Hi Frugal .............. sorry for the delay - my hard drive killed itself so I had to wait for a new one to arrive. I have a confession, I'm afraid - I am a McGregor (with some Bruce, Chisholm and McDonald for good measure), but the side of the family you would be interested in is my maternal grandmothers. The story goes thus, if you are sitting comfortably. My grandmothers' mother was born Margaret Watson in 1857, her mother was Agnes McDonald, b.in Fordyce in 1831 d. 1858, she had a sister Margaret b. 1835. Agnes's father was Thomas McDonald of Parkhead of Pitchaish, b. 1799 and he was married to Elspeth Duff in 1831. According to the 1841 census (I may have got this bit wrong,) he was at that time a publican. This, as I say could be the wrong McDonald, I'm afraid.
To continue the story, Agnes eloped with Frances Watson, who was a cooper. Her parents were enraged that she had married, (as they saw it), beneath her and cut her off from the family. Agnes's daughter Margaret was born and her grandparents took her from Agnes, to bring her up in better circumstances, but Agnes and Frances went to court (a brave act in those days) and regained custody of her. Now this may be a bit exagerrated, but my gran was a very down-to-earth lady, and had a great respect for the truth, so I do believe what she told me. One other curious thing she mentioned, almost as an aside, was that she was a cousin of sorts, of Ramsay Mcdonald, the Labour prime minister.
I hope this information is of use to you in helping me to solve this family legend, I will wait for yur reply eagerly.
Regards
Maggie
I note that your Thomas married Elizabeth Gordon in 1847 and it may be that he married her after Elspeth died - I don't know what year that was, but it is a possibility.