anything at all about who the poor little mystery boy might have been ... John FLETCHER/MCDONALD Jr.? (birth, death) Thank you very much!

Mary Fletcher Harris
Canada

[LesleyB]

Hi Mary
If you've not done so already, the 1901 census may give some clues as to likely candidates for the child in the photo, perhaps?

Best wishes
Lesley