Farquhar Macdonald born about 1821

[donaldsonjc]

I am trying to track down the wife and parents of my GG grandfather Farquhar Macdonald. He born about 1821 in Scotland.
Family records show only that his son Donald married Mary S. Campbell 26 April 1871 at Bunchrew near Inverness and they had 9 children. One was my grandmother, Mary Anne, born 5 Jan 1885 at Kirkton Muir, who came to Canada and was married here in 1909.
She reported that Donald (1846-1895) was head gamekeeper for Lovat at Beauly. She thought Farquhar could have been spelled Farquar or some variation of that.
Any help would be much appreciated.
John

[MonicaL]

Hi John

Farquhar is older than you think, born circa 1795/6. He married Matilda Fraser who was born c.1806. He died in 1863. His parents were John McD and Mary McRae. His mother may have been from Ross & Cromarty. He's there for the 1841 census and shows birth place as R & C. (McRae is a strong R & C surname!).


Farquhar and Matilda (Martha) had lots children before the birth of your Donald:
From 1841 FreeCen:

MACDONALD Farquhar40    Agricultural Labourer        Ross and Cromarty MACDONALD Martha   35               Outside Census County (1841)            
        MACDONALD       Mary       F       11               Outside Census County (1841)            
        MACDONALD       Janet       F       9               Outside Census County (1841)            
        MACDONALD       Eliza       F       7               Outside Census County (1841)            
        MACDONALD       Ann       F       4               Outside Census County (1841)            
        MACDONALD       John       M       2               Outside Census County (1841)            
        MACDONALD       (Child)       F       6w               Ross and Cromarty            
        MCLENNAN       John       M       1               Ross and Cromarty            
        INGLIS       Peter       M       20       Agricultural Labourer        Outside Census County (1841

[MonicaL]

John

I've just realised I've missed out half of my post from yesterday (not sure how that's happened except for lateness of the night!)

The address for the 1841 census was Lapgargan, Contin - Ross and Cromarty

From 1851 Census in Kiltarlity, Inverness:

MCDONALD Farquhar,54, shepherd
MCDONALD Marthy, 42
MCDONALD Mary, 21
MCDONALD John, 12
MCDONALD Jean, 9
MCDONALD Christina, 6
MCDONALD Donald, 4

Now, the problem for you going back to the next generation is that the family would appear (from son Donald's marriage cert in 1871) to have been Roman Catholic. RC B/M records have not yet been indexed by Scotlands People. RC records are also not available on IGI unless they are submitted records. I can see absolutely no records (apart from one submitted record re Mary Campbell's parents, see below) for the family before 1855 and the arrival of official registration.

I have had the same problem with all of my Scottish family. I have spent 18 months chasing down Catholic MacDonalds in the Highlands!

Matilda Fraser died, as did Farquhar, in Kilmorack Inverness-shire. She died in 1876 aged 70. Her parents were Alexander F and Elizabeth MacKenzie.

Regards.

Monica


I have found one submitted record for what looks like the marriage of Mary Campbell's (wife of Donald b.1846) parents:

COLIN CAMPBELL  Marriages: Spouse: CATHERINE BLACK 25 JUL 1834  Dores, Inverness, Scotland.

I think this is the family in 1841 FreeCen:
Campbell Colin 30  Game Keeper Outside Census County (1841)
Campbell Catherine 30  Outside Census County (1841)
Campbell Donald 6  Outside Census County (1841)
Cammpbell Jean 4  Outside Census County (1841)
Campbell James 1 Inverness-shire
MacKenzie Isabella 20 Female Servant Outside Census County (1841)        

Address: Coshack, Kilmorack-Inverness-shire

[donaldsonjc]

Thanks Monica

Have been unable to find any record of Farquhar Macdonald's birth or marriage. In the 1841 census  his age is given as 40 and in 1851 as 54, i.e born 1801 or 1797. But I can't find him on LDS, Scotlands People or any other searches.

Can you please tell me how you found that his parents were John Macdonald and Mary McRae?

John

[MonicaL]

Hi John

I got Farquhar's parents' details from his death cert. in 1863 In Kilmorack:

1863   MCDONALD   FARQUHAR   MCRAE       M   68   KILMORACK   /INVERNESS   100/00 0031

And mother Martha/Matilda's death:

1876   MCDONALD   MATILDA       FRASER   F   70   KILMORACK   /INVERNESS   100/00 0001


Donald's parents' names as confirmed by his marriage cert. in 1871:

1871   MCDONALD   DONALD   and CAMPBELL   MARY   INVERNESS   /INVERNESS   098/00 0034


As I mentioned in one of the earlier posts, if the family were Roman Catholic, you will not find records of births/marriages on SP or IGI pre 1855. The OPR extracts showing on both these sources are predominantly from the established Church of Scotland (ie Presbyterian) Registers.

Regards.

Monica

[MonicaL]

The family in 1861, spellings as indexed:

Farquhn McDon    64, shepherd, b. Parish N K (not known?), Rossshire
Matty McDonald    51, b. Hilmorack (Kilmorack?), Invernessh
Jane McDonald    16, b. Contin R & C
Donald McDonald  14 b. contin R & C
Margaret McDonald 9, b. Kiltarlity, Invernessh

Address: Loancorcrubie, Contin, R & C

Monica

   

[MonicaL]

Knocking out the Roman Catholic possibility, there is at least one birth registered:

MARGARET MCDONALD  Christening:  08 AUG 1851 Free Church, Kiltarlity, Inverness, Scotland Parents: Father: FARQUHAR MCDONALD    Mother:MARY FRASER

Monica

[BettyA]

Hi John
Farquhar MacDonald was also my ancestor.  Are you also related to Marie Donaldson?  She used to correspond with my cousin in Australia.  My grandfather Colin Edmond MacDonald was the son of Donald MacDonald and Mary Campbell and was born in 1873 in Cheshire England where the family was living at that time.  It seems your Mary Ann and my Colin were brother and sister.  Grandfather Colin arrived in New Zealand on his 25th birthday on 26 January 1898.   He married my grandmother, Flora Isabella Calder in 1906.

Betty

[donaldsonjc]

Hello Betty
Nice surprise to hear from you! Yes, Mairi Anne was my mother. I know very little about your branch of the family - my records only show that your Colin Edmond had one son named Colin who married Pat and had two children Janet and Jamie. Where do you fit in?

Monica's posts above have been very helpful in tracing ancestors, but I have hit a dead end after Farquhar's parents and in-laws.

Do you know anything about Colin Edmond's other siblings, Jessie, John, James, Dougald, Simon Fraser, Katie and Tillie? Let's trade what information we have. My e-mail is *

Thanks - John
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