Alasdair MacDonald of N. Uist and Benbecula

[barden158]

Hello...I'm trying to find info on Alasdair MacDonald b.1773 in N. Uist and d.1858 at Upper Leitches Creek Nova Scotia. He married Sarah (Mor nighean Alasdair 'ic Raonuill) MacDonald  d/o Alexander s/o Ronald . Sarah had a sister Raonaid nighean Alasdair 'ic Raonuill, and a brother Domhnull mac Alasdair 'ic Raonuill.  Alasdair and Sarah immigrated to Cape Breton in 1827 with their familyof 15. I would like to find Alasdair's father, grandfather etc and would like to go back as far as possible. There is lots of info on the MacDonalds of S. Uist, but little on the MacDonalds of N. Uist.  Can anyone assist me?  Any info would be greatly appreciated.  Thankyou. P.S. I have just come across some info..They lived in Ard nan Sruban, then went to Nunton (Cailleach) or Balivanich in Benbecula. 

[angusm]

I gather from the wording of your message that it derives from Fr MacMillan's book on migrants to Cape Breton so don't need pointing in that direction. I am sorry that I cannot give you what you are looking for but I can provide some context that may be useful.

I am not sure where the Carinish reference originated but it is the nearest township in North Uist to Ard nan Sruban in the island of Grimsay so the two apparently separate references may well be to one and the same location. The St Michael's, Ardkenneth records of b, m, d do not start until 1829 so there is only one set of records that could throw light on the move of Alexander and family to Benbecula. That is the rent rolls kept by the Factor, Duncan Shaw. As factor, he had the tack of Nunton so individuals were not recorded there. The rolls do identify the tenants in Balivanich but Alexander does not figure. There are two possible reasons. One is that the set of records runs from 1811-1822/3 and then there is a gap until 1835 by which time Alexander had left for CB. He may only have moved to Benbecula after 1823. The second is that the move from North Uist to Benbecula suggests, in all probability, that Alexander was a cottar, an agricultural labourer, herd or similar, rather than having a lease of a croft. In that case, he would not appear in the rolls.

Incidentally, as a result of the much earlier carving out of a separate estate called Belfinlay and then its subsequent re-integration into Nunton, there was an overlap where a triangle of land could have been called either or both of Nunton and Balivanich so that might just indicate where the family was based.  The Beatons emigrated from another Benbecula township, Hacklet. I hope this helps a bit.               

[angusm]

I wonder if you have registered that Fr MacMillan qualified his entry on the Alexander MacDonald family that was covered on pps 186-217 of 'To the Hill of Boisdale'? On the assumption you have access to the revised edition, Appendix F on page 848 suggests that not all the family left. In the 1940s a Cape Breton descendant visited Benbecula and is said to have met members of the family.

I suspect Fr MacMillan is in error as to the detail but I am sure the information will be of interest. The island mentioned was certainly Eillean Floddaigh or Island Flodda. The present day causeway was not constructed until after the war and so access did depend on the tide; the island was and is MacDonald dominated; and at least two of those MacDonald families did emigrate to Wapella, Saskatchewan/ Moosomin in the Lady Gordon cathcart sponsored migrations of 1883 and 1884. It is the only island associated with Benbecula that fits the description.

I mention error because Fr MacMillan assumes it was the MacDonalds, Alexander and the Flodda group who were related. Effectively, that cannot be if the descent of Alexander from the MacDonalds of Sleat that Fr MacMillan mentions is right. The Flodda MacDonalds are a known family descended from a rather distinctive character, Ranald MacDonald 1st of Benbecula byhis second [of five] wives. It was the mother who claimed relationship tp you family and so the relationship is by marriage rather than blood. Incidentally, the head of the family, though not the same one, is still Donald John. Angus

[barden158]

Hello No i don't have access to any books etc. on the MacDonalds. Any info I have has come from caring people such as yourself or from articles on the internet. I am just trying to connect the dots and am trying to find out who was Alasdair's father and grandfather and maybe Sarah's people as well. So far i have hit a brick wall. I am very gratefull to you for your information past and present. Any future information would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou B.

[angusm]

In that case it may help to have the quotation from Fr MacMillan. It relates to your Aleander, complete with the references to Grimsay and Nunto.

"It seems that not all the MacDonald family described on pp 186-216 emigrated in the years 1827/6. In the Spring of 1841 or '42, L Corp Gordon H MacDonald [of Johnnie Red Angus Domhnull] while on army leave, visited Benbecula and North Uist and appears to have conacted close relatives. He later wrote to his mother and told her ..'Tuesday we went to Benbecula. Donald John MacDonald took us to his place on an island right off Benbecula. We had to wait for low tide and walk across. They were all MacDonalds. Donald John's mother, around one hundred years old, said my grandfather would be her uncle. She had no English but was very certain of what she said. She named all the family who went to Cape Breton and even showed me the place where our people lived. The house was still standing, the walls were about four feet thick, all made of stone. The old woman was crying when I left ...'"

There is one thing extra here, which is that, on this account, the family did not live in Balivanich/Nunton which in the traditions was presumably named as the main town to indicate Benbecula, but on Eilean Floddaigh. What I should have mentioned in my previous note is that these MacDonalds from Ranald 1 of Benbecula were direct descendants of the Clanranald chiefs and so not primarily from the Sleat family. As they all seem to have married North Uist wives, it will have been the mother who was closely related to your Alexander and family.

[barden158]

  Hello again, it is my husband's mother who was a MacDonald. I have received what info i have from our cousin John, whose mother, also a MacDonald, was my mother-in-laws sister. He is the current Finlaggan Councilor, Castle Dunluce, Clan Donald. The info he has given me stated that they were kin to the MacDonalds of Sleat, but it could be wrong, i don't know. That is why i'm trying to trace either Alasdair's father or Sarah's father, since her maiden name was MacDonald as well. The last of Alasdair and Sarah's children to be born in Scotland was Angus. Apparently he was born on N. Uist in 1824 a few years before the family came to Cape Breton. Sarah was the daughter of Alexander (as well) son of Ronald. Are there any records remaining that we could trace Angus at least??

[angusm]

It makes sense that some MacDonalds in North Uist, including quite possibly yours, especially given the authoritative source of the info, should be of the Sleat persuasion. North Uist was in the hands of the Sleat chiefs from the mid-1400s for four hundred years. The walk across the Atlantic from Grimsay to Benbecula included a different culture and ownership to Catholic Clanranald territory and was relatively rare until about the time your folks seem to have made the trip. The Factor of the day, Duncan Shaw, purposely imported Protestants from North Uist to Benbecula and South Uist on the grounds that they were harder working.

Turning to identification of Alexander's parentage, the North Uist expert is Blair MacAulay. If you look at the Western Isles Board, he does from time to time give contact details. If yo have any trouble tracking him down, do let me know and I will find an address for you. He has a pretty complete database of North Uist families of the period. I will keep an eye out in the Benbecula equivalents now that we have a more specific location. Best of hunting. Angus

[barden158]

Thankyou so much for all your help and interest. If you do come across any more info i would be happy to hear from you. As for Blair, i have had some correspondance from him, but it was mostly all the info i had before. His MacDonalds are related to mine down the line. No one however seems to be able to trace them for sure back in Scotland. My MacDonalds were protestant but one of Alasdair and Sarah's great  grandsons, Kenneth,turned Catholic and so this arm of the MacDonalds is now of that faith. B

[angusm]

I realise I did not answer your specific question about whether Angus at least might be traced. It could not be neater if planned. The last of the rent rolls before the 13 year gap to 1835 is that for 1822. Your information is that Angus was born in 1824. I have checked that last list, which would of course only have tenants shown and would not show a baby or young person. The Catholic births and marriages covering Benbecula pick up from 1829, whilst your family left in 1828. There are simply no records this side of the Atlantic that would provide what you want in that respect.

I do have another thought. Soldiers' records are kept at TNA [The National Archives] at Kew in South London. They should certainly contain a service record for Angus older brother and, one would think, details of his death and burial at Salisbury. It would be an enormous stroke of luck if anything was attached about his parentage but it is not impossible given the apparent nature of his death. At any rate, that is the best avenue I can think of at this stage. best wishes. Angus