McDonald - Urquhart & Glenmoriston

[Scotaus]

Have found out g00d many more details of Malcom McDONALD (Parents: Alexander,Tenant, Tulloch/Betty Reid). Malcom born 16 June, 1768 as Twin to John who died at birth; first marriage to Jannet McDonald (maiden name) of Moy b.1760; had six children; Second marriage as widower to: Mary C. McKENZIE of Fodderty, on 1 Jan., 1820...4 children - Murdoch, Margaret M., William Hughin & Elizabeth.
No record of Malcom after his appearance in 1841 census, can't locate his death date but maybe sometime soon after 1841 census? Don't know what happened to Mary after that date, although found one as a 'pauper' which could be her.   Would love to find Malcom's death date and burial if possible, and his wives details. Any ideas?

[Forfarian]

If someone is described as a pauper, that specifically implies that they were in receipt of assistance from the parish.

Before 1845, parish relief was distributed by the kirk, and the kirk session accounts usually list the names of those who were in receipt of relief.

The surviving kirk session minutes are in the National Records of Scotland. Search the catalogue https://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue/welcome.aspx for the relevant parish using reference starts CH2.

Many of them are available to read at Scotland's People. They are not indexed. Go to https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/virtual-volumes/record-creator-search and search using the parish name.

From 1845, relief was administered by the parochial board. Their records usually contain quite a lot of information about every pauper, including place of birth, why they are being given relief, what family they have and when they died.

The surviving parochial board records for mainland Inverness-shire are held by Highland Archives in Inverness https://www.highlifehighland.com/highland-archive-centre/

[Scotaus]

Thanks very much for that that info. Ruth

[sjredmond]

Just a note to say that I am enjoying this discussion. Donald Grant (Craskie the Pearl) is my 4xGG, through his daughter Nancy (Anne) Grant who married John Roy Macdonell. This is on my maternal grandfather's side.  My mother's family still runs the farm that was established in 1784 on the Glen Road in Williamstown. I am only now realizing the confusion surrounding Donald Grants lineage.  Thanks for these insights.

[kfrye173]

Lately a McDonald has been digging into her McDonald lineage.  We share common ancestors from the daughter Flora of Donald Grant b1778 s/o Donald Grant Craskie b1744 Char 2C N13 SBRR and son Alex of the Duncan "by the Bridge" McDonald on Char 2C N23 SBRR. 

Though this McD signature is R1b and so not of the R1a chiefly lines, nonetheless it appears to have an interesting past.  The terminal SNP for her father's line is BY-150.  There are some historical matches for her McD line from Glenmoriston.  Two of the BY-150 matching Y DNA testers have passed, but the family that remains have had some limited communication from Glenmoriston. 

In it they indicated that their lines reach back deeply in time in Glenmoriston and that they descend from one of the seven good men in Aonach.  From the existing published records and stories.  this lineage appears to track back to Clan Ian Chaoil (slender john). In the book, Olden Times in the Parish, there are a couple of references to this "clan" in the attachments.  Another story attributed to this line pegs the father of this "clan" as John Riagh Nan-Stop and various versions of this name exist. 

He was supposedly a close confidant of Glengarry and were in Glenmoriston in the late 1300s onward.  four of his sons are named in the attachments and each given a "clan" designation, which seems a bit gratuitous, lol.  one of them is Clan Iain Ruadh.  This appears by accounts to be a different Clan Iain Ruadh than the west coast, but scots like to move around, clan Ranald derivation and if I remember correctly, they appear to  occupy different times in different places. 

The father and sons were in GM by 1395 (at least according to an account) Glenmoriston Clan Iain Ruadh (GM CIR) may have begun with John Riagh Nan-stops son or John Riagh Nan-stop may have had the designation himself and passed it to his eldest son, dont know.  but according to the attached information, the GM CIR was in charge of the Exchange of the Shirts ceremony that took place with the chief of Glengarry on an "annual" basis.   

We are discovering more information slowly but surely with other McD DNA matches from Australia who have recently left GM and have the same family history.  So this is getting to be some fun.  Luckily we have some good DNA to help shore of the stories.  If you know of any, please encourage other McDs from GM to get the big Y DNA test.