Donald MacIsaac - lookup

[amac1210]

I'm looking for information on a man named Donald MacIsaac. He was son of Stephen MacIsaac (c.1828-1894) and Mary MacInnes (1838-1880), born on Eriskay in 1872. He doesn't appear on any obvious death records and is the one child of their family I haven't been able to trace. I speculate he might have emigrated. If so, it'd be great to see what became of him etc. Or indeed, if he died young, it'd be good to see a death record somewhere. Thanks.

[rosie99]

What year can you last account for him, could you please give details

[amac1210]

I think on the censuses of 1881-1901, but I've not looked extensively. I have his birth record, and have searched quite thoroughly the death records for South Uist. Nothing seems to fit. Even nationwide, I haven't been able to locate a death. It's not a common name!

[rosie99]

Are you able to name any siblings 

There is this entry in 1891 South Uist, Boisdale, Invernessshire - is this them
Stephen McIsaac   Widower   60   occ   Ferry Man   bn Invernessshire
John   McIsaac      25   bn    Invernessshire
Archibald   McIsaac   20   bn   South Uist, Invernessshire
Donald   McIsaac   18   occ    Fish Curer   born South Uist, Invernessshire
Flora   McIsaac      16   bn South Uist

[amac1210]

That's the family there, so clearly Donald is alive and in Eriskay by 1891. Thanks for that, as I haven't saved my census details. I usually work from BMD records first. This leaves us with the question as to what happened to him by 1901, or 1911. Like I said, he disappears from the trail fairly quickly. I have identified what happened to Archie, Flora and John. There were a load of other children who don't appear on this census also, had started their own families by then. All their lives are documented anyhow. I'm just keen to resolve Donald's story. As he's 18 years old here, he wasn't too young to jump ship or emigrate officially.

[rosie17]

There is a death for a Donald MacIsaac 1918 New South Wales Australia
Father Stephen
Mother Mary

Do you know what religion he was ? as there is this record Sydney Cemetery Headstones Transcriptions ( Catholic Mortuary 2 & 3 )
Cemetery Rookwood Sydney NSW
Erected by his wife and son
Donald McIsaac age 46
Birth year about 1872
Death date 15 September 1918

Rosie

[rosie17]

There are a few immigration records for a D Macisaac/McIsaac born Uist as crew member going to Australia so hard to say if it's your relation
There is a Donald McIsaac address 41,Gowrie  Street Newton New South Wales ( seaman )
Electoral Rolls 1903/1904

Rosie

[amac1210]

Hello there,

Thank-you so much for that information. I think it is certainly him, that death in Australia. His age matches exactly and his parents too. There simply aren't many Stephen MacIsaacs around! In fact, this Stephen MacIsaac (c.1828-1894) gave rise to a whole "Clann" of his own on Eriskay and South Uist. Every Stephen MacIsaac in Scotland, almost, descends from him directly. I've traced every one of them. So this Donald is a match. Everyone in Eriskay at that period was Catholic, only a population of around 500 people at most.

My interest now moves to his wife and children. Finding cousins would be very interesting! They might have photographs, who knows?

[amac1210]

Any idea on how to find his wife's name and details? And then children?