Information I was given - my great great great grandfather was named Alexander, he was married to Jean Lee (spelling is different) and he had 6 children - James, Norman, John (my great great grandfather), Margaret, and Jane. The family was also told he was from Aberdeenshire and not western Scotland and he was of Clanranald.
I also knew John was born in 1835 and immigrated to PEI Canada when he was 9, which would have been 1844. So I joined Myheritiage and went looking. First I found an Alexander McDonald and Jean Leys in Crathie And Braemar, Aberdeen, Scotland. I also found christening certificates for everyone but James and Norman. the big thing was their John McDonald was born in 1835 and they were married in 1834.
this led me to believe that Alexander's father might also be from there. then I found a christening certificate for an Alexander McDonald born in 1809 which would have made him 26 when John was born which is just about what it should be and we were still in Crathie And Braemar. The certificate named Angus and Margaret McDonald as his parents. I feel certain that I have stumbled on the right Alexander and so therefore the right Angus and Margaret. There was another possibility, but the mother was Margaret Coults. Which I think was the family that other person sent information on.
You know it would be helpful if the Scots were a little more imaginative about naming their children. Every family seems to have the same stock names, it is hard to differentiate. I am not sure what happened to James and Norman. James could have been his brother, but there is no mention of Norman anywhere. Maybe he was a cousin that came over with them or perhaps a friend. things seem to get sketchy for us before John.
Again, I have no real proof that I am related to Angus and Margaret McDonald. Everything fits and there really are not that many McDonald's in Crathie And Braemar at the time. So I think there is enough evidence to place them on my tree. If you have any thoughts, I would like to hear it.
