Author Topic: Hugh McDonald info on years between 1819-1846 in Kilbirnie (or elsewhere)  (Read 1703 times)

Offline BeingErnest

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Hugh McDonald info on years between 1819-1846 in Kilbirnie (or elsewhere)
« on: Wednesday 27 September 17 08:57 BST (UK) »
Hi everyone,

I've spent a couple of years on this, even trawling graveyards etc but to no avail.

I'm looking for any information on my Great Grandfather (x3) between the years 1819-1846. Ideally finding him in the 1841 census or maybe some immigration records would be ideal but I've endlessly searched many sites and many records and came up with almost nothing regarding his existence before 1846.

The information I have is as follows...

He was born in Ireland about 1819 to a Hugh McDonald (a Teacher) and Elisabeth Elliot, there's no further information on these family members or even whether or not they travelled with him to Scotland.

16th Jan 1846 Marriage to Jane Lang
This is the first official Scottish record I have for him.

1848 (Abt) - Birth of Hugh McDonald
I can find no record of this birth but from a later census is says Kilbirnie was the birthplace.

1850 (Abt) - Elisabeth McDonald
Again no birth record but 1851 census says she was born in Kilbirnie. I can also find no further information on Elisabeth after Nov 1883 - last residence Kilbirnie.

From 1851 onwards, the growing family resides in Kilbirnie but I would like to try and fill in this blank period if possible and find out if he travelled with any other relatives. Berwick or Greenock seem like possibilities regarding his arrival in Scotland, his son Hugh spends a year or more up there around 1871 before starting a family in Kilbirnie and we've no idea what he was doing there. It is quite likely though, that it might have been to do with his occupation as he was a cabinet maker.

Children's names are Hugh (b.1848), Elisabeth (b.1850), Robert (b.1854), Agness (b.1855), Andrew, Jane
I can find no birth certificates for the first four children so years could be a year out either way.

I've always had the sneaky suspicion that he at the very least had a brother called Robert.

Hugh McDonald died on 26 Feb 1861 and his father is listed as deceased (but his mother is not) which makes me think that she may have travelled from Ireland with her son but this is all just speculation.

I don't know if anyone can help but any wee piece of info could be just what I need to continue my research.

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer.

Alec

Offline anne_p

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Re: Hugh McDonald info on years between 1819-1846 in Kilbirnie (or elsewhere)
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 27 September 17 21:38 BST (UK) »
Alec,
There are no travel records between Ireland and Scotland.
All of Ireland was part of the UK until partition in 1921.
He simply moved from one part of the country to another

Offline BeingErnest

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Re: Hugh McDonald info on years between 1819-1846 in Kilbirnie (or elsewhere)
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 27 September 17 22:12 BST (UK) »
Hi Anne,

Thanks, I hadn't thought of that, how silly of me...

Offline anne_p

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Re: Hugh McDonald info on years between 1819-1846 in Kilbirnie (or elsewhere)
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 28 September 17 10:23 BST (UK) »
Alec,
Have you looked at any other Irish born McDonalds in Kilbirnie at 1851?

I can't see any Irish McDonalds anywhere in Kilbirnie at 1841 but, by 1851 there are quite a few, spread over 5 or 6 different households
However there has to be at least 2 separate families.
There seems to be 2 men, both called Hugh, both born in Ireland circa 1819 and each live in different households
Based on this time line, I would guess that the Irish Potato famine could be an indicator.

At 1851, your Hugh and Jane were living at 9 Bridgend.
This  other family lives at 3 Bridgend but I don't know if they connect.

Mrs. Mcdonald    (widow) 56 b Ireland
James Mcdonald   25 son B Ireland
( a man named James McDonald married Margaret Walker in Kilbirnie in 1857)

The mother on this return appears to be the oldest of the all Irish born McDonalds in Kilbirnie at 1851 and son James is the youngest.

Most of the others were born in Ireland from circa 1817 to 1825.
Some are married whilst others are lodgers in various households

They are
Neil McDonald bc 1817 ( married to Margaret McLaughlin)
Hugh bc 1819 (lodger with Irish Cave family)
Hugh bc 1819 ( yours)
John bc 1823 ( lodger with Irish Parker family)
Michael bc 1823 ( lodger with Neil McDonald above)
Margaret bc 1825 ( lodger with Irish Calligan family)




Offline Skoosh

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Re: Hugh McDonald info on years between 1819-1846 in Kilbirnie (or elsewhere)
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 28 September 17 11:24 BST (UK) »
There was a James Graham, Main Street, Kilbirnie, cabinetmaker, in 1838.

Skoosh.

Offline BeingErnest

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Re: Hugh McDonald info on years between 1819-1846 in Kilbirnie (or elsewhere)
« Reply #5 on: Monday 02 October 17 21:30 BST (UK) »
Hi there,

Thanks for the replies. I spent a lot of time a few years back trying to make sure I was following the correct group of McDonald's although it's always worthwhile double and triple checking sometimes. Unfortunately, none of the people that you've mentioned are related to my family.

I had traced my family to 9 Bridgend in Kilbirnie and I always thought it was interesting that there was another McDonald family a few doors down and yes it took a little while to work out which Hugh McDonald was MY Hugh McDonald when I first started doing this (there was a lot of head scratching as some Family Trees on some sites had them around the wrong way).

Interestingly though, in later years, my family moves from Bridgend to Bank St, and then to Cochrane St and this other family also seems to follow them around (or we're following them around). To date there is no connection I can find whatsoever, although that's not to say there's not something further back which may show some connection. James and Michael are quite prominent names with McDonald's of Kilbirnie but not in my family line.

I also traced an Andrew McDonald (every generation has an Andrew as well as a Hugh in my family) from this other family to Dalry and was quite surprised as this Andrew names his sons/daughters almost identical names to my own family in that time period 1860's-1880's I think it was. I was really sure that it was too coincidental for the two families not to be related somehow and traced this Andrew's roots back to Ireland, but he had a different father and mother.

Nevertheless, the search will continue...

Thank you though for trying to help.  :)


Offline anne_p

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Re: Hugh McDonald info on years between 1819-1846 in Kilbirnie (or elsewhere)
« Reply #6 on: Monday 02 October 17 23:15 BST (UK) »
Alec,
I had a few spare credits for SP and looked at the 1857 marriage in Kilbirnie for James McDonald and Margaret Walker.
He must be the brother of your Hugh who married Jane Lang.

Married in Kilbirnie on 7 Dec 1857
The cert states that his father was JAMES McDonald ( dec) but his mother was Elizabeth Elliot who was still living.

He was 32 yrs old and lived at Newton, Kilbirnie

Margaret Walker was 27yrs old, lived at Dennyholm, Kilbirnie
Parents: Samuel Walker and Margaret Nisbet.
Witnesses: Alexander Wilson and Hugh McDonald

I can find just one child born to the 1857 marriage
A son named James McDonald b 7 Dec 1858. Registered in Kilbirnie but, no trace of this family or mother, Elizabeth Elliot afterwards?

Perhaps they left Scotland and took mother, Elizabeth McDonald Ms Elliot with them?

Offline BeingErnest

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Re: Hugh McDonald info on years between 1819-1846 in Kilbirnie (or elsewhere)
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 03 October 17 02:00 BST (UK) »
Well, that has certainly perked my interest. I hadn't made any connection with an Elisabeth Elliot and a James McDonald. On my GG's(x4) Hugh McDonald's death cert it lists mother as Elisabeth Elliot and father as Hugh McDonald but i haven't came across any other info on an Elisabeth Elliot so that could prove very useful.

Any indication as to Elisabeth's age? (Or James?)

I will certainly follow this up...

Offline anne_p

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Re: Hugh McDonald info on years between 1819-1846 in Kilbirnie (or elsewhere)
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 03 October 17 09:02 BST (UK) »
Alec,
James and his widowed mother is the family that I mentioned who were living at 3 Bridgend in 1851.

Mrs. Mcdonald    (widow) 56 b Ireland
James Mcdonald   25 son B Ireland


There is no other James McDonald living in Kilbirnie at 1851 and his age correlates with the 1857 marriage to Margaret Walker

Either, this James or his brother Hugh has provided an incorrect name for their father