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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)
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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!
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Hi and welcome to rootschat
Burial Register St Nicholas Kirkyard Aberdeen
Murdoch McDonald ( old soldier )
Burial date 8 November 1830
Rosie
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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).
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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
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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.
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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.
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On the other records you have what does it say for place of birth for Murdoch ?
Rosie
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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!
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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
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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!!
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What exactly are the records that say he was born in Aberdeen rather than Tain?
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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
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Now I'm puzzled. In a reply above rosie17 said
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?
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but you are saying that this says Aberdeen?
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On the FindMyPast record of 1807 and the paperwork from 1806, it says Aberdeen. You can see my confusion! Tain just keeps popping up!
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Indeed I can.
But if all the records say Aberdeen, where is Tain 'popping up'?
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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.
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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
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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.
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Thanks all. The second military record is practically identical to the first except for place of birth.
While Tain is the nearest city, I am struggling reading the Parish. The Tain museum says it’s Stornoway - which is nowhere near Tain. Any views on this?
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Well, I have to confess to being stumped.
Though I am sure it's not Stornoway; you're perfectly correct that Stornoway is nowhere near Tain, having the whole width of the north mainland plus the Minch between them.
I was hoping that the Statistical Account might shed some light but something has gone wrong with the statacc web site and all my antivirus etc has kicked in and won't let me look at it.
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The Tain museum gave me this image snippet from his pension records which I have never come across before. It looks like “Stromway” here.
This says he is being given fourteen days pay, beer and marching money to carry me to "Stromway Isle" being the place of my first attestation.
I am exasperated!!
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It would be more helpful to see the complete written section of the last snip (not partly chopped off).
Remember he had not written it. Someone else wrote it from what he said.
Looks like "Stromway Isle", but that is what was heard.
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Sadly that's all they sent me but I hope to have the full bit soon.
Yes it does look more like Stromway Isle and yes, he only ever marked with an X across all documents.
I have just noted that at this time, Ross WAS in fact administering Isle of Lewis, and this was done from Dingwall 120 miles away (Somewhat close to Tain). So it may not be a total leap. Murdoch was also involved with the Seaforth Highlanders - And the Earl of Seaforth himself was from Stornaway. Maybe clutching at straws there though! Just some interesting links.
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Yes. Until 1975 the Isle of Lewis was part of the county of Ross and Cromarty. Separated from Tain, as I've already said, by the width of the whole of northern mainland Scotland plus the whole of the Minch. Since 1975 Lewis has been part of the Na h-Eileanan an Iar/The Western Isles local authority area, and Steòrnabhagh/Stornoway is the administrative centre of that area.
I see in the second document that Murdoch 'first attested' at this 'Stromway Isle'. Not that he was born there.
Stornoway/Steòrnabhagh is only one of several parishes that make up the Isle of Lewis.
Not sure it's correct that the Earl of Seaforth was from Stornoway/Steòrnabhagh. His title certainly derives from Loch Seaforth in the parish of Lochs in Lewis but the Earls of Seaforth were a branch of the Mackenzies of Kintail, on the mainland, and the Earl's seat was Brahan Castle, in (I think) the parish of Urray, near Dingwall. Dingwall was the county town of Ross and Cromarty, that is, the administrative centre of the historic county.
So there's nothing in the second document to suggest that Murdoch was born in 'Stromway', whether or not that is a misrepresentation of Stornoway/Steòrnabhagh.