Hi Paisleyborn
Just checking whether you had seen the 1841 Census entry from FreeCen for the family:
MCDONALD Joseph 50 Mason Ross and Cromarty
MCDONALD Jean 45 Ross and Cromarty
MCDONALD John 8 Ross and Cromarty
MCDONALD Andrew 3 Ross and Cromarty
CORBET Janet 20 Female Servant Ross and Cromarty
Address: Balintore
By the ages of Joseph and Jean, you would think that there had been older children who had already left home by 1841. There are some details of births on IGI, including your Andrew's:
1. ANDREW MC DONALD Birth: 11 FEB 1837 Christening: 10 MAR 1837 Fearn, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
2. JANET MC DONALD Birth: 30 MAY 1832 Christening: 13 JUN 1832 Fearn, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland (Janet is not showing in 1841, so may have died young?)
There are some other ideas which might be worth you following up:
1. From IGI, I wonder whether this is the birth of a boy Joseph to maybe brother John that you have:
JOSEPH MC DONALD Birth: 04 APR 1849 Fearn, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
Parents: Father: JOHN MC DONALD Mother: JESSIE ANDERSON
And the marriage of this John to Jessie also on IGI:
JOHN MACDONALD Marriages: Spouse: JESSIE ANDERSON
Marriage: 12 AUG 1845 Fearn, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
These are other children showing for John and Jessie:
1. JAMES MC DONALD Birth: 14 MAY 1851 Fearn, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
2. JOHN MACDONALD Birth: 22 MAY 1855 Fearn, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
3. JOSEPH MC DONALD Birth: 04 APR 1849 Fearn, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
4. ALEXANDER MAC DONALD Birth: 19 OCT 1845 Christening: 27 OCT 1845 Fearn, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
5. DAVID MC DONALD Birth: 04 APR 1849 Fearn, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
6. JEAN MC DONALD Birth: 21 MAY 1847 Fearn, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
If you are going to look at any birth cert, you have an 1855 one there. The first year of official registration in Scotland provided a wealth of additional info for one year only.
2. Have you tried finding Joseph and Jean in the 1851 Census. This would give you an indication of where they were born.
3. The death certs for Joseph and Jean have given you their parents details. Hopefully this will also let you go back. Sometimes further clues re childen's names can be obtained this way.
Regards.
Monica