Where are all the McKinnon's?

[Homebody]

I have been looking for my McKinnon's for about two years now, and in reading messages both here and other websites have never found anyone else searching for that name.  Are they all gone, or just super secretive?  I know I didn't hear much about Dad's family growing up except for his mother's line (Drysdale).  I do know that they were Roman Catholic, Gaelic speaking and poor to the extreme.  They arrived here in Ontario, Canada around 1852-1855, and were farm labourers.  I have a gut feeling that they came from one of the Outer Islands, just because of all the reading about the clearances, and lack of passenger lists of that time.  So, if any of you are left over there, did you have relatives named Donald and Catharine McKinnon, children Jonathan, Nancy and Mary who were sent out here?  Do you have any family stories that you remember?  Or how about strong family characteristics?   The birth dates for this family are very approximate as every record I have found over here is different.  Donald is about 1802, Catharine, 1809, Nancy, 1839, Johnathan, 1841 and Mary 1848.     

Many thanks:
Lois

[Annette7]

Found the family in 1851 in Barra, Inverness and then saw that you already seem to know this as shown in your surname interests.

In case you don't already have the details they are:

Donald McKinnon    46     Cottar       b. Barra, Inverness
Catharine McKinnon  42                            ditto
Ann McKinnon    13                                    ditto
Jonathan McKinnon  10                              ditto
Mary McKinnon     6                                    ditto

Judging from others in Barra the McKinnons had been in Barra for a long time.

Annette

 

[Homebody]

Hi Annette:

I did see that census record, and followed it back to 1841 also, but he was a fisherman then, and had a Christy McIntyre living with his family.  That sort of made me think that it wasn't my family, as I am not familiar with a McIntyre in the mix.  That was the closest match though.  Is it off base do you think? 

I'm hoping someone researching McKinnon's might have some info if there is such a person out there.

Thanks for your input.

Lois

[wini]

I have MacKinnons in my line but they are from Skye.
Charles MacKinnon Born Snizort 1792. His parents were Lachlan MacKinnon and Mary Campbell.
He married Anne Nicholson in Kilmuir.
I doubt if there is any connection but you never know

wini

[Homebody]

Hi Wini:

Thanks for the reply, its nice to know that there are some Mc/MacKinnon connections out there after all.  I was beginning to think that they were extinct. 

I think you are right about there being no connection here, although I thought mine might be from Skye at first.  From all the reading I have done, it would seem that most of the Skye emigrates went to your home country, some might have come to Cape Breton or P.E.I.  My particular McKinnons' came out (not voluntarily, I'm sure) about 1852-1855 to Ontario, which was about the same time as the clearances of Barra, North and South Uist, possibly Benbecula also.

I have traced all of the children from this family and found only the most miniscule hints about them. Three of the four sons never married, and moved away from this area.  The one that married was my great-grandfather and stayed here.  One daughter ended up in an asylum, and the other two girls married and moved to the U.S.  The only hints that I found was a reference to Invernesshire and Highlanders in the medical records from the doctor, and gaelic language on one census record, along with Roman Catholic religion.

The most telling thing that really surprised me, given the naming patterns, was the fact that none of the grand-children were named after Donald or Catharine. 

Thanks again for your interest Wini.
Lois

[wild_thistle]

I have Mackinnons in my family too. John was born around 1829 and his parents were John and Anne
He was married to Catherine who was also a Mackinnon. Her parents were John and Mary.
John and Catherine were married in Sleat

[Homebody]

Hello Wild_Thistle:
Thanks for your reply.  I think I have seen a lot of Mc/MacKinnon entries on the IGI, mostly from Skye and Argyll, but not many from Barra.  Maybe I should have asked if anyone was on here from Barra instead. 

I know that a lot of Mc/MacKinnon's were on Barra for a long time given the numbers on the census records, but I'm having a devil of a time connecting my group with any others, or even if they truly came from Barra.  The details do point there, but no real proof yet.

They seemed to be exceptionally close-mouthed in any of the records over here, and that trait continued on in further generations also. 

I think I will have to get in touch with that gentleman researcher on Harris that I read about, eventually. 

Are you having difficulty also, or have you been able to find everything you wanted?

Happy hunting:  Lois
If you are having difficulty

[donm41]

Hi Lois
My early MacKinnons' details are slightly obscure: -
1 Lachlin MacKinnon b: Abt. 1765
.. +Mary MacKinnon b: Abt. 1765
. 2 Lachlin MacKinnon b: Abt. 1795 in South Uist d: Bef. 1851 in South Uist
..... +Catherine 'Ketty' MacDonald b: Abt. 1799 in South Uist d: Aft. 1851
..... 3 Colin MacKinnon b: Abt. 1817 in Kilpheder, South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. d: 1867 in Kilpheder, South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. o:
1851 Recorded as a farm labourer in census.
......... +Mary MacInnes b: Abt. 1823 in South Uist m: 1854 in St Mary's RC Church, Bornish, Benbecula. d: Aft. 1881
........ 4 Catherine MacKinnon b: 1856 in Kilpheder, South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.
........ 4 Peter MacKinnon b: Abt. 1858
........ 4 Angus MacKinnon b: Abt. November 1860
........ 4 Margaret 'Peggy' MacKinnon b: Abt. 1863
..... 3 Ewen MacKinnon b: Abt. 1821 o: 1851 Recorded as a Tailor living at Kilpheder
......... +Mary MacInnes b: Abt. 1823 in North Boisdale, South Uist m: January 24, 1847 in St Mary's RC Church, Bornish, South Uist.
........ 4 Lachlin MacKinnon b: 1850 in Kilpheder, South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.
........ 4 Catharine MacKinnon b: 1852
........ 4 Mary MacKinnon b: Abt. 1856
........ 4 Donald MacKinnon b: Abt. 1859
........ 4 Alexander MacKinnon b: Abt. 1863
........ 4 Margaret MacKinnon b: Abt. 1867
........ 4 Colin MacKinnon b: Abt. 1869
........ 4 Meron MacKinnon b: Abt. 1873
..... 3 Alexander MacKinnon b: Bef. June 17, 1821
. 2 Ewen MacKinnon b: Abt. 1797 in South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.
..... +Christina 'Kirsty' MacIntyre m: in Bornish, South Uist

. 2 Janet MacKinnon b: Abt. 1806 South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland d: 1871 South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.
..... +Donald MacIntyre b: Abt. 1791 in South Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland. m: 1823 in South Uist,  died 1855 South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

I have just returned from a short break in the Uists last night.

Good hunting


Donm

[Homebody]

Hi Donm:

O.K. I'm very jealous, you do have quite a bit of information even though it is sketchy. 

Did you go to Uist for research, and was there a lot of information readily available.  I hear that the Outer  Hebrides are very beautiful.  I hope to travel there someday, before I croak, but I wanted to have more information first.  Now that the airlines here in Canada have yet again hiked the fares it is becoming very expensive, so one trip is all I'll probably make.

I wish you every success in your hunt.

Lois