MacRae Family of Cuaig, Applecross

[Sho Bennett]

I am researching the lineage of Malcolm McRae, who died in the Belfast Riot at Prince Edward Island on March 1, 1847.  I believe he was born 1801-1803, the son of crofters John McRae and Keat McGullin, who were living at Cuaig, Applecross at the time of Malcolm's birth.  Malcolm was married to Margaret McLennan on 04 March 1830, he lived at Radcal and she at Balgie.  I believe Malcolm also had a brother, Alexander, born 1788, who married Ann McDonald at Urray in 1816, and another brother, Norman, born 1804, Applecross.

I believe Malcolm McRae and his wife, Margaret McLennan emigrated to Prince Edward Island around 1837.  I can't find any info on John McRae and Keat McGullin.  Any ideas or advice?  This family is elusive, or maybe the records just aren't there!

[Kiko]

Hi Sho,

Your family does appear in Family Search, but it is a submission, so it might not be accurate.

Katharine McGullin appears as born abt 1779 in Applecross. Assuming this is more or less accurate, it would rule out Alexander as a son. If he was born in 1788, Katharine would have been only 9 years old.

Malcolm appears as baptised 26 SEP 1801 in Applecross (parents are given as John McRae and Katharine McGullin). Same for Norman, baptised 7 MAY 1804.

I found no children for the couple in Scotlands People, but maybe they are there, recorded without the mother's name. Couldn't find any household in Applecross, 1841, that more or less matches them. There is no headstone for them in the pre 1855 MI's for Applecross.

I'll take a look in some of the other parishes to see if they might have moved.

Cheers,
Francisco

[Sho Bennett]

Hi Francisco:

I saw that, too, about Keat and John's ages in relation to Alexander - I wonder if this was a guess based on Malcolm's date of birth by the submitter?  Here's where I found the info about Alexander being a presumed sibling of Malcolm's:

http://www.islandregister.com/mcrae1.html

Murdoch (my grgrgrandfather) was Malcolm's son, and his wife, Isabella (my grgrgrandmother) was Alexander's daughter, and they were purported to be first cousins.  Is there any other way  Murdoch and Isabella could have been first cousins without Malcolm and Alexander having been brothers?   Maybe the info is wrong, and Malcolm and Alexander were first cousins once removed, or second cousins?  Perhaps Alexander was the brother or nephew of John, Malcolm's father?  That would account for the age discrepancy.  Help!  :-)

Thanks; hope that all made sense!

Sho

P.S.  Alexander MacRae and his wife, Ann McDonald, were married in Urray, an adjacent parish in 1816.

[Kiko]

Hi Sho,

If Murdoch married Alexander's daughter, then I guess Alexander also emigrated to PEI, and that's why I cannot find him in the 1841 census in Scotland.

What's your source for Alexander's birth (1788). In Scotlands People there's no birth for an Alexander M*crae, father John, between 1788-1800. Probably no records are available for those dates.

Also, what makes you believe that the Alexander MacRae that married Ann MacDonald could be the one you are after (Malcolm's brother). The marriage did take place, 24 May 1816, but no parents appear. Both Alexander and Ann were from Muir of Tarradale (that's where my grandfather was born!).

If you are not fully sure that that's your Alexander, please note that there is another marriage in Urray, 24 May 1816, of an Alexander MacRae and Isobel MacLennan (also from Muir of Tarradale). Could Murdoch and Isabella have been first cousins via their mothers (both MacLennans).

Cheers,
Francisco

[Sho Bennett]

Hi Francisco:

This is definitely like looking for a needle in a haystack!  There is a death listed in the book "From Scotland to Prince Edward Island" for Alexander MacRae in 1856, at the age of 68, which would have made his year of birth approx. 1788.  The location of death and the date of emigration (1836) both fit.

I have a copy of Isabella's christening record, which shows Alex McRae and Ann McDonald as the parents (Shieldag in Applecross) and the date fits for Isabella's birth according to the 1881 PEI census, so I have to presume that Alex McRae and Ann McDonald were her parents.  Isabella also named two of her children Alexander and Annie.  Perhaps Ann was from Tarradale and that's why she and Alex were married in the Parish of Urray instead of Applecross.

Birth records for Applecross began in 1797, so that explains why Alex's birth can't be found.  Maybe Alex left Cuaig/Kenmore/Radcal for greener pastures where there was work to be found, like fishing, at Shieldag and/or cattle driving at Tarradale.  I can imagine Alex running along the footpaths like Mel Gibson in Braveheart!  lol

Thanks for your input and suggestions!

Sho

[Kiko]

Hi Sho,

The christening record is quite solid, so parents must definitely be Alexander and Ann McDonald.

Do you have Isabella's birth as 30 July 1835 in Applecross?

If yes, her parents could be the Alexander McRae and Ann McDonald that married in Applecross 10 June 1819. The image is in Scotlands People, but quite illegible. However, Alex seems to be from a place with a short name that could be Cuaig or Radcal ().

Children that could be from this couple are (all Applecross):

John chr 19 Dec 1822
Duncan chr 19 Sep 1825
Margaret chr 26 Aug 1828
Ann born 1 Dec 1832 chr 17 Jan 1833
Isabella born 30 Jul 1835

Cheers,
Francisco

[Sho Bennett]

Hi Francisco:

Wow - great minds think alike; today I again reviewed my searches at Scotland's People and realized I had overlooked the marriage between Alex and Ann in Applecross - that has to be them! 

Where did you find the children of Alex and Ann?  I looked for the birth record of Ann born around 1833 and couldn't find it - and Isabella is definitely my grgrgrandmother!  The first son, John, would also fit with the naming of the first son after the paternal grandfather. 

Thanks so much!

Sho

[Kiko]

Hi Sho,

You have 2 ways to find the children.

The free one is Family Search. The problem with this one is that if you only put the surname it doesn't allow you to add parents' names. But there is a simple solution. Find Isabella's birth in Family Search. Once you have it, click on Batch Number. The new box that opens does allow you tu put only macrae in the surname (with no first name) and add the parents's names in their boxes.

All 5 appear also in Scotlands People. Type m*crae in family name, with no first name. In the first parent name type alex* and leave the second parent name box blank. 18 births will appear, 5 of which belong to Alexander and Ann MacDonald.

Best luck,
Francisco

[Leiper48]

Hello Kiko & Sho,

 I read this thread because I live not far from Applecross and love the area and its history. However I didn't expect to learn how to get more out of Family Search and IGI !  That's such a great trick for finding a list of possible children for a couple, Kiko.
 (Yes! I will then do a reality check in Scotland's People to weed out the minor errors that sometimes occur in IGI  )

John