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Messages - GordonSandison

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1
Inverness / Re: MacDonald alias MacNeils in Boleskine OPRs what does this mean?
« on: Saturday 30 October 10 07:05 BST (UK)  »
Hi Tropiconsul,

I'm not sure, I never came to a conclusive answer on the MacDonald alias MacNeil.

I would not have thought that the fact that McInab meant son of the abbot would stop t being used in a similar way - perhaps Alexander was son of Donald who was son of an Abbot. I'm just guessing though!

Gordon

2
Inverness / Re: MacDonald alias MacNeils in Boleskine OPRs what does this mean?
« on: Sunday 18 July 10 02:04 BST (UK)  »
Hi Ian,

Thanks for the tips. I'd had a look at the Catholic registers on ScotlandsPeople but hadn't heard of the Status Animarum records and will check that out next time I'm back in Edinburgh.

Cheers
Gordon
ps I notice your user name is Cabrach, my paternal granmothers family (Kellas) were from Cabrach and were crofters at Torniechelt for several generations.

3
Inverness / Re: MacDonald alias MacNeils in Boleskine OPRs what does this mean?
« on: Wednesday 05 May 10 13:40 BST (UK)  »
Quote from: pfwgrant on Tuesday 04 May 10 23:55 BST (UK)
Hi Gordon: is this your family? I am also descended from these Macdonell/ Macdonald alias McNeills.  I thought that the "alias McNeill" is a hereditary patronymic i.e. denoting a descent from a particular Macdonell or Macdonald ancestor.  However I haven't been able to find a recognised branch of the Glengarry Macdonells or perhaps Keppoch Macdonalds who used this hereditary patronymic, so perhaps my theory is incorrect!  Would like to compare notes with you and learn of your descent.    Kind regards, Peter Grant (London UK / Dunedin New Zealand)

Hi Peter,

I'm not totally sure if Donald MacDonald alias MacNiel was my Great x4 Grandfather!
 
I do know that my Great x3 Grandfather was a Donald MacDonald born in Boleskine c1796. Acording to his death certificate (1862 Knockbain, Ross-shire) his parents were Donald MacDonald and Margaret MacDonald. It was searching for this family that lead me to the MacDonalds alias MacNeil. There were only 4 Donald MacDonald births's in the OPRs for Boleksine in the 1790's and off these one has a father named Donald and a mother with maiden name MacDonald. This is Donald MacDonald alias MacNeil and Betty MacDonald. So it's not a certain match as the mothers maiden name is Betty rather that Margaret but it is possible that the informant on the death certificate got this detail wrong.

How are you related to the MacDonald alias Macneils?

Regards,
Gordon

4
Caithness / Re: Snoterfield (or Snotterfield) in Watten Parish
« on: Tuesday 20 April 10 02:21 BST (UK)  »
Hi Spittalhill,

Thanks for the reply - that ties in with an answer I got from the Caithness Archive Centre. They believe Shielton & Snotterfield to be one and the same. A burn in the area is marked as Snottergill on the 1st edition O.S. map of 1871.

 

5
Caithness / Snoterfield (or Snotterfield) in Watten Parish
« on: Tuesday 13 April 10 05:51 BST (UK)  »
Hi,

I've come across mentions of couple of the branches of my family tree residing in Snotterfield in Watten Parish. In particular Sinclair Sandison baptised 21/08/1809 and Katharine Lavach baptised 24/09/1775. There is also a mention on the Ambaile newspaper index database in relation to the shooting of a dog in 1850!

I have scoured the OS maps and a few old maps on-line but can find no trace of it.

Does anyone know where this is?
Thanks
Gordon

6
Inverness / Re: MacDonald alias MacNeils in Boleskine OPRs what does this mean?
« on: Sunday 04 April 10 02:29 BST (UK)  »
Hi Skoosh,

Thanks for the reply. I've just gone and done a bit of digging around on patronymics in Scotland as I had not come across them on any of the other branches of the family who are all from similar areas (or the north of Scotland) and many of which I've tracked back to 1700 or so. It's definitely a possibility and I did find this interesting article

http://freepages.family.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~johnmc46lc/PART%201HIDDEN%20FAMILIES.html

which is more to do with RC families in upper Banffshire but it does explain that many aliases were in the form "family name" alias "patronymic" which would suggest that Donald & John McDonald may have been sons of Neil McDonald.

I'll get back to the IGI and see if I can find any results that match that theory.

Oh one question - is sloinneaidh gaelic for patronymic? Google drew a blank on it!
Thanks again
Gordon

7
Inverness / Re: MacDonald alias MacNeils in Boleskine OPRs what does this mean?
« on: Sunday 04 April 10 02:17 BST (UK)  »
Hi Teaurn,

All I really know is that Donald MacDonald alias MacNeil was a butcher in Bunoich, Boleskine who had 6 children baptised between 05/05/1793 & 22/07/1811.
I initially thought the alias may have been due to illegitimacy and that MacDonald and MacNeil were the surnames of both of Donalds parents. The discovery of John, I felt, made this less likely as one "accident" with no marriage is pretty common but two would surely usually indicate a longer term relationship and result in a marriage (unless of course John & Donald were twins!).  ???

Thanks
Gordon

8
Inverness / MacDonald alias MacNeils in Boleskine OPRs what does this mean?
« on: Saturday 03 April 10 13:57 BST (UK)  »
I am looking at the OPRs for Boleskine, in particular a series of births between 1793 & 1811. The mother is listed as Betty McDonald (or occasionally McDugal or McDowal). The father is consistently recorded as "Donald MacDonald alias MacNeil". I also found another birth listed in the same date range in the same parish with the father listed as "John MacDonald alias MacNeil".
Does anyone know what this McDonald alias MacNeil would mean?
My initial thought was that perhaps Donald was illegitimate and these were the names of his parents but when I found John McDonald alias McNeil this seemed less likely.

If anyone out there can shed some light on this it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Gordon

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