1853 Parish Register - MCDONALD *COMPLETED*

[bobmcduk]

Hi all,

I was wondering if any one can look up the birth of my Great Grandfather James McDonald

From census records and his death certificate he appears to have been born in 1853 in Dundee, from his marriage certificate his fathers name was also James McDonald, he was a Labourer, and he was dead by the time of James' (b1853) marriage on the 20th Dec 1880. James moved from Dundee to Durham sometime before 1880, where he started working in the shipyards of Northumberland and Durham, moving back to Glasgow for while before finally settling in West Hartlepool.

I am trying to find out more information about James (b1853) such as his mothers name.

Thanks

Bob

[luciacw]

Hello,

Who are the witnesses to his marriage? They could be clues to potential relatives and hence pin down who his father was.

The IGI has a potential James McDonald:

James McDonald, son of James McDonald and Elizabeth Bell, christened 1851 in Dundee

If I had enough credits on Scotlandspeople I would look up the 1861 census for you, but hopefully someone else here can help!

Is this him on the 1881 Census?

James Mcdonald, married, born 1853 in Scotland, working as Ship Yd Labourer and living at 9 Goldsmith Terrace, Southwick, Co. Durham with wife Margaret Scott McDonald

- Lucia

[nainmaddie]

Hi

I have had a brief look for you in Scotlandspeople and found the same birth for James McDonald son of James and Elizabeth Bell 12 February 1851.

There were no others between 1851 - 1854 for Dundee.

On the index for the 1861 Census, there was no child of the right age, and also I had run out of my credits.

If you want to look for him www.scotlandspeople.gov and it is a pay per view site.

Sorry that I cannot help further at the moment

[luciacw]

Aha! I have found something interesting. There are a family of MacDonalds living in Tynemouth in 1871 who were born in Scotland. I don't have access to transcription (not sure how they are related) but the details are as follows:

Elizabeth, born 1818, Scotland
James, born 1822, Scotland
William, born 1851, Scotland
James, born 1853, Scotland
Evan, born 1856, Scotland
Mary, born 1859, Scotland
Ann, born 1862, Scotland

If this is him then it would seem that he moved between c1862 and 1871.

There is a death for a James McDonald in Tynemouth, Sep 1877 (10b, p88), aged 56 (which of course fits with the age of the one above from the 1871 census). However I have no idea where the above McDonalds were born. Perhaps someone can look at the original entry.

- Lucia

[Gali]

I've found the births for the last three children on LDS (those born after statutory record keeping) that Lucia mentions above, they are:

Ewan Macdonald, born Monifieth to James Macdonald and Isabella Robertson, 7/10/55
Mary Petrie Macdonald, born Dundee to above couple, 24/09/58
Ann Macdonald, born Dundee to the above couple, 20/01/62

I had some credits left so looked on SP for info on Ewan - his birth cert says his father James was 34 years old, a field labourer, born in Inverness ... he was married in ?unclear, either 1836 or 1850 in Monifieith, and has two living children, both boys, his mother, Isabella was 37 years old in 1855 and was born in Edinburgh. 

SP also has a record for a William McDonald, born 1852 in Tannadice to a James Mcdonald and Ann Robertson

Ancestry has a family tree attached to the Census record that Lucia mentions - it relates to the family of William who seems to have emigrated to NZ 

[MonicaL]

That's all great info  The family's 1861 census entry in Scotland, confirming everything that Lucia and Gali have found:

James Mcdonald 39, Labourer Iron Ship Building Yarge (?yard) b. Inverness
Isabella Mcdonald 43 b. Edinburgh
Willm Mcdonald 10 b. Monapeth (?spl), Forfarshire
Jas Mcdonald 8 b. Monapeth, Forfarshire
Ewen Mcdonald 5 b. Monapeth, Forfarshire
Mary Mcdonald 2 b. Arbroath, Forfarshire

Address: 24 Lod Burn Lane, Dundee

Monica

PS: In Scotland, Isabella/ Isabel/Elizabeth are common first name variants.

[Gali]

And this family in 1851 are in King Street, Monifieth, Broughty Ferry:

James McDonald, aged 29, born Inverness, occupation Beacher Journeyman
Isabell R McDonald, aged 30, born Edinburgh
William McDonald, aged 2 months, born Monifieth
Mary Robertson, aged 18, born Monifieth, relationship to head: wife's sister

(transcription from Ancestry, have not seen original)

[ev]

hi all 

just to add -
king st. is in broughty ferry
the census places broughty ferry in the district of monifieth at this time

ev

[bobmcduk]

Wow Guys, Thanks so much, what a fantastic piece of research in such a short time!!!

In answer to your questions Lucia, the witnesses at the wedding were, Martha Robinson, who was James' mother in law and John Place, who I have no information about, in the 1881 Census there is a John Place who works in the ship yard as a plater and lived at 8 Corporation Street, this may have been him. Secondly, yes, that is the family at 9 Goldsmith Terrace in 1881, except his wifes name was Mary Sabrah, and the way I know this to be correct is they are living in the same building as his mother in law Martha Robinson.

The very interesting thing about the MacDonald Family you found in Tynemouth is there appears to be an Evan, which is an odd name. James and William are definitely family names. James McDonald b 1853, had a son who died in a shipyard accident in 1901 aged 14, and he was called Evan, I hadn't seen this name before, but this does start to provide links to the family in Tynemouth. I had been told by my Father that Evan had been given his name because he was born on Christmas Eve, but when I got his birth certificate he was actually born on Christmas Day, so that didn't stack up, but the fact that he may have had an Uncle with that name does make sense.

Thank you all once again.

Bob