Cille Choirill Brae Lochaber: Archibald Mcdonald & Ann Gillies

[Grey Seagull]

Hi,

Wondered if someone had used this publication enough to be able to tell be if the parents of the burial listed as:

     29. Coll MacDonald d 12/4/1875 aged 44. Parents Archibald MacDonald died 1861 Kilmonivaig and
                                                                                     Ann  Gillies

are the same people that appear in the burial chart as:

      16/7/1864  Archibald McDonald, Crofter died aged 79 at Kilmonivaig. 
                        Spouse: Ann Gillies;
                        Father: John McDonald, Farmer;
                        Mother: Ann McArthur;
                        Informant: Angus McDonald, Son.

Just wondering if there had been a copying error: handwritten 1864 might have been confused as 1861 when it was typed.

Does anyone know where the information for this document came from and if it is still accessible?  Apologies if that info is given in the book: ran out of time to read the introduction.

Thanks

[MonicaL]

There is certainly the death on SP of an Archibald McDonald aged 79 in 1864, showing under Lochaber parish on SP (nothing showing for 1861 anywhere in Inverness-shire).

Monica 

[Grey Seagull]

Hi Monica,

Thanks for your reply.  Just found the 51 census in Boleskine and Abertaff: Archibald 61, Ann 60, Angus 28 so that fits with the burial chart, but no Coll, but of course he could have been living elsewhere.

However, I see you have Gillies & Knoydart on your interest list.  After about 10 years of searching for my husband's grandfather's birth certificate, I think I have at last found his birth in Knoydart plus 4 siblings.  His name was McDonell and he was born in Lochhournhead, his father coming from the Kilmonivaig area.

His mother, Ann McDonald, seems to have lived most of her short life in Knoydart, though the 71 census says she was born at Glenquoich: other info says Glenelg which is a very large area!!  I have found a sister Catherine and brother Angus so far. Their mother is Mary Gillies (with a first marriage to Donald Mcdougall) and her parents are William Gillies and Cathrine McDonald.  Don't know where they were from yet.

Ann Mcdonald's father was Samuel Mcdonald (c 1806 - 1878) and his parents were Archibald McDonald and Anne Gillies, hence my interest in the information in the Cille Choirill Brae Lochaber book.

But wondered if there was any connection with your Gilles interests in Knoydart?

[MonicaL]

The Gillies are one of my big walls  Not helped by the fact they were Roman Catholic. My 4xgrandmother Christy Gillies was born in Glenelg c. 1813, father John and mother Sarah. I have Christy with father aged 70 in the 1841 census, mother already deceased. The family show in Inverguseron in 1841. After this Christy joined her husband Angus MacDonald (MacIsaac) and his family down in Moidart. Christy, like your entries, only ever showed either Glenelg or Knoydart on the census. That's as far as I have got going back on that line.

Monica 

[MonicaL]

This looks to be the family in 1841 in case you don't have it:

Arch MacDonald 50, crofter
Ann MacDonald 45
John MacDonald 20
Alexander MacDonald 15
Coll MacDonald 13
Duncan MacDonald 11
Donald MacDonald 9
Duncan Gillies 90

Address: Balpishal Commonly Called Bunoich, Boleskine and Abertarff

There is a submitted entry on IGI for son Alexander's marriage to a Janet Cameron on 23 JAN 1862 in   Kilmonivaig. His is the only birth entry that shows on IGI, actual extract:

ALEXR. MAC DONELL Birth: 22 APR 1823  Kilmonivaig
Parents:ARCHD. MAC DONELL and ANN GILLIES

Monica

[MonicaL]

  I always fix on dates!

You say that Samuel McDonald's parents were Archibald McD and Ann Gillies. With the birth year of 1806 you have, this Archibald and certainly Ann wife were too young surely to be his parents?

Monica

[Grey Seagull]

1861 census for Archibald and Ann plus sons Angus and Donald, with grand-daughter Ann (who was born 1855, Ft William) plus domestic Servant Alice McIsacc, b Moidart.

Although Samuel and Mary lived for some time on Knoydart, they both died 1878 & 1877 in North Morar.  Is that where Moidart is, or is it further south.  Still need to do some searches to see if I can find deaths for Archibald and Anne: may just be possible...

Yes, understand the frustrations: McDonell/McDonald; vast area covered by Glenelg; and RC pre-1855: checked a couple of births I checked on SP but nothing found.  No RC marriages when I checked: hoping this is more likely to be recorded than the apparent lack of baptisms!  But at least my Ann and Alexander McDonell were married in the smaller area of Abertaff, so may be able to find something.

[MonicaL]

Remember there are no RC marriages available on line before the start of official registration in 1855. SP has just released on line the long awaited RC birth/baptism registers. There are help notes on the site, including what parishes are available.

Moidart is certainly further south than Glenelg. It borders Argyll and at one time, some of the parishes were classified as within Argyll. This is an excellent family history site for that area (I lost nearly 12 months of life in this area!) www.moidart.org.uk

To help you get your bearings, this is a good parish map for Inverness-shire and Argyll:

www.scotlandsfamily.com/parish-map-inverness.htm
www.scotlandsfamily.com/parish-map-argyll.htm

Monica

[Grey Seagull]

Hi,

Meant that when I did the birth/baptism searches that the marriages were unavailable as yet.  Sorry for the confusion.

I don't think I will be tracing down Alice McIsacc but thought she may be of interest to you.

Many years ago as a student, I spent my summer holiday working on Knoydart so this possible family connection - although it is my husband's - is fairly wierd in a way but for once, I kind of know the geography of the area I am researching - although I never made it to Lochhournhead as the road from Inverie doesn't seem to go there but rather comes from the Kilmonivaig area.  Still, it will be nice to go back for a visit!