Thomas McDonald - WW1 Records

[kylemacca007]

Date of birth of this soldier was 18 March 1889 per the MoD FoI spreadsheet 4:

746477   MC DONALD T   1889-03-18

Thank you.

[kylemacca007]

This is by way of a mind clearing exercise:

The attestation record for 746477 Dvr T McDonald whose former number was 63470 is a re-engagement in 1922 at the age of 33 having already served 8 years 71 days in the RFA.  He is living with wife Emily Crawford in Sheffield having married her in 1912.  He is working as a riveter in 1922.

63470 would have been his original number.  The number system changed in 1920/21 hence he has a new number on re-enlisting.  He left that engagement in 1930.   He was already serving in 1914 when war broke out and was in a pre-war regular brigade so seems to have joined up yet again sometime after 1930.

In a medical register of Dec 1917, he is recorded as having served 9 years (figures in the register are not accurate to the day!) which sort of adds up to having enlisted in about 1908/09 although the Silver War Badge record says 1910 which would be more accurate.  He left in 1919.

He has pension records on Ancestry Fold 3 to which I don’t have access. The ones that say Royal Fusiliers are almost certainly Ancestry mis-transcriptions).  These may give more information. Mcdonald - Ancestry.com (top four).

My scenario:
Joins as a regular soldier in 1910, marries in 1912.   Serves through the war to 1919.  Moves to Sheffield and works as a riveter.  Re-joins in 1922, serves to 1930.  I don't see any "other regiment" involved.

MaxD

Hi Max.
I would definitely agree with every you have said. I've checked all the pension records as yes all say living in Sheffield and Regiment no is 63470 RFA. I believe there is only two records that show his new number post 1922 that's the Royal Artillery Attestation. And a transcript only record I believe Shaun has found that give Thomas's birthday as 18 March 89.

I am working with another family member to trace Thomas and his family. We believe we have find the correct family living in Edinburgh, Midlothian. We are trying to establish is Thomas join up in Scotland are elsewhere. Previous interaction on this thread suggested a possible sign up in the South of England. (looking at Soilders with similar reg numbers)

[Rosinish]

Date of birth of this soldier was 18 March 1889 per the MoD FoI spreadsheet 4:

746477   MC DONALD T   1889-03-18

This is a list of all Thomas' McDonald b Edinburgh (City) 1888 - 1889

There's only 1 who would fit as a 'possible' which would cost £7.50 to view with left over credits but you could check census records prior as Thomas isn't a common name with a McDonald surname.

Hopefully finding him in an Edinburgh census 1891/1901 & comparing names of his children with those families (if any) parents names may help?

There's only 1 born 1889 which would match the 1 Sean posted & the ref. no. on SP (scotlandspeople) is quite low too for an early qtr birth i.e. March.

The others all have middle names (assuming yours had no middle name)?

Annie

[kylemacca007]

Hi Annie,

Thanks for your help.

I have not yet come across any records to suggest our Thomas has a middle name and therefore we have already checked out the record, you have referenced.

Thomas date of birth on the record is given as 28th January 1889.

Census checks on the family show them as living in St Giles in 1891 and 1901 living in Cannongate.
Thomas appears on the 1891 and 1901 census with the family. He is not with the family on the 1911 census. Given our Thomas joined the army in 1910 he could be in army residence in 1911 , that why i'm trying to figure out where he joined.

On his marriage certificate to my great grandmother in 1912 he listed his father James as deceased boot maker, however his the James in these records has a second marriage in 1929. I've found no evidence of this James ever been a boot maker.

Records also show a marriage for the Thomas in these records marrying in 1909. One year before joining the army and three years before our Thomas is married in Sheffield.

So i have gathered all this information in a separate family tree online, I'm just waiting for some more concrete evidence before i can be sure I'm on the right track. Other than name, farthers name and year of both I'm not sure i have a match.

I have also been analyzing my ancestry DNA results, on all other sides of my grandparents lines i have DNA matches matching my tree going back as far as 5th great grandparents, but adding in the records above still cant find any matches.

Thanks again for your help

[Rosinish]

I had found the same census which I didn't think matched with James' occ. but also the naming of his children is not helping with possible family names.

Another possible avenue, especially if he was illegitimate?

CHISHOLM THOMAS MCDONALD 1889 (Thomas McDonald Chisolm)
684/1 36 Duddingston and Portobello (Edinburgh)

Scots women often used middle names as clues to the name of the father & very often although not always, the child was brought up by their fathers' surname or took on the fathers' surname later in life.

I haven't searched the census' for the above as I have only discovered it but the ref. no. is low, indicating an early in the year birth.

Annie

[kylemacca007]

Hi Annie,

I wasn't aware mothers did this, but now you mention it there are a lot of records on Scotland's people that list two obvious surnames. I just assumed the middle name was mothers maiden name but not that it indicated a potential fathers name. I'll do a bit more digging and see what i can find.

I looked at that particular record that you sent and the birth is given as 6th Feb.

Please see father and mother image attached.

[Rosinish]

Unfortunately they're a married couple.

Surnames as middle names can also be an indicator of mothers' maiden names or g/mothers' maiden names i.e. an open mind is needed.

What other surnames are showing in matches trees back far enough for potential ancestors other than McDonald in & around the Edinburgh area?

You may want widen the window if he joined the forces younger than he should've been or if he was a lot older than his wife he may have shaved off a few years?

I recently helped someone find an ancestor whose age on army records was about 5 years out!

Annie

[kylemacca007]

Hi Annie,

Surnames that match this set of records in the Edinburgh area are:
Milne
Drury
Fee

I have retrospectively added these people as 3rd and 4th Great Grandparents in the tree linked to my DNA results. So far haven't found any obvious matches. Yet i have found at least one obvious match on all other sides.