RootsChat.Com

Thanks again, Ian, I really appreciate the research you have done on my behalf.
I checked out that link to Jennie Blades' site and she has done a great deal of work. William MacKay (she says William Currey MacKay) died in 1829 rather than 1867 and is buried in the Shelburne Presbyterian Cemetery. Our problem in Shelburne is that the Presbyterian records are missing from 1783, when the town was founded, until the mid 1820s which creates many a genealogical problem.
I downloaded the Book of MacKay from Google books and will print it off one of these days because I don't relish reading books off the computer. Not recommended to curl up and fall asleep with a computer on your lap. :-) I had a look for "The World of Rob Donn" at Chapters-Indigo but they are out of stock. Will try the local library and may find it there, after all this is New Scotland.
I mentioned earlier that a number of families from Durness and area came to Shelburne in the early 1800s, Hugh Morrison, son of Hugh, was one of them. He was born ca 1872, had been a private in Reay's Fencibiles, and became a school teacher at Shelburne. Another was George Morrison and his wife Catherine. He was b.ca 1805, John Bethune and his wife Ann Morrison came there in 1848 and there was a brace of William Morrisons that don't seem to fit anywhere and a Robert Morrison who kept a road house. Then in 1817, Donald, Robert, David, Hugh and Donald (2) MacKay, Hugh and William Morrison and Finley Bethune took up land at Clyde River, about 20 miles from Shelburne.
Thanks for the item on the marriage of Donald MacKay and Katherine MacLeod. It is always nice to see some flesh on the ancestral bones. Their daughter was raised by her MacLeod grandmother according to an old letter I read.

Many thanks,

Gerald

What a great thread!

My gggrandfather was John R. Morrison who was born ca1806 according to his headstone and death record. His parents were Neil and Janet Morrison but I have found nothing else about them.

His wife was Catherine MacKay who I believe was a daughter of Donald MacKay and Catherine MacLeod and was born in 1805. I also believe, but no proof, that they were married in 1826. (This from the IGI). They emigrated to Shelburne, Nova Scotia ca 1827 where he acquired land and eventually became the ferryman at Jordan River.

I was wondering if there was anything in the record concerning John R. and his parents. I don't know what the R stands for - could be Ross as he had a son John Andrew Ross Morrison.

There were a number of Scottish families that came to Shelburne from Sutherlandshire in the early 1800s. Two of them were brothers William and Robert MacKay, William in 1803 and Robert in 1816. William married Catherine Morrison of Thurso, his cousin, whose parents were William Morrison and Margaret Ross. William and Catherine were my ggggrandparents

Robert MacKay married Janet Murray, the granddaughter of Rob Donn, in 1816 shortly before they came to Shelburne. Her father was Hugh, a son of John and Ann (Morrison) Murray and her mother was Christina, a daughter of Robert and Janet (MacKay) Donn. This info is from some typewritten notes that I got from my aunt many years ago and was originally written by Robert and Janet MacKay's grandson, Henry Squarebriggs MacKay.

Thanks for any help.

Gerald

There are many descendants of both brothers in the Shelburne area.