RootsChat.Com

Mary, you can reach me at address removed by moderator

I wonder if Rose came over into the US with her (presumed) brother Pat (assuming you don't know Pat's parents). Rose is the one who married François Levesque in Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier in 1834. There is an Irish community there at the time. Still many Irish headstone in the cemetery, but no McDunns.

In earlier threads, she is said to be form co. Sligo, but I was never able to trace that in primary records, it was just in hand-me-down trees. Her marriage records states clearly she was from Westmeath. But with no town or parish to hang you hat on...

Jany, a guess might be that Paisley was hard of hearing... But who knows. He did also call her MacDonald in the initial entry in 1833 where she is a godmother.

The parish records for Westmeath are now online at NLI. Unfortunately, many parished only have records from the 1820 or 1830s on... I am going through them now...

On the plus side, McDunn – if indeed they exist as such, are very rare, just like the first name Frances. So it should be easier to confirm their ID if they show up there.

I've heard rumours that Thomas and Frances also came over, but kept going past Quebec. Why? To where? I wish I knew. Why would Rose stay put along the way? I find no trace in the 1850/1851 censuses.

I did see a few McDon's in a Westmeath listing a little after the departure of the family. I think that is probably the migrant family's surname. I've been told by few Westmeath genealogists that there are no McDunn there. Here are the variations on the name for each mention of her in records. I specify the priest to outline if the scribe was anglophone or francophone which may influence the spelling, and to show variances under the pen of the same scribes. Paisley was Irish obviously. Note Qc Records use maiden names, incl. under Paisley's pen.:

18.5.1833 Rose McDonald (Paisley) godmother to Lawrence Breen
15.4.1834 Rose McDunn «d/o Thomas McDunn and Frances McDunn of the county of Westmeath». (Paisley) - wed. to François Lévesque:
19.1.1835 Rose McDunn (Paisley) child birth
24.1.1837 Rose McDunn  (paisley) child birth
7.7.1839 Rose McDunn (Paisley) child birth
15.1.1841 Rose McDonald (Paisley) child birth
12.10.1844 Rose McDonall (Destroismaisons) child birth
1.12.1846 Rosalie McDonald (Nadeau) child birth
2.1852 (1851 census) Metis Rimouski, Rose McDonald 39 ans “canadienne-française (sic)”
28.7.1856 Rose McDown (Blanchette) dau marriage
14.2.1859 Rose McDoe (Blanchette) dau. marriage
27.5.1859 Rose McDoe (Duguay) own sepulture
4.2.1861 late Rose MacDown (Duguay) son marriage
7.7.1862 late Rose McDoe (Cloutier) dau.'s marriage

Have not seen the actual marriage record of my gg-grandfather Thomas in Old Town Maine on 2.9.1868 to see what she is called there.

Callum McNeil a gaelic speaking genealogist in Scotland's Hebrides explained McDown (there anyway) means son for the brown haired one, and was siding with this name as viable option when presented with this problem.