Donald Clark 1785-1853 and spouse Jane Campbell birth about 1785

[Scotsquinne]

Thanks all!  I have added a few bits of the puzzle.  Would anyone have access to a marriage record for Donald Clark and Jane Campbell.  Being in Canada, my access is limited.  I now believe, based on census data, that Jane Campbell was bit younger than Donald and possibly born about 1789.  A marriage document would really help to identify a proper birth year and possibly parents which could lead to a baptism document.

Again, thanks for all the feedback.  It has added much.

Dave

She (Jane Campbell) was from Castle Stuart, just along the road from Petty.

[mcadamsd]

Thanks to numerous clues kindly provided here we have much more info.

We now can confirm Jane Campbell passed in London, Ontario, Canada 19 OCT 1869  and the informant was her son in law Thomas Partridge 1808-1891.  We have not found an arrival or a burial as yet.

The mystery of her parents remains.   We know from posts here and the marriage record that Jane was from  Castle Stuart near Petty.  A search for a birth for a Jane Campbell in that area finds no results.  Based on various documents we are looking at 1785-1790 as a range for a birth

One in 1789 is in Kilmodan which seems a fair way from Inverness. Another is in Greenock Old or West which is also a fair distance.  There are two in 1786 in Gorbals, also a distance away.

Was Castle Stuart a grand house in the late 1700's?  Could her family have come to the area to be employed at such a property?

[mcadamsd]

Scotland's People has two births for a Donald Clark in Petty


CLARK  DONALD

JOHN CLARK/MARGT. MC KENZIE

15/11/1783 Petty


CLARK DONALD

WILLM. CLARK/HELEN MC PHERSON

24/11/1791  Petty

Dates seem close.  However, there were many Donald Clark births in other areas.

I note that Donald and Jane's first male child was William.  Was it usual to name first born after a grandparent? 

Another question is around Donald's profession.  Would schoolmaster indicate a higher level of education than average?  How much education would the average person have received in the early 1800s in that part of Scotland?

I know one son, Charles, was listed as retired school teacher at time of death  in 1899 in Canada.  He arrived in Canada in 1871 at age 47 so he was probably teaching in Scotland but have not been able to find him in Scotland teaching

Many thanks again for all the feedback

[Greg0220]

There is  Donald Clark who is a minister on the Isle of Mull in the 1871 census, aged 50, which matches the Donald Jr. you mention.

[mcadamsd]

Thanks for the Isle of Mull hint.  We'll see if we can find anything to connect him to ministry

[Greg0220]

You may have some fun investigating Sir John A. MacDonald

http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/macdonald_john_alexander_12E.html

Hi first wife was an Isabella Clark, who appears to be about a decade older than yours. Your Clark's are a candidate as cousins/relatives of her. While Sir John was born in Glasgow, his parents came from the area near Petty. A lot of similar names in his family and yours.

[mcadamsd]

I recently found an obituary for William Clark, son of Jean Campbell and Donald Clark

BIRTH 23 MAY 1807 • Petty,Inverness,Scotland
DEATH 15 FEB 1874 • London, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada

William was instrumental in forming and building St. Andrew's Presbyterian church in London, Ontario.

The Daily Advertiser obit 16 Feb 1874 reports he was an elder in the Presbyterian church in Scotland and his father, grandfather and great grandfather were also elders.  He was well know in London, Ontario as being in charge of the London Branch British and Foreign Bible and Tract Depository.

Seems they were very involved with the church so was Donald Jr. the minister on Mull.  Still nothing much to make a positive link

Obituary attached

Still looking for a marker for William Clark.

Just recently found Jane Campbell and daughter Joanne Clark in Woodland Cemetery here in London.  Details at this thread

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=755531.0

[mcadamsd]

Some additional digging found a  baptism for a Donald Clarke in Petty.  Several documents (Census and marriage) list Petty as the birth place.

NAME:   Donald Clarke
GENDER:   Male
BIRTH DATE:   05 Dec 1777 (5 Dec 1777)
BAPTISM DATE:   12 Dec 1777
BAPTISM PLACE:   Petty,Inverness,Scotland
FATHER:   William Clarke
MOTHER:   Lydia Clarke
FHL FILM NUMBER:   990714, 990715

I have seen the name as Clarke but usually Clark.  Birth date would fit with some of the Census dates/age.   First son for Donald was William.  Does that fit a naming convention from the time and place?  There is a daughter Lydia but not first born daughter.

I find two other baptism records for Petty

Name   
Dond. Clark
Mother   
Ann Mc Intosh
Father   
Charles Clark
Birth   
24/02/1788 (24 Feb 1788)
Baptism   
04/03/1788 (4 Mar 1788) Petty,Inverness,Scotland

Name   
Donald Clark
Mother   
Margt. Mc Kenzie
Father   
John Clark
Birth   
12/11/1783 (12 Nov 1783)
Baptism   
15/11/1783 (15 Nov 1783) Petty,Inverness,Scotland

The thought from other researchers was that John Clark and Margret McKenzie were the parents.

What record might clarify?

[Forfarian]

Lydia is a very unusual name in Scotland.

The naming tradition is

First daughter after mother's mother
Second daughter after father's mother
Third daughter after mother

First son after father's father
Second son after mother's father
Third son after father.

Noting that Donald and Jane's family were William, James, Jane, Lydia, Anne, Donald, Janet, Janet, Elizabeth, and Isabella, I don't think there can be any doubt that Donald's parents were William and Lydia.

The 'thoughts from other researchers' can safely be dismissed; these 'other researchers' have not done their homework at all thoroughly. (This is a classic example of how errors get into online family trees.)