Author Topic: MacDonald in Moidart (Argyll/Inverness-Shire)  (Read 14062 times)

Offline elderfuthark

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MacDonald in Moidart (Argyll/Inverness-Shire)
« on: Wednesday 29 February 12 09:22 GMT (UK) »
Gday

I am interested in a family from Egnaig


 
A: The family were from Moidart and strongly linked to Father Ranald Rankin 1820-1851(emigration to Australia). Fr Rankin's activities and life would be of considerable interest. The family seem to be from the areas of Kinlochmoidart through to Fort William.
 
B: If possible I would like to follow:
 
Ronald MacDonald (farmer from Moidart?) married
Catherine Forbes before 1795


They would have died before 1851.

 
Their son John MacDonald bc 1795 married aged 30 (1825) to Margaret McKesic/McKissack
 
They emigrated with a large family to Australia on The Marco Polo in 1851. This was a group migration by families that knew each other and knew Fr Rankin. A second migration followed and then Fr Rankin joined the people at Little River in Victoria.
 
The family then emigrated from Egnaig with several generations - see below (ages at 1851)
 
34.1 McDonald John M 62 head M tenant 3 acres Eignaig

34.2 McDonald Margaret F 51 wife M Eignaig

34.3 McDonald Alexander M 22 son U Eignaig

34.4 McDonald John M 23 son U Eignaig

34.5 McDonald Ronald/Ranald M 20 son U Eignaig

445

34.6 McDonald Margaret F 17 daughter U Eignaig

34.7 McDonald Catherine F 15 daughter U Eignaig

34.8 McDonald Mary F 13 daughter U scholar Eignaig

34.9 McDonald James M 10 son U scholar Eignaig

34.10 McDonald Sally/Sarah F 9 daughter U scholar Eignaig

34.11 McDonald Donald M 90 U retired teacher Eignaig

34.12 McDonald Donald M 48 brother U Eignaig

34.13 Smith Mary F 20 U general servant Eignaig
 
It seems this family were from the Kinlochmoidart estate. I would like to explore their records (births christenings etc)
 
cheers

Bill
 
 
Mary MacDonald bc 1839 to John MacDonald bc 1795 and Margaret nee mcKissack bc 1803

arrived Marco Polo 20 sep 1852 aboard Marco Polo from Moidart with parents 3 bro 2 sis



Ken McKenzie bc 1814 Inverness to John McKenzie and Catherine Ann nee Mackay

arrived 16 Oct 1852 aboard Miltiades from Ross County with wife and 6 children

Families of above in Scotland

Families in Australia - Victoria

Offline MonicaL

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Re: MacDonald in Moidart (Argyll/Inverness-Shire)
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 29 February 12 10:18 GMT (UK) »
Hi Bill

I moved your post over from here www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,83084.0.html - thought it might be somewhat lost there and should be here on the Argyll board.

Haven't looked at these details for a long time! Brings back lots of lovely memories of when I started on all my family research.

Monica  :)

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Offline elderfuthark

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Re: MacDonald in Moidart (Argyll/Inverness-Shire)
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 29 February 12 10:38 GMT (UK) »
Gday Monica
Thanks

It may be true that Alasdair macMhaighster Alisdair had a son Ranald/Ronald (married Catherine Forbes) who fathered John MacD who i know is our progenitor.

Apparently Alisdair was given a farm at Egneig. I know our famiy came from Egnaig.

cheers

Bill
Mary MacDonald bc 1839 to John MacDonald bc 1795 and Margaret nee mcKissack bc 1803

arrived Marco Polo 20 sep 1852 aboard Marco Polo from Moidart with parents 3 bro 2 sis



Ken McKenzie bc 1814 Inverness to John McKenzie and Catherine Ann nee Mackay

arrived 16 Oct 1852 aboard Miltiades from Ross County with wife and 6 children

Families of above in Scotland

Families in Australia - Victoria

Offline MonicaL

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Re: MacDonald in Moidart (Argyll/Inverness-Shire)
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 29 February 12 10:48 GMT (UK) »
From my own experience of researching my MacDonald/MacIsaac lines in this area:

Have you come across this site www.moidart.org.uk Very much my info bible that I used when researching in Moidart. There is a tab on the left for 'Immigration' with info such as this www.moidart.org.uk/datasets/austemig01.htm

Great photos here of the general Eignaig area - click on individual photos for more info including map of the general area www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=29142444

One of the main problems you will have is the fact that your family, like mine, were Roman Catholic. RC records before the start of statutory civil registers (1855) are poor for many areas. Many of these parish registers, not just for the RC Church, have been lost or destroyed over the years. Also, record keeping in registers pre 1855 was variable by church and area. Also, research gets very hard the further back you go generally.

In the last two years or so, the official pay to view site for BMDs, parish registers and original census images www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk  You can register for free and can do some general searches (you have to pay via units to view search results or images). Be aware of spelling variations when searching and use the wildcard symbol '*' when searching names. For example, I would search MacDonald as M*cdon* and MacIsaac, also McKesic/McKissack, as M*c*ss*c. Margaret also often shows as Margret/Maggie etc. so search as Ma*g*.

If you are fortunate to find RC baptisms, this SP help guide is useful www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/content/help/index.aspx?r=554&1374  Marriages here www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/Content/Help/index.aspx?r=554&2016

Have you found the family yet in the 1841 census?

Monica
Census information Crown Copyright, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


Offline elderfuthark

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Re: MacDonald in Moidart (Argyll/Inverness-Shire)
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 29 February 12 10:54 GMT (UK) »
Thank monica

Not yet in the 41 census.

We will visit Scotland in june this year and plan to spend a week at Edinburgh Scottish Catholic Archives.

cheers

Bill
Mary MacDonald bc 1839 to John MacDonald bc 1795 and Margaret nee mcKissack bc 1803

arrived Marco Polo 20 sep 1852 aboard Marco Polo from Moidart with parents 3 bro 2 sis



Ken McKenzie bc 1814 Inverness to John McKenzie and Catherine Ann nee Mackay

arrived 16 Oct 1852 aboard Miltiades from Ross County with wife and 6 children

Families of above in Scotland

Families in Australia - Victoria

Offline MonicaL

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Re: MacDonald in Moidart (Argyll/Inverness-Shire)
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 29 February 12 10:55 GMT (UK) »
I have to log off now (sad when real life takes over  ;D). Catch up later.

Just a general search of "john macdonald" "eignaig" (new google type of search now without the + symbol) brings up info like:

John MacDonald, Kylesbeg (over 60) born at Eignaig and left there when he was about 18 or 19. Then went to Druim Laoigh, Loch Shiel-side for 3 years. About 7 yrs thereafter he came to Craig and lived there ever since at Kinlochmoidart (sic). While his father was at Eignaig he remembers shell sand being taken. His father moved to Langal. (f. 154)
http://www.moidart.org.uk/datasets/macdonaldpapers.htm from 1836

FreeCen for Argyll has good coverage for the 1841 census of Argyll www.freecen.org.uk/ - make sure to click on the 1841 census tab at the top.

Monica
Census information Crown Copyright, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline MonicaL

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Re: MacDonald in Moidart (Argyll/Inverness-Shire)
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 29 February 12 13:19 GMT (UK) »
I think this is the family in 1841:

John MacDonald 50 Farmer
Margaret MacDonald 40
Donald MacDonald 20
John MacDonald 13
Ranald MacDonald 10
Ann MacDonald 15
Peggy MacDonald 7
Catharine MacDonald 5
Mary MacDonald 3
James MacDonald 9 months
Ranald MacDonald 85
Donald MacDonald 30 Merchant Seaman..the relative perhaps who shows with them in 1851?

Address: Glenuig, Acharacle, INV.

The 1841 census is the most limited in terms of info. Relationships within the household are not shows and ages for those over 15 were supposed to be rounded down to the nearest 5 years.

This is a good listing of the 1841 census. The index is done is order and by place name. There may likely be family nearby http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ked1/41ftwillcen9.html - Glenuig is the first in the list.

Monica
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Offline elderfuthark

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Re: MacDonald in Moidart (Argyll/Inverness-Shire)
« Reply #7 on: Wednesday 29 February 12 18:50 GMT (UK) »
Thanks Monica

This certainly looks like them as the ages and names are basically right.

I have come across a possibility. Alasdair MacMhaighster Alasdair was given a farm at Eigneig and had a son called Ranald. I wonder if he is the "85 year old" Ranald born about 1752-1755 who is John's father?

The address is confusing as Acharacle is at theend of Loch Shiel and Glenuig is at the south of Loch nan Uamh. Egnaig is conveniently between these.

As a matter of interest I attach the death cert for John (died 1875 Heathcote VIC) which lists his kin in the same order.

cheers

Bill
Mary MacDonald bc 1839 to John MacDonald bc 1795 and Margaret nee mcKissack bc 1803

arrived Marco Polo 20 sep 1852 aboard Marco Polo from Moidart with parents 3 bro 2 sis



Ken McKenzie bc 1814 Inverness to John McKenzie and Catherine Ann nee Mackay

arrived 16 Oct 1852 aboard Miltiades from Ross County with wife and 6 children

Families of above in Scotland

Families in Australia - Victoria

Offline MonicaL

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Re: MacDonald in Moidart (Argyll/Inverness-Shire)
« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 29 February 12 22:22 GMT (UK) »

I have come across a possibility. Alasdair MacMhaighster Alasdair was given a farm at Eigneig and had a son called Ranald. I wonder if he is the "85 year old" Ranald born about 1752-1755 who is John's father?

Bill

Is the family group you mean:

ALEXANDER (Alasdair MacMhaighster Alasdair) : (1700?-1780?); Gaelic poet; s. Alexander, M.A. ("Maighstear Alasdair"); the Episcopal clergyman of Ardnamurchan; had a commission in highland army under his cousin, but the passing of Act of Indemnity gave him a settled home. Clanranald made him baillie of Isle of Canna and gave him farm of Eigneig on the Glenuig estate. His eldest s., Ranald, was a poet. The farm of Laig in that island remained in the family till emigration of the poet's great-grandson Angus to U. S. about 1850, when American civil war broke out, he, receiving a commission in 11th Wisconsin regiment, was distinguished for his gallantry.

www.accessgenealogy.com/surnames/macdonald.htm

Also, www.moidart.org.uk/datasets/alasdair1.pdf

You have good understanding of the geography which is good! Took me a while  ;D There does look to be some movement with John and Margaret in terms of locations. The 1851 census entry in respect of birth place may not quite be accurate and it is also difficult when you only have one census entry to go by (ignoring the 1841 census which only shows if someone is born in or out of the county that the census took place).

Monica
Census information Crown Copyright, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk