Re Donald McDonald link to Christy Munro. I'm just putting this here for the record and for others' information. It is input from a MacDonald family researcher in FN Queensland:
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Many researchers over the last 40 years, both family (those related to) and professional, have research this specific Donald McDonald family who arrived on Lady McNaughton in Australia. I myself for the last 8 years as they were my ancestors.
Without specific permission from other researchers to indulge their research and findings, I will address the below from the ‘general’ point of view:
1. Apart from the Immigration Papers, indicating that Donald was the son of Alexander McDonald, and his mother being stated as Bell Cameron, no other primary or supporting evidence has ever been found to support this claim that I am aware of to date.
2. General belief is that until proven otherwise, the below link is generally accepted by the majority as correct. Refer to below link:
http://www.clan-cameron.org.au/getperson.php?personID=I86444&tree=cameron13. However, in regards to 2., I am aware that there is at least two researchers of differing beliefs, who believe otherwise, and that these researchers are family researchers who’s ancestor was Donald McDonald.
4. To date, as far as I am aware, no birth/baptism has been found for Donald McDonald, nor any marriage certificate that has been proven to be correct beyond reasonable doubt.
5. It is generally accepted by the majority that Donald’s wife, Mary, was born of parents Charles Campbell and Isobel Ross in 1795 Fearn Parish, Ross Shire.
6. While the ancestry of Charles Campbell (Mary’s father) is generally accepted by all it appears to date; the ancestry of Mary’s mother, Isobel (Bell) Ross is in question. I am aware that there is at least 3 conflicting beliefs held by researchers as to who her correct parents were.
7. To date as far as I am aware, no one has put forward any firm claim for the reason why Mary Campbell was listed on the immigration papers as being born to parents Charles Cameron and Bell Ross.
8. Over the years that I have investigated the two Munro girls, “A member of Donald McDonald family”, although I have my beliefs and views on their ancestry, I have failed to find ‘primary’ evidence to support my views and beliefs. Without primary evidence, I am not prepared to state my beliefs as to their ancestry.9. Due to the complexity of Scottish Ancestry, regarding all aspects that include naming patterns, interchangeable names both first and surname, clans, septs, and alias that were in use in Scotland in the time period that concerns us, it is too rash to make public any deductions, conclusions or statements unless primary evidence can be produce along with its supporting evidence to support the claim.
10. As proven years later when census were conducted, there were many who did not appear in the birth/baptism/marriage registers in Scotland.
11. It has been found by myself that on some of the Immigration Papers, that when stated “A native of Dornoch”, could mean that the person was born in the Dornoch/Tain/Fearn/Logie Easter or surrounding areas. It does not exclusively mean that the person was born in Dornoch or its immediate surrounds.
12. The area of interest, being Fearn/Tain/RossKeen/Logie Easter areas, did contain a vast amount of those with the surname of Munro and Ross, being their home lands of origin, probably higher in number per kilometre than anywhere else in Scotland. This, along with the fact that most of the families within these areas named their children similarly, such as Donald, John, Mary, Margaret, Alexander, Christian, etc, makes researching a little more of a challenge than usual.
