St Finians Isle - Roman Catholic burial ground on Loch Shiel

[MonicaL]

Some stones, as with many weathered and beaten but still standing.

[MonicaL]

Interesting structure with three remaining stones.

[MonicaL]

Last one....

[Br1gau]

Hi Monica,

What an extraordinary place, I love those weathered stones, they seem almost human. When was the last burial there?  The Beattie's book of Nth Argyll MIs, if I remember lists just six entries for St Finians - the only legible ones I suppose, although I would have thought there would be more. Three of those are for our peripheral Camerons.

Is Rev. Charles McDonald, RC priest of Moidart, (died Helensburgh in 1894) the son of Alexander McDonald, Farmer & Distiller and Jessie Gordon one of yours, by any chance?

Glad you made it there and back safely.

brigau

[MonicaL]

Rev Charles MacDonald not one of mine.

There are more than the six legible stones that show on the Beattie's book but you are probably talking about no more that twenty or so being legible today. Very few recent ones, which seemed well cared for.

Monica

[Tiger48]

To MonicaL from Tiger48 in Australia,

>> I was really chuffed though to find the stone for my 3xg aunt Sarah MacDonald and her husband John from Langall <<

Hello Monica, this is the first time I have corresponded on RootsChat although my sister and I have followed some of your RootsChat posts on McDonalds from Moidart for some time.

When I read your above posts from 2010 I realised you are researching the SAME McDonald family members as we are from Australia. 

Our McDonalds also came from Langal and Jean Cameron gave my sister much valuable information on our line in 2018-19. Our Angus and Marjory McDonald arrived in Australia in Sept 1852 on the Marco Polo. Angus is son of Allan McDonald (1771-1855) and Flora McDonald (1781-1856). We believe we have a complete understanding of all of Angus and Marjory's family and all their descendants in Australia.
Angus and Marjory boarded the Marco Polo with 8 children, but only 6 of their children survived the sea journey. 3 further children died in Scotland.

Their Children:
All 11 children were given the surname McDonald.
Ann (1829-1885), Flora (1831-1910), Mary Ann (1833-1884), Sarah (1836-1918), Catherine (Kate) (1838-1920), Roderick (1840-1915)-[Our GG Grandfather], Ranald (1842-1852)-[Died at Sea], Jannet (Jessie) (1848-1852). Three more children died in Scotland: Anne (1830-1830), Alexander (1845-?) and James (1850-?).

Furthermore, We have discovered via 1841 & 1851 Census records and Scotlands People searches that Alexander McDonald (McVarish) (1798-1874), from Langal, was the older brother of Angus. And that Alex'r married Peggy McMaster with their children being: Marcella (Chirsty) McDonald (1839-?), Allan McDonald (McVarish) (1840-1876), Angus McDonald (McVarish) (1843-?), John McDonald (McVarish) (1845-?), Alexander McDonald (McVarish) (1848-?) and Flora McDonald (1852-?). It is an enigma why the boys were Christened McVarish while the girls remained McDonald ?     

We speculate that because all of these family members lived so close together at Langal there must have been more direct relatives such as possible grandparents, uncles, aunties, brothers, sisters, cousins etc, among the other McDonald, McVarish, McIsaac, McEachen family members living at or around Langal. 

We do not have much understanding of Angus and Marjory's parents and siblings etc in Scotland. - We believe Marjory's original surname was also McDonald and that she came from Eilean Shona.

We wonder if you have any further knowledge about Allan and Flora McDonald from Langal and their ancestors, siblings, descendants, etc that you could share with us ?
 
Thanking you in advance.

Best regards, "Tiger48" - New to RootsChat.

[MonicaL]

Hi Tiger48

Welcome to RootsChat 

The names Allan MacDonald and Flora MacDonald, I haven't been able to connect to my direct lines. However, so hard getting info pre 1855, and the start of Scottish official registration, isn't it. I assume your line was Roman Catholic like mine? This complicates matter further in terms of records pre 1855.

I did have a note in my file of the death of Alexander, Angus's brother:

1874 / Alexander / 75 / Margaret / Langall / Allan / Flora

I put a post up here on RC of all the certs I had viewed on SP in case it helped anyone www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=83084.0

Monica

[MonicaL]

So this would be the family in 1851 in Langall?:

Allan Mcdonald 80 Farmer Of 12 Acres b. Dalilea
Flora Mcdonald 70 b. Ethrinn, inverness shire (place name? Have you viewed original image?)
Alexander Mcdonald 30
John Mcdonald 28
Flora Mcdonald 26
Flora Mcdonald 18 grandchild
Jane Mcdonald 2 grandchild
Sarah Mclean 25 visitor b. Laggan Arisaig

Allan McDonald (1771-1855) and Flora McDonald (1781-1856) - If these death dates are correct, their deaths should show in the index on SP. Can't easily see them so far. Have you found these?

With you having made contact with Jean Cameron, I would assume that you have checked through the Moidart site for any mention of the family? www.moidart.org.uk/

Monica

[MonicaL]

Furthermore, We have discovered via 1841 & 1851 Census records and Scotlands People searches that Alexander McDonald (McVarish) (1798-1874), from Langal, was the older brother of Angus.

A little confused. Always happens when looking at MacDonalds in Moidart 

Angus was born c. 1800, Alexander c. 1796 (corresponding 1874 death reg for him with parents' names).

The 1851 census above for an Allan, Flora and family in Langal has much younger children in the household including an Alexander born c. 1821. At the same time in Langal, is Alexander and wife Margaret with their family:

Alexander Mcdonald 57 farmer of 6 acres b. Langal
Peggy Mcdonald 34
Chirsty Mcdonald 12
Allan Mcdonald 10
Angus Mcdonald 8
John Mcdonald 6
Alexander Mcdonald 2

Something is not fitting here...

Monica