I need info on family of Alexander McDonald who married Katharine Stuart 18 May 1708 at Cromdale and Inverallan and Advie, Inverness, Scotland. Were they landowners? Were they Anglican? Did they have a son named Lewis? I downloaded the marriage certificate from Scotland's People but it is almost entirely unreadable. I am looking for the parents of Lewis McDonald 1709-1777 who was a farmer in Bedford township, Westchester county, New York. He left an estate of over 7000 pounds.
Gravemarker: "Sacred to the memory of Col. Lewis McDonald Esq. and Sarah his wife being a native of North Britain borne at Strathspey 1709 and departed this life 24 July 1777"
"Province of New York, Bedford, March 9th, 1744. REV. SIR, The parish of Rye includes the large town of Rye, the town of Mamaroneck, the manor of Scarsdale, and a precinct called White Plains, besides Bedford and North Castle, in which two last places are near four hundred families, and no teacher of any sort in North Castle, but a silly Quaker- woman, and at Bedford one of the most enthusiastic Methodists. Mr. Wetmore comes amongst us but once in two months, and very few of us can go to the parish church at Rye, many living twenty miles distant, and most of us twelve or fourteen miles, so that for the most part there is very little face of religion to be seen amongst us, and our children are apt to fall in with the customs of those amongst us that have little or no religion, and spend the Lord s day in diversions and follies, which we cannot prevent tho we much dislike. Mr. Wetmore, our minister, freely consents we should endeavour to procure another as an assistant to him, and we are willing to contribute as far as we are able. Reverend Sir, Your most obed't and humble servants, LEWIS MCDONALD, DANIEL SMITH, ARTHUR SMITH."*
