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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Inverness => Topic started by: GiveWay1 on Sunday 06 January 19 02:27 GMT (UK)
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Hi Everyone. My interest is mainly on my McDonald forebears. Allan McDonald and Annie, his wife, left the Isle of Skye on the William Nicol in 1837 bound for Sydney. I was advised by a researcher at the McDonald clan centre that as they were strong Catholics they could only have come from Moidart. I was later advised that Knoydart was most likely the place. Given this I would love to know which clan that would mean they belong to and anything else would be a bonus. Colleen
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Colleen, the territories of Clanranald, Glengarry or Keppoch would fit so a lot of Macdonald's to cover. Moidart fits the first as does South Uist/Benbecula & the Small Isles, Knoydart the second.
Best Wishes,
Skoosh.
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Hi Colleen
You would need more details on Allan and wife Annie to be clearer where they were from and their origins.
Nothing is their registrations in Australia post 1837 that has helped you with further family details?
Roman Catholic BMD details before the start of official registration from 1855 can be hard to find unfortunately.
Monica
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Interesting story behind the crossing by the William Nicol in 1837. It gives you and indication of where couples and families originally came from and who travelled on that crossing.
https://farquharmacrae.blogspot.com/2017/10/journey-from-scotland.html
It includes this mention:
They were not long on board when Allan MacDonald's wife aged 32, was recorded on 6 July as having the first case of diarrhoea, and the first death was recorded on...
From the manifest, is this Allan and family?
Allan McDonald aged 35
Shepherd
7 Children
BY WHOM ENGAGED & RATE OF WAGES - Dow Esqr., Invermein, £60 Pr an: & rations
What was wife Ann's maiden name?
Monica
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Hi Monica so our Allan was married to Annie McDonald. Some thought that this is second marriage. Annie’s maiden name from death certificate of Son Angus is also McDonald. First marriage thought to be to Flora McInnes. One child from that union is Donald. Marriage date for Allan and Annie thought to be around 1825. Parents of Allan from his death certificate Alexander McDonald and Isabella Cameron. Any help greatly appreciated.
Unfortunately nothing after their arrival apart from death certificates and will provide any information of their earlier life. The family you found is our family.
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Thanks Skoosh
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What were the names of their children? Am assuming they were all born between say 1820 and 1837. Do you have death certificates for all of them that would give a closer idea of when they were born?
Have you searched the Roman Catholic records at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk?
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Colleen, are these the details for Donald that you mentioned? From his marriage: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTZQ-VHZ
Has anyone researching his line looked at the original to confirm that Donald's birth place does indeed state Ayrshire? What, if anything, may have shown in Australian records for the other children's birth place?
Monica
Added: Image for Donald McDonald's marriage is page 2250 here www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BZ-1GHX?i=2249 'Australia Marriages, 1810-1980' Certainly looks like Ayrshire. Has this Donald been confirmed as son of your Allan McDonald? Sometimes similar names can send you in the wrong direction.
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Hi Monica
So I had a good study of that image. That is the Donald McDonald for our family. What I hadn't taken much notice of before was that it says Donald was born in Ayrshire - some way from Inverness I would have thought. Donald's death certificate says he was from Invernesshire and doesn't list his mother. He is buried next to Angus, who would be his step brother in the Casino cemetery.
I am wondering now how likely it would be that the family moved to Invernesshire before going on the William Nicol to Australia. I wouldn't have thought that likely or common.
Thanks for prompting me into more research.
Colleen
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Probably just a coincidence, but this MacDonald emigrant has the same parents names as your Allan.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-XHL3-5BW?i=2&cc=1542665
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@ Colleen, just read this week that there are more MacDonald's in the world than the current population of Scotland! ;D
"No joy without Clan Donald!"
Skoosh.
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Good find, Isobel. Could certainly be a brother to Allan.
With a possible clue to birth place from Donald's index, there is this index entry on Family Search:
John Mc Donald christened on 12 May 1803 at Alness, Ross & Cromarty. Parents Alexander McDonald and Betty Cameron.
When parents' names are common and likely to be more that one couple with similar names, always hard to be certain whether you are on the right line.
For example, on Scotlands People, there are a number of children with parents Alexander McDonald and Isobel/Isabel Cameron. They all show in Urquhart and Logie Wester:
James 1791
Kenneth 1793
Margaret 1795
Mary 1796
Isobel 1798
Alex. 1801
Margaret 1803
George 1806
Christian 1807
William 1809
However, no Allan (or Donald for that matter). Not conclusive as sometimes not all births & christenings are to be found...but does not help further at this time :-\
Monica
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This may give an insight of MacDonalds (variants/septs)?
http://www.motherbedford.com/ScottishClans.htm
Annie
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Hi there
It’s been a while but now have some more time. I read somewhere Monica that you had lost months trying to find Catholics in either Moidart or Knoydart. I have always understood our McDonalds to be Catholic as the children most definitely were.
On another note, I was reading an account of the departure of the William Nichol and it mentioned the MacDonald estates on the mainland. Any idea where that might be and if there would be any records.
My father died last September and it was his greatest wish to find out more abt our McDonalds bit I fear we have come to a dead end.
Colleen
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MacDonald (MacDonell) of Keppoch mebbes?
Skoosh.