Hi everyone,
I've spent a couple of years on this, even trawling graveyards etc but to no avail.
I'm looking for any information on my Great Grandfather (x3) between the years 1819-1846. Ideally finding him in the 1841 census or maybe some immigration records would be ideal but I've endlessly searched many sites and many records and came up with almost nothing regarding his existence before 1846.
The information I have is as follows...
He was born in Ireland about 1819 to a Hugh McDonald (a Teacher) and Elisabeth Elliot, there's no further information on these family members or even whether or not they travelled with him to Scotland.
16th Jan 1846 Marriage to Jane Lang
This is the first official Scottish record I have for him.
1848 (Abt) - Birth of Hugh McDonald
I can find no record of this birth but from a later census is says Kilbirnie was the birthplace.
1850 (Abt) - Elisabeth McDonald
Again no birth record but 1851 census says she was born in Kilbirnie. I can also find no further information on Elisabeth after Nov 1883 - last residence Kilbirnie.
From 1851 onwards, the growing family resides in Kilbirnie but I would like to try and fill in this blank period if possible and find out if he travelled with any other relatives. Berwick or Greenock seem like possibilities regarding his arrival in Scotland, his son Hugh spends a year or more up there around 1871 before starting a family in Kilbirnie and we've no idea what he was doing there. It is quite likely though, that it might have been to do with his occupation as he was a cabinet maker.
Children's names are Hugh (b.1848), Elisabeth (b.1850), Robert (b.1854), Agness (b.1855), Andrew, Jane
I can find no birth certificates for the first four children so years could be a year out either way.
I've always had the sneaky suspicion that he at the very least had a brother called Robert.
Hugh McDonald died on 26 Feb 1861 and his father is listed as deceased (but his mother is not) which makes me think that she may have travelled from Ireland with her son but this is all just speculation.
I don't know if anyone can help but any wee piece of info could be just what I need to continue my research.
Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer.
Alec