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Wales (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Wales => Glamorganshire => Topic started by: caledon on Friday 14 December 18 00:12 GMT (UK)
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Hello everyone!
It's been such a long time since I began researching this gentleman and he's been one very elusive ancestor. I know that he and his wife had several children in Swansea. Some of the addresses he lived at were Melbourne Place, Somerset Row/Place, Lower Oxford and Little Wind Street. They lived in Swansea from circa 1836 to 1843. I found them on the 1841 Wales Census and have several birth/death certificates. My question is....today, I found a reference to Hugh Macdonald as Captain Macdonald or Captain M'Donald. He was Hugh Macdonald, IV of Boisdale, a member of Clanranald and I have no idea why he was in Swansea (coming from Plymouth and before that Edinburgh). He was never in the military that I know of. His father, Alexander Macdonald, III of Boisdale was a Colonel and was also referred to as Captain. He fought for the British in the American Revolution. But Hugh had no connection that I'm aware of. I've searched Welsh Newspapers online, the Cambrian Index, and all manner of online detective searches...nothing. Are there any sources that I'm not aware of that may shed light on this family? They had to sell their effects 3 times in the span of 7 years so I'm thinking they were pretty shady even though he came from a noble background. Would there be criminal records or quarter session records I could view online?
Sandra
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Is this your man?
https://tiesthatbindsite.wordpress.com/2016/03/14/hugh-macdonald-iv-of-boisdale/
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I believe the link posted was the work of Caledon?
Annie
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Sorry Annie shall I remove?
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"Sorry Annie shall I remove?"
Not at all as these things are of good use to other researchers & I did say 'I believe' this was the work of Caledon simply because I've followed other postings elsewhere (unconnected to this particular query) ;)
I found a reference to Hugh Macdonald as Captain Macdonald or Captain M'Donald. He was Hugh Macdonald, IV of Boisdale, a member of Clanranald and I have no idea why he was in Swansea (coming from Plymouth and before that Edinburgh). He was never in the military that I know of. His father, Alexander Macdonald, III of Boisdale was a Colonel and was also referred to as Captain.
Sandra
Hi Sandra,
Can you please post a link to the reference which may help others to help you in your search?
Just a thought...
The 'Captain' reference may have been shipping given the area Plymouth, importing/exporting possibly owning his own vessel?
We met on the westernisles board before Don passed away!
Wishing you luck in your ongoing research :)
Annie
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Hello again everyone and a special hello to you Annie!
Yes, that link is my genealogy blog called Ties That Bind. I think you may be on to something about the shipping because Hugh lived in South Uist, Scotland, Plymouth, Swansea and finally Liverpool. What's confusing is at no other time in his life did he ever get referred to, or refer to himself, as Captain. I know his father had ships that went from Scotland to York at one time for kelp.
Sandra
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Here is the link as requested:
https://tiesthatbindsite.wordpress.com/2016/03/14/hugh-macdonald-iv-of-boisdale/
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Hi Sandra,
The link you posted is the one Richview posted.
Sorry if I wasn't clear...
"I found a reference to Hugh Macdonald as Captain Macdonald or Captain M'Donald"
I was wondering about a link to where/when (year) you found the above info. of Hugh being referred to as 'Captain'?
Hopefully the year may be a clue?
Annie
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Hi Sandra,
I suspect you may have this, was this where you found the reference to 'Captain'?
"* A Daughter of one Captain Hugh M'Donald of Clanranald's Family, who was with the Lady as a Companion at that Time. Many false and idle Stories have been published of her, of which the Inventors ought to be ashamed, since it is now publickly known, that instead of heing the Brilliant Lady she has been represented, she was no other than a simple modest Girl, remarkable only for befriending a Fugitive in his Distress."
Annie
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Hi Annie,
No, I don't have that particular reference. Where did you find it? My surprise was to find him referred to as Captain in the Cambrian newspaper in Swansea in several advertisements for home effects auctions and birth announcements. They date from 1836 (when they first arrived in Swansea) to 1843 (when they left for Liverpool). I know it refers to "my" Hugh Macdonald of Boisdale because the addresses match up to addresses on his children's birth certificates (one of which is the exact birth date/address of my husband's gg grandmother born in 1842)
Sandra
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Annie I just found that reference and that's way before my Hugh Macdonald's time. That story refers to when Bonnie Prince Charlie was escaping.
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Ah, I see Sandra!
I didn't have time to read through it but thought I'd post it.
When I found the name on the net, when I downloaded it, I just did a quick search using Ctrl + f & typed in Hugh which brought my quote up.
At least you now have a window with dates & I think all those places mentioned had 'Ports' i.e. it may be possible he was in shipping in some way?
Do you have names on the baptisms for sponsors who may be a route to follow (their trade), maybe through the 1841 census...just another avenue?
Annie
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Interesting but there are very few sponsors on any of their children's baptismal records (I have all the birth certificates but not all the baptismal records) This couple were not "officially" married until 1843 at Gretna Green after they already had 9 children! He also had a son born in Scotland and 2 daughters born in England, I believe who were not from this woman. He was something that's for sure! The daughters emigrated to Tasmania in 1832 and married there. They refer to him as being daughters of Hugh Macdonald, Esq., of Boisdale...not captain.
I'll keep hunting!
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Sandra,
I had a quick look on;
https://westernisles.wordpress.com/genealogy/
Using Ctrl + f & type in Guernsey
This will take you back to your discussion & a reference by Angus (sadly now deceased & missed too)! which mentions the husbands of Hugh's sisters being on Guernsey etc. as you will recall but...
Is it possible your Hugh was also involved in the Channel Islands affairs even at later dates in some way like the brothers-in-law?
Have you found references to the brothers-in-law & their connection with Guernsey (other than what Angus wrote) as you may find ref. to Hugh there or elsewhere on the Channel Islands etc?
Your MacDonalds are so complex for me to follow (harder when it's not your own ancestors to relate to the same) but I'm wondering if using the 2 daughters forenames Charlotte & Amelia (not Uist names) without surnames may bring up anything on the Channel Islands?
It may be worth looking into where the names Charlotte & Amelia may have originated from another of your enquiries;
https://westernisles.wordpress.com/uist/
Use the Ctrl + f & Amelia
Please note (in case you forgot) the links are under different headings.
Annie
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Hi Annie,
I'm so sad to hear Angus has passed away!! :'( He was so incredibly helpful to me in so many ways. I know that Charlotte and Amelia both left for Tasmania from Leith, Scotland in 1832 so they were never on Guernsey. They were nieces of Hugh's sisters who married soldiers in Guernsey. Hugh's sisters and mother all went to Guernsey between 1826 and 1828 because they were still in Scotland before 1826. One sister married in 1829, the mother died in March 1830, and the other sister married in 1830 as well. Hugh is not anywhere in the picture. His 2 daughters Charlotte & Amelia would have been in Scotland or England. I know the exact date they left Leith and arrived in Tasmania too. Hugh was such a strange man. Disappearing for years without a trace and then reappearing in a completely different place.
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Just read something today, (which I should have thought of before) that said the "chief" or head of the clan was also called Captain (in Clanranald). Now I know he wasn't considered the Chief of Clanranald but he was the heir to the Macdonalds of Boisdale so maybe that's how he referred to himself...at least while he was in Swansea lol...
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Seems like you've answered your own question Sandra.
He didn't seem to use the term 'Captain' overly then, i.e. only on baptisms or similar is this correct & would make sense as to why you can't find much in relation to the term on him?
Annie
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He didn't refer to himself as Captain anywhere else except for the 4/5 mentions in the Cambrian Newspaper that I found. None of his many children have him listed as Captain on their birth/marriage certificates....only Hugh Macdonald, gentleman (or esquire).
I can only assume that the Cambrian newspaper would put a birth/death/auction notice in that he or someone representing him (for the auction) would pay for. So he must have referred to himself that way, at that time.
In never failed to put a b/m/d notice in local papers but he's only referred to Captain while he lived in Swansea from 1836-1843.
Oh well.
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I think Caledon has the right of it with Captain. Anent, Charlotte & Amelia, George III's family names, a fashion not unknown in our own times! ;D
Skoosh.