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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Aberdeenshire => Topic started by: KiwiJes on Friday 14 February 25 01:58 GMT (UK)

Title: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: KiwiJes on Friday 14 February 25 01:58 GMT (UK)
Birth: 1756
Regiment: 6th Royal Vn Battalion
Death: 8 Nov 1830 in Aberdeenshire (OPR168A/34)

Any help appreciated as I keep coming to a dead end on this one! His son was (hopefully) Donald McDonald.
Ultimately looking for names of parents, and ideally a burial location.
Thanks so much!
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: rosie17 on Saturday 22 February 25 15:14 GMT (UK)
Hi and welcome to rootschat
Burial Register St Nicholas Kirkyard Aberdeen
Murdoch McDonald ( old soldier )
Burial date 8 November 1830

Rosie
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: Pennines on Saturday 22 February 25 15:39 GMT (UK)
Welcome from me also.

You haven't given an approx birth date for your Donald McDonald - but there was one baptised on 8 March 1791 - father Murdoch McDonald and mother Isabel Ross.

Murdoch and Isabel married on 23 June 1787 in Aberdeen.

I wonder if this is your man? I cannot see a baptism for Murdoch, but maybe someone else can.

(Scotlands People).
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: rosie17 on Saturday 22 February 25 15:52 GMT (UK)
On his UK Royal Hospital admissions and discharge  records

Murdoch McDonald birth year 1756  Tain Ross
Discharge date 8 March 1807
Sixth Regiment Royal Veteran Battalion

Have you viewed his records on findmypast to see what information is on it

Rosie
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: KiwiJes on Sunday 23 February 25 22:18 GMT (UK)
Welcome from me also.
You haven't given an approx birth date for your Donald McDonald - but there was one baptised on 8 March 1791 - father Murdoch McDonald and mother Isabel Ross.
Murdoch and Isabel married on 23 June 1787 in Aberdeen.
I wonder if this is your man? I cannot see a baptism for Murdoch, but maybe someone else can.
(Scotlands People).

Thank you - yes, that's his son. I have that information mostly confirmed. It's more Murdoch and his parents I am looking for.
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: KiwiJes on Sunday 23 February 25 22:20 GMT (UK)
On his UK Royal Hospital admissions and discharge  records
Murdoch McDonald birth year 1756  Tain Ross
Discharge date 8 March 1807
Sixth Regiment Royal Veteran Battalion
Have you viewed his records on findmypast to see what information is on it
Rosie

Yes I have thanks, not much to show other than his father was likely a Donald also.
And though Tain, Ross is on his mil records, it's not the same as other records.
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: rosie17 on Monday 24 February 25 06:36 GMT (UK)
On the other records you have what does it say for place of birth for Murdoch ?

Rosie
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: KiwiJes on Wednesday 05 March 25 02:23 GMT (UK)
On the other records you have what does it say for place of birth for Murdoch ?
Rosie

Old Machar, Aberdeen. Trying to confirm his parents is not an easy task!
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: rosie17 on Wednesday 05 March 25 08:26 GMT (UK)
On the other records you have what does it say for place of birth for Murdoch ?
Rosie

Old Machar, Aberdeen. Trying to confirm his parents is not an easy task!

That's true  :'(

Rosie
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald (1756-1830)
Post by: KiwiJes on Tuesday 30 September 25 21:29 BST (UK)
Trying my luck again with hopes that my Murdoch has popped up on someone else's family tree. I am wanting to know who his parents were, and confirm where he was born.

Murdoch was born in either Tain or Aberdeen around 1756. He married Isobel Ross in Aberdeen in 1787. Alexander McDonald (shoemaker) and John McDonald (twistmiller) were witnesses (potentially brothers).

Murdoch served in 72nd Foot, Garrison Battalion, 6th Royal Veteran Battalion and served in the East Indies in the 1790's. He was possibly also a tailor within the military. He had at least one son, Donald, who eventually moved to Australia with his 9 adult children and their families.

I have paid for local historians with absolutely no luck finding anything more than I already had so this is very much me clutching at straws! THANKS!!
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: Forfarian on Tuesday 30 September 25 22:14 BST (UK)
What exactly are the records that say he was born in Aberdeen rather than Tain?
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: KiwiJes on Tuesday 30 September 25 23:06 BST (UK)
What exactly are the records that say he was born in Aberdeen rather than Tain?

I trust that it is Aberdeen more than Tain which is why I posted in this group. I am ignoring anything found on Ancestry. My records are:

Chelsea Pensioner Discharge Documents 1807 (Find My Past) = Aberdeen
Scotland Parish Deaths and Burials (Find My Past) = Aberdeen
Especial Recommendatory Discharge (Handwritten in 1806) = Aberdeen
Some random typewritten story mainly about his son from 1961 = Tain
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: Forfarian on Tuesday 30 September 25 23:30 BST (UK)
Now I'm puzzled. In a reply above rosie17 said
Quote
On his UK Royal Hospital admissions and discharge  records
Murdoch McDonald birth year 1756  Tain Ross
Discharge date 8 March 1807
Sixth Regiment Royal Veteran Battalion
but you are saying that this says Aberdeen?

Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: KiwiJes on Tuesday 30 September 25 23:44 BST (UK)
but you are saying that this says Aberdeen?
[/quote]

On the FindMyPast record of 1807 and the paperwork from 1806, it says Aberdeen. You can see my confusion! Tain just keeps popping up!
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: Forfarian on Tuesday 30 September 25 23:51 BST (UK)
Indeed I can.

But if all the records say Aberdeen, where is Tain 'popping up'?
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: KiwiJes on Wednesday 01 October 25 01:04 BST (UK)
Indeed I can.

But if all the records say Aberdeen, where is Tain 'popping up'?

I wish I knew, it might at least solve one query! ???
I hate thinking this is as far as I can get when a clan name like McDonald should be relatively easy. I note it's always spelled McDonald not MacDonald and I am unsure if that has significance either.
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: Neale1961 on Wednesday 01 October 25 02:36 BST (UK)

But if all the records say Aberdeen, where is Tain 'popping up'?

I wish I knew, it might at least solve one query! ???

You need to look at the 2 available military pension records carefully, since that is where the 2 different birth places come from.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9036202

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9112899
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: KiwiJes on Wednesday 01 October 25 02:42 BST (UK)

You need to look at the 2 available military pension records carefully, since that is where the 2 different birth places come from.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9036202

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9112899
[/quote]

Yes - but it even says "Alternate birthplace given as TAIN, Ross and Cromarty". Can you see something I am missing?
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: Neale1961 on Wednesday 01 October 25 03:14 BST (UK)
You said that you didn't know where the 2 different birth places came from.
I have pointed out the exact origin of that conflicting information.
I do not have access to the full pension record - only the links to the index that I posted.
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: KiwiJes on Wednesday 01 October 25 03:26 BST (UK)
You said that you didn't know where the 2 different birth places came from.
I have pointed out the exact origin of that conflicting information.
I do not have access to the full pension record - only the links to the index that I posted.

Ah thank you.
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: David Nicoll on Wednesday 01 October 25 07:44 BST (UK)
KiwiJes,

    Hi, the  FindMyPast record you allude to actually gives you the answer to why Tain and Aberdeen.
    There are two discharge records for Murdoch if you look at the original image, they appear to be the same man. The second of the two images gives Tain as nearest town and Parish of birth.
    I would be inclined to believe this over Aberdeen.

Happy Hunting

PS thanks for the pointer to the records, I was unaware they were now on FindMyPast
Title: Re: Murdoch McDonald
Post by: Forfarian on Wednesday 01 October 25 09:32 BST (UK)
I hate thinking this is as far as I can get when a clan name like McDonald should be relatively easy.
Not so.

It is actually one of the most difficult, partly because it is such a common surname, partly because there are so many variants, and partly because the records from the more populous parts of Scotland are better, in general, than those from the clan territories in the Highlands and Islands.

According to 'Personal Names in Scotland', admittedly published in 1991, M(a)cDonald was the second commonest surname in Scotland (after Smith). I used the 'Home' search screen on SP to check the current numbers of the top ten surnames listed in that booklet. Sm*th is still the commonest, but M*c*d*n*l* with 1,330,882 listings is now third, having been overtaken by Wilson.

Quote
I note it's always spelled McDonald not MacDonald and I am unsure if that has significance either.
It has no significance in the vast majority of cases before the 20th century. Always search for M*donald, or even better M*d*n*l*, which will pick up the variants.