Macdonalds of Laggan 'Long-John's relatives

[Birdbrain 1948]

Records I have seen about Long-John Macdonald of Ben Nevis Distillery fame show he was born in Laggan in 1798. I believe he had several siblings including a brother named Alexander but I have no other details and I am very interested to find out more about him.  Does anyone know more about this family tree please? I am particularly interested to know where Long John & his siblings were born. The parents are Donald Macdonald and Janet Macdonald and I understand they farmed at Torgulbin. However, John's record clearly states he was born in Laggan.
Also, can anyone help me to find where 'Dolchraig, Stratherne is please? Many thanks for your time.

[MonicaL]

Hi Birdbrain

Have you come across this link www.devenport.biz/ryan1.html - Quotes Long John as being one of seven sons.

Regarding Strathearn, this would be in the county of Perthshire, see www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/PER/gaz1882.html.

Monica 

[Birdbrain 1948]

Hello Monica.  Thanks for such a swift reply - amazing! During my research I was lucky enough to meet with the Campbell sisters of Roybridge and they provided me with a 'Pedigree of Long John Macdonald' and that is where I have seen that he has several brothers as you say. I believe my family has a strong connection to this family and I am interested in finding out more about Alexander - John's younger brother (after Archibald, then Peter, then Alexander.) I have also read the long account of Long John's founding of the Whisky Distillery near Ben Nevis and in fact visited it two years ago now. It was very interesting to see it again; thank you.
My search centres on trying to establish who "Alexander Macdonald, Farmer of Dolchraig, Stratherne" could be as he is named as my great grandfather's 'illegitimate father'on the birth records. This information came as a great surprise as George (Macdonald) was born in Kingussie in Sept 1846, - the family have always thought that Long-John was the father. However, Alexander is named as George's father on all his subsequent records & one indicates he (Alexander) might have died around 1872-1875.  Other than that - I have no clues.   As I said, my family folklore has always thought that Long John was the father and Long John (according to the chart I have) was born in Laggan, firmly putting them in the area surrounding Kingussie, Newtonmore etc.  The whereabouts of Stratherne (Strathearn?) has remained  a mystery to me and although Perthshire has been mentioned before I also had this message..."Could Strathern – be Strathdearn – that is the area around Tomatin?" So, I just don't know. Can you help me identify the exact area that Strathearn is in Perthshire?  Interestingly I actually lived in Callander for three years, long before I began this journey of searching for the past! Any other help locating the above Alexander Macdonald (such a common name!) would be very gratefully received. Many thanks again for your reply.

[MonicaL]

I think you are right to initially focus on the "Alexander Macdonald, Farmer of Dolchraig, Stratherne". He would have been farming there likely through the 1840s to meet the dates of your George's birth.

See from the link I posted earlier that the family were Roman Catholic as Long John was buired at Cille Choirill. Also that lots of genealogy work has already been done on the family. What info was included regarding Long John's brother Alexander, if any, on the family charts you have?

Can I also ask, what do you think is the source to the family stories connecting George to Long John and his family?

Just adding your last post on George for background with what has been found in later years www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,496603.0.html

Monica 

[Birdbrain 1948]

Hello again.
The source of the 'belief' comes from my own grandfather (for one) who died in 1966.  He was the youngest of George's three children and lived with George up to his death in 1925 in Edinburgh. George Macdonald was known to be "very bitter about his illegitimate status" - in fact he became too fond of a wee dram and I have discovered from my research he was eventually pensioned off from the Edinburgh Police where he had been a sergeant. I have written accounts by my mother (she is still alive and aged 91 and can remember seeing George when she was only four years old) and I quote from her notes about her own father (for that is all they are) name of Douglas McLaggan Macdoanld ...."His father was George Macdonald supposed to be a bastard son of a servant girl & some high up in a Whisky Distillery known as Long John Macdonald.  He was given the name but no recognition or money." You can see why I call it family folklore! The 'servant girl' was one Isabella Mackay of Kingussie. However I have spoken with my third cousin June Macdonald -who is aged about 85 and lives in Canada and she says that she was always told this same story as a child too, "and we are definitely related to him".  In addition to that she can definitely recall her school’s prize giving occasions at the Usher Hall Edinburgh when Andrew Thomas (Joseph) MacDonald RC Archbishop of St Andrews & Edinburgh gave the prizes and “she knew she was related to him.”  This gentlemman appears on the records of Long John's pedigree that I have a copy of, linking us to the family from a different angle. So, it is all unsubstantiated, but one has to wonder how this name was conjured up?  I became very interested to find out more in Aug '09 and discovered a lot more, but I was flabbergasted to find, then read the birth  record of George which states that he was the illegitimate son of Alexander Macdonald.  The family certainly did not know that!
You ask what else I know about Alexander, but sadly that is all I know - just that he was the fifth son to Donald and Janet Macdonald Farmers at Torgulbin. Angus was the first, then John (Long-John) Archibald, Peter, Alexander, Donald and Colin. No dates - no marriage details - that's all. The document states that Long John was born at Laggan - I'd love to know where as that connects the Macdonald family to that area. Any other help would be most welcome - thank you again.

[MonicaL]

As I know with the MacDonalds (mine were based in Moidart) you are in for the long haul trying to figure it all out....however, I know someone who may be able to help but I need to contact them via email to see whether they can add to what is here (which I am sure they can given their vast knowledge of these family lines for this area of Inverness-shire that you are looking at). Leave it with me (this person is no longer UK based).

Monica

[Birdbrain 1948]

Hello again.  I meant to add that yes, I was aware that Long-John's family were Roman Catholic and I have visited the graveyard at Cille Choirill twice in fact looking for the grave.  It's a wonderful place and I didn't manage to locate Long-John's grave on the first occasion, but did find it when I went back in April last year.  When I began this search I was somehow given the telephone number of Rory Macdonald (Long-John's great or 2 x gt grandson) and spoke to him about my family 'beliefs'.  He was very kind to listen to me, but I suspect he thought I was some sort of fraud and said that Long John did have an illegitimate daughter whom he recognised, but he had never heard of an illegitimate son born and that in any case 'Long-John' was a common name for any tall gentleman of that Christian name - a point I guess. It is the link with the Whisky Distillery that I find intriguing - where on earth would someone have come up with this story if there wasn't a grain of truth there? I'd love to phone this gentleman again to see if he has any further family history regarding Alexander, but I dare not as I think it would be too intrusive.  
Incidentally the family 'knowledge' again states that George renounced the Catholic faith because of his bitterness about his status & he was subsequently married within the Church of Scotland. However, I couldn't say whether the family he was placed with (the Grants at Abernethy) were Catholic anyway - probably more family folklore?
Thank you again for your interest.
N.B.  I've just seen your subsequent posting and thank you very much indeed. If there is any more detail I can give - please do let me know.

[MonicaL]

When you say that George's father, Alexander, may have died in the period of 1872-5, what is the source for this?

Monica

[Birdbrain 1948]

George's first marriage was recorded in the district of Rothiemurchas on 22nd Feb 1872 when he is aged 25 and a police constable residing in Edinburgh.  He married Ann Stewart (or Stuart) from Aviemore.  His parents are recorded as Alexander McDonald (I use the spelling on the certificate) Farmer and although there is a scribble near the name I cannot read it. Interesting is the fact that his mother is recorded as Isabella McDonald m.s. Mackay - and she never was a Macdonald as she remained Isabella Mackay until her marraige to a Donald McKillop in 1880! There I was searching for a 'Isabella Macdonald' when all the time she was known as 'Bella McKillop' - such is the nature of these journeys I guess! 
Sadly Ann Stuart died only three months after they were wed in May 1872 from smallpox. George went on to marry Rosina Fraser (my gt grandmother) at Dalkeith on 2nd July 1875 and although Isabella is still recorded as living, Alexander Macdonald is recorded as "deceased", which is why I thought that he may have died within that period. However, one has to wonder how George knew this if he had no contact with his father or mother?  But I don't know this for sure so this is  supposition on my part.
Regards, Audrey.