St Finians Isle - Roman Catholic burial ground on Loch Shiel

[Tiger48]

Hi Monica,

Thanks for your replies.

It seems you are caught at the same point as ourselves and Jean Cameron on there being TWO adult Alexanders in this one Langal household. Jean indicated there were occasions where two children in one family had the same First name. We had to accept that as the explanation.

Also regarding Flora, we have searched high and low but have never been able to locate any place named Ethrinn.

Regarding the list of McDonald deaths from 1874 onwards. We did see that list from you some time ago.

1874 / Alexander / 75 / Margaret / Langall / Allan / Flora
1916 / Alexander / 43 / None / Moss / Archibald / Mary MacEachen
1876 / Allan / 31 / None / Langall / Alexander / Margaret MacMaster

Top of this list is Alexander Age 75 (brother of Angus). - Suggesting he was born in 1798-99.
And third on the list is Allan Age 31, eldest son of above Alexander and Margaret (Peggy) McMaster.
 - This would suggest he was born in 1845 ?
 - Yet other records show Allan being an older age as follows:
 - The 1841 Census shows Alan at age 1. - Suggesting born 1840.
 - The 1851 Census shows Allan at age 10. - Suggesting born in 1841.
 - And Allan's Birth & Baptism record from Our lady of the Angels shows he was born as Allan to Alexander McVarish and Peggy McMaster on 8/12/1840.
So we reckon the above Death record for Allan was wrong and that he was actually closer to age 35 at his death in 1876.

Also regarding Alexander McDonald (McVarish) Snr.
Death Cert. shows age 76 in year 1875, so born ~ 1798-99.
Census 1841 shows Alex'r age 30, so born ~ 1811 ?
Census 1851 shows Alex'r age 57, so born ~  1794 ?
 - We took the older ages as closer to truth. - Accepted his birth year as 1798.

Another example: Angus declared himself to be 44 years of age on boarding the Marco Polo in 1852. However we know his age to be closer to 52 at that time.

Always confusing when various records show different calculated ages, both in Scotland and Australia.

Regarding your McDonald line. What are their names and ages and when were they residing at Langal? Are they identified in the 1841 or 1851 Census records ?

Regards, Tiger48. 

[MonicaL]

Blast from the past re-reading this! See www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/macisaac/47/ for quick summary on my line. Let me find some of the censuses and I will add shortly.

Monica

[MonicaL]

This is Ranald MacD and Ann (McVarish) on the 1841 census. Older children nearby or working away (Angus, my line, had just married in Glenelg and returned to Dalnabreck by 1851).

www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5a14154cf4040b9d6efc65a5/flory-macdond-1841-argyllshire-ardnamurchan-1827-?locale=en

Dalnabrae/Dalnabreck and Langal, as you know, are next to each other and very close.

1851, and the family together www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/6050db34f4040b8616729466/ranold-mcdonald-1851-argyllshire-ardnamurchan-1784-?locale=en

A really useful feature of FreeCen is that it lets you view the adjoining addresses. Just click on the tab at the top of the page (clip of section attached below). You will in essence be walking the steps of the census enumeratorin the order he wrote down the entries. For Langal and Dalnabreac, you can easily view all the entries easily enough doing this.

Around this time, some of the children stayed in Dalnabreac and others, like Angus, my line, moved over to Langal.

This is Ranald in Langal for 1861:

Ronald Mcdonald 80 Farmer of 2 acres
Janet Mcdonald 41
Ronald Mcdonald 2
Florah Mcdonald 27
   
Address: 4 Langal, Acharacle

At the same address in 1861, son John with his family:

John Mcdonald 40
Mary Mcdonald 28
Angus Mcdonald 11    
Donald Mcdonald 10
Catharine Mcdonald 8
Ronald Mcdonald 5
Ann Mcdonald 3
John Macdonald 1

Monica

[MonicaL]

This is Angus and wife Christy (Gillies), my line, in 1871. Only daughter Sarah missing from here. Would need to check if she had married John MacDonald by now. Sarah and husband John have one of the main surviving stones on St Finian's Isle:

Angus McDonald 48
Christy McDonald 48
Simon McDonald 24
Margaret McDonald 18    
Ann McDonald 16
Johanna McDonald 13
Mary McDonald 11

Address: Langal, Acharacle
   

[MonicaL]

I was looking at the 1851 census entry for Allan and Flora on FreeCen. They too have had a problem with the birth place name for Flora www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/6050db34f4040b861672953e/allan-mcdonald-1851-argyllshire-ardnamurchan-1771-?locale=en They have it as Ethrium?

Can't see anything close to it here http://www.moidart.org.uk/pdfs/PlacenamesGordonBarr.pdf Some more lists to check here www.moidart.org.uk/placenames/placenames.htm

Is this the family in 1841? www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5a14154cf4040b9d6efc6548/allan-macdonald-1841-argyllshire-ardnamurchan-1781-?locale=en

Monica

[Tiger48]

Hi Monica,

Yes you have our McDonald line correct in that 1841 Census at Langal. However Allan's wife Flora was not present at the house for that Census year. Next page shows our Angus and Marjory and family. Nearly all are present at Langal for the 1851 Census.

I looked at your McDonald line at Dalnabreck and Langal also.

Quite a variation in ages for three family members between 1841 and 1851 Census'.
1841 Census Ranald's age is 45,   1851 Census Ranold's age is 67 ?
1841 Census Wife Ann's age is 50,  1851 Census Ann's age is 67 ?
1841 Census Daug. Jessie's age is 20, 1851 Census Jannet's age is 39 ? 

We experience this exact same problem when trying to obtain correct ages of our Rellies from those early years also.

Re Shift for your McDonald line from Dalnabreck to Langal subsequent to 1851. - Funny how things work out.

Many of our McDonalds vacated Langal soon after the 1851 Census.
1) Angus & Marjory (Mizzie, Marcella) and their family of 8 children departed Langal for Australia in June-July 1852. Arrived Melbourne on ship Marco Polo 18 September 1852. -Their 2 youngest children, Ranald and Jannet (Jessie), died from measles with 50 other children, at sea during the trip to Australia.
2) Our best research efforts show Allan (Angus' father) died on 5 August 1855.
3) And his mother Flora died on 10 October 1856.
4) Alexander, (Angus' brother), with wife Peggy and their family remained at Langal till his death in 1874.

Apparently your line of McDonald's occupied these houses at Langal after the departure of our McDonald line.

All pretty confusing for any researchers following their particular lines of McDonalds in this area over successive Census decades from 1841 to 1881.

Unfortunately not much is known about our original McDonalds though.
IE: Allan (1771-1855) and Flora (1781-1856) or their ancestors or siblings.

If anyone in the RootsChat fraternity has any further information on them we would dearly love to hear about it.

Regards, Tiger48

[alison ogorman]

what fantastic photos Monica, please can I ask how you managed to get onto the island? also, can I ask if Micheal & Ann McD were buried on the island? I've not been able to find out where my aunty Maryann is buried and thought she might also be one of the more recent graves on there? she died in the 1970's, and lived in the wee white cottage opposite Tioram in Dorlin named for her

[MonicaL]

Hi Alison

We hired a small boat at Dalilea. My husband dropped me off at the jetty on St Finan's Isle and he took the boys for their first fishing experience on the loch! If you ask at Acharacle or at Dalilea, I am sure you will be able to organise something if you visit.

Not sure where best for you to check on burials on the island. When did Michael and Ann McD die? Two places you could enquire for updates could be www.moidart.org.uk and Our Lady of the Angels, the RC church at Mingarry www.rcdai.org.uk/mingarry-our-lady-of-the-angels/ I am assuming your relatives were RC?

Just been looking at your aunt's cottage. Quite the perfect spot for sure    www.unique-cottages.co.uk/cottages/west-coast/lochaber-ardnamurchan/ae5-mary-anns-cottage#

Sad to read now that the bell from the old ruins of altar on the isle was stolen in 2019 www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-49114795  Can't see any update on whether it has been recovered.

Monica

[alison ogorman]

Hi Monica, I'm definitely going to give that a try next time I'm up there. We bumped into Dougie Cameron at Dorlin last time we were there, he told us about the bell, I don't think it has been returned/recovered yet! he wanted to hang onto my redheaded daughter!! Honestly, haha she is 21 he was a good 85 if he was a day! he was a highlight though, full of tales! Micheal died in 1933 his dad John Mcd and his mum, Mary MacNeil.
Ann McD is, I think, where you and I cross over on the Dalnabreac/Langal folks, she died in 1938. Her mum and dad were John Macissac McD and her mum Mary McD, and her siblings, John, Angus, Ronald, Catherine & Donald. There are another couple of John & Mary McD's in moidart, around the same time, but, given the christian names, I went for this lot, because, Ann & Michael's children have the same names.
I attached a picture of the plaque from the church, my gg uncles are on it, angus and donald, I also found a news clipping in the oban times with photos of them, which was pretty stunning to see them, unfortunately, it was posting their deaths in the war, but precious none the less.
My dad talks a lot about Kennedys being in the family, but... I'm at a loss where to start with this, do you know of any connections?