MacDonalds from Skye to London?

[Rosinish]

Hi,

Although history is not my strong point, I note the names Henry & Thomas are not typical Scottish names, certainly not in the Highlands.

A site which may be of interest.....

If you google "Uist & Barra wordpress" this site is very informative & may help you in your quest.

Your ancestors seem to have moved down South prior to the "clearances" & there were MacDonalds at sometime in or around London with connections with South/North Uist/Barra MacDonalds of Clanranald.

Annie

[Rosinish]

I forgot to say, as mentioned by Carole, they census records for those years are what you need for clarification of a connection to the Highlands sadly.

Annie

[K MacDonald]

Hi,

Although history is not my strong point, I note the names Henry & Thomas are not typical Scottish names, certainly not in the Highlands.

A site which may be of interest.....

If you google "Uist & Barra wordpress" this site is very informative & may help you in your quest.

Your ancestors seem to have moved down South prior to the "clearances" & there were MacDonalds at sometime in or around London with connections with South/North Uist/Barra MacDonalds of Clanranald.

Annie

Hi Annie

Thanks for that. It does help.
https://westernisles.wordpress.com/uist/

I have to confess I woke up very early this morning; not just because we've just put the clocks forward to British Summer Time, but because I suddenly realised I might have been making a quite basic mistake with all my searches.

It's been a family tradition that we always spell our name "M-a-c small d". I remember my oldest Uncle testing me on that as a very small child c.1958, and just recently I found a long-lost cousin from another branch of MacDonalds in London who had the same drummed into her from her earliest years. It's so inground, I've been limiting all my searchs to "Macdonald". Doh.

You make a very good point that the names Henry & Thomas are not typical. I'm now wondering if that was a deliberate effort by my branch of the MacDonalds to Anglicise themselves, along with the way their name was spelt?

Perhaps I need to go back and start again, and include "McDonald"s in my search?

[Rosinish]

Not much time just now but there are numerous variants such as McDonell/MacDonell etc.

Annie

[K MacDonald]

I wonder if this is the Henry John Macdonald I should have been looking for?

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N5XK-29N

Name    Henry Thomas Mcdonald
Gender    Male
Christening Date    20 Oct 1805
Christening Place    SAINT ANNE SOHO,WESTMINSTER,LONDON,ENGLAND
Birth Date    29 Sep 1805
Father's Name    John Mcdonald
Mother's Name    Eleanor

But that pushes the legendry Scottish roots back another generation to John and Eleanor. From where?

[CaroleW]

He married in London on August 11, 1828 in St.James Church, Clerkenwell, and lived the rest of his life in London.

He is absent from any census entry that I can find under either Mac or Mc. Have you found him?

Until you know whether he was born in England or Scotland your Scottish research is at a standstill.

If he was born in England - then you are looking for his fathers name and where his father was born

Henry must have been born around the very early 1800's to have married in 1828 - although it may have been a second marriage.

 

[K MacDonald]

He married in London on August 11, 1828 in St.James Church, Clerkenwell, and lived the rest of his life in London.

He is absent from any census entry that I can find under either Mac or Mc. Have you found him?

You are 100% correct to ask that question because I'm still confusing Henry Thomas Macdonald and his son Henry John Thomas Macdonald (more Doh!)

The son Henry John Thomas is the one I've found a fairly full paper trail for.
e.g.
Baptism: 21 Jun 1829 - Clerkenwell St James, England

1861 Census: living in Brewer Street North, Clerkenwell, with wife Maria (Hurle) Macdonald Occupation = Porter at H.M. Stationery Office

1891 census: living in North Road, Islington, with wife Maria (Hurle) Macdonald, daughter Annie Macdonald and son Arthur Macdonald
Occupation = Printers Warehouseman

1901 census Living in Clerkenwell, with wife Maria (Hurle) Macdonald and daughter Annie Macdonald

He died in 1912 in Islington.

But his Dad is still a mystery man. Like you, I can't find any mention in the 1841 and 1851 census lists. Perhaps he had emigrated?

[CaroleW]

In 1841 - Henry jnr was only 12yrs old and William 6yrs - so I think we can rule out emigration for Henry snr

[Rosinish]

With not much knowledge of London areas (apart from a few), I found this which looks a good fit according to yr of birth to have had a son bap. 1805 

1851
John MacDonnell
Marital status Widower
Age   70
Birth year   1781
Occupation    Private Soldier Royal Hospital Chelsea
Birth place   Scotland
Parish Chelsea
County Middlesex
Parliamentary borough Chas Saint Badcocke
Registration district Chelsea
Archive reference HO107
Piece number 1472
Folio   551
Page   29

Note though, as he was in hospital someone else would have given the spelling.

I don't see him in 1861 on a census so looking for a death 1851 - 1861 may hold a clue but that's a BIG ? as he was a widower & probably his death was registered by a hospital employee although maybe not....may have been his son, hopefully?

I wonder if this birth is by the same John & Eleanor....

Alice Elizabeth Ann Macdonald b 13 Jul 1807 & Christened 11 Oct 1807 at St. James, Westminster, Middlesex, England to John Macdonald & Eleanor....don't you wish they would have used maiden names 

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NDWJ-Q4M

Adding this as the names John & William are included & may be of use 

1841

Barretts Court, St Marylebone, Marylebone, Middlesex, England

William   McDonald   Male   45   1796   Ireland (Occ. Boot M) Probably MAKER   
Ann   McDonald   Female   39   1802   Ireland   
Jerermia   McDonald   Male   12   1829   Middlesex, England   
John   McDonald   Male   10   1831   Middlesex, England
Maria   McDonald   Female   8   1833   Middlesex, England
William   McDonald   Male   1   1840   Middlesex, England

Annie