What happened to these children?

[RedMystic]

Hi Chatters,

First, I'll admit I'm no expert on ScotlandsPeople, but I have been searching for death records there in vain & wasting $, possibly because I'm not searching correctly.   

I'm hoping that you can give me some help on how to find death records for the children I've marked in bold. (I have figured out that I can't find birth records for them as the records are too old.  )

Here is the 1841 census transcript for Garyfluich, South Uist.

Donald Macdonald   45
Jane Macdonald           35 (nee MacPherson)
Angus Macdonald   13
Peggy Macdonald   12
Marine Macdonald   9 (this should read Marion)
Mary Macdonald           4
Lauchlin Macdonald   2
Rachael Macdonald   6 Mo

And in 1851 for Ardnamona, south Uist  Lauchlin and Rachael have disappeared, but I have one more child, Margaret, that I can't see by 1861.

Donald M Donald   56
Jane M Donald   47
Rodk M Donald   23
Angus M Donald   21
Margt M Donald   20
Marion M Donald   18
Mary M Donald   14
Margt M Donald   9
Ewen M Donald   7
Christian M Donald   5

Can someone please give me some help to determine what happened to: Lauchlin, Rachel, and Margaret? I'm not afraid to use my own SP credits, but I'm at my wit's end searching for these missing children.

Thanks in advance for any assistance that can be provided. 

[RedMystic]

My next thought is that perhaps because Lauchlin and Rachel  MAY have died before 1851, there are no records available? Is that a possibility?

That shouldn't, however, be a problem for Margaret who, if she died, did so between 1851 & 1861 (unless she died before 1855) - is that correct logic?

[ITBookworm]

Nearly correct logic

Official registration didn't start in Scotland till 1855 so assuming Lauchlin and Rachael died between 1841 and 1851 you are at the mercy of the parish registers. If Margaret also died before 1855 you have the same problem.

Scotlands People do have (most of) the old parish registers but I believe the death records are the least complete of the lot in that what is recorded is not necessarily the death but the rent of the cloth to cover the coffin at the funeral. The search for the parish records is a separate option to the "official" records on the web site.

I know you can sometimes trace deaths through cemetery records or headstone inscriptions but I wouldn't know the details for this area.

[RedMystic]

Thank you for such a quick response ITBookworm (love the handle, by-the-way).

On the cemetery front, I was in the Nunton cemetery (Benbecula) when I visited Scotland in 2011. I took photos of EVERY headstone (yes obsessive) so if anyone is looking for images, I have them. LOL  However, it was after I came back that I learned that the mother of this family (Jane MacDonald (nee MacPherson)) was buried on North Uist. Heavy sigh - didn't go to any cemeteries there. (I've never figured out where father, Donald MacDonald) is buried. Some of the surviving sons ended up in Torlum / Lionaceit by the end of the 1870s (hence the Nunton graveyard search). The bottomline is, I wouldn't know where to start looking for headstones for these babes & the damp weather does a real number on headstone durability.

You have, however, given me a possible lead re the parish records. I'll see if I can muddle my way through those. 

Thanks again.

[loobylooayr]

South Uist had a predominately Catholic population whereas North Uist had a mainly Protestant population, I believe.
There are also Catholic Church BMD's to search on Scotlands People. Good luck with your research
Looby

[RedMystic]

Thank you loobylooayr.

The mother from this family was definitely Protestant. If the father was Catholic before their marriage (he was from S Uist / she from N Uist) he converted. So it likely means the children were brought up Protestant.

I can't say that for certain though.  My gg grandfather (son of this couple) came to Canada in 1883 - Protestant. His sister came to Canada in 1884 - Catholic. 

[loobylooayr]

Just noticed that the family have 2 daughters called Margt (Margaret) one of 20 and one of 9. I wonder how often that happened

[RedMystic]

Funny you noticed that at it was to be my next request for assistance.  The elder daughter went by Peggy / Peigi / Margaret. I can't find her death date either. Any help would be great.

She married Angus MacDonald, likely before 1854. (Their first son was born & died in 1854 so I'm assuming they were married by then). I last see the family in Stoneybridge in 1881. A few of their sons were still there in 1891. I can't, for the life of me,  find a death for Peggy / Peigi / Margaret Macdonald (nee MacDonald) with mother Jane MacPherson.

This is the family in 1881 Stoneybridge

Angus MacDonald   52
Margret MacDonald   49
Archibald MacDonald   24
John MacDonald           23
Marion MacDonald   14
Donald MacDonald   12
Christina MacDonald   7

Can anyone please help me with finding a death date for the mum in this family?

[loobylooayr]

Yes, I only pointed that out re. Catholic records as something similar happened to me (although in Wigtownshire -lots of Irish immigrants ). 
I had searched for births & marriages for years presuming the family to have been Protestant only to discover that 11 children were baptised in Catholic Church and  six kept that faith when they married. The rest including my gg grandmother changed to Protestant when she married.
Looby