Moidart McDonald

[cmaclean55]

Hello all, I have been trying to trace my paternal Grandfathers line for a few months now. But keep getting nowhere.

What I do know is my Grandfathers Father was called Donald MacLean and was illegitimate, born in 1891 to a "possible" Donald MacLean in Oban.

My Grandfathers Grandmother was a Mary McDonald of Moss, Acharacle in Moidart. Her parents were Archibald McDonald and Flora McDonald (Flora was from Isle of Eigg).

Donald MacLean continued to live with Archibald and Flora when Mary moved away from the family home.

Could anyone find Donald's Birth cert to see if his Father was named on it?

Any help muchly appreciated.

Thank you.

[MonicaL]

Hi cmaclean55

Welcome to RootsChat 

I don't envy you with MacDonalds in Acharacle....I went through similar woes with searches some years ago 

Have you got some dates you could add here? Also have you got the family in the censuses?

You mention that your G Grandfather was Donald McLean (McLean being the reputed father's surname). Also, you say his birth was c. 1891.

Given the family's stories feature the Acharacle area, have you looked on Scotlands People www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk for Donald's birth? If illegitimate, likely birth was registered as M*cDonald.

There are no births showing for a Donald M*c* in Acharacle in 1891. There are however 2 births showing for a Donald MacDonald in 1890. Have you checked any of these?

Monica

[cmaclean55]

Hi Monica, and thanks for the welcome 

Yes the Family feature on 1901 census as living in Moss, Acharacle and Donald (my GGG) does feature. He was born on either 5/10 or 5/11 1891, but I gather he was born in Oban. I don't have access to Scotland's People just yet. Basically going off some previous printouts a family member had.

My real aim is to try and trace the MacLean line (if it's the true paternal line)!

I have many other lines including Kennedy of Eilean Shona and the maternal side of my GGG to Moidart including Port a Bhata.

It's a really confusing area with so many McDonalds and repeated first names to throw into the mix!

[MonicaL]

Are these Archibald and Flora in 1891. All the children born in Moss:

Archie McDonald 64 crofter b. Kinloch
Flora McDonald 60 b. Eigg, Inverness
Charles McDonald 28
Jessie McDonald 17
Jean McDonald 15
Donald McDonald 13
Margaret Steel 7 granddaughter

Address: Blain Moss, Acharacle

Flora's maiden name Stuart/Stewart? Just looking at the birth indexes on Family Search. Daughter Mary's here www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYPH-RMN

1871 census? www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBLR-55N

Which census does Donald show with grandparents Archibald and Flora?

Monica

Added: Just seen your last post. So Donald with them on the 1901 census.

[MonicaL]

So the family in 1901 here:

Archibald Macdonald 80
Flora Macdonald 70
Alex Macdonald 40
Angus Macdonald 29
Donald Maclean 9 grandson b. Oban Argyle

Address: Blain Moss, Acharacle

I can't see a birth for him in Oban between 1890-2 under M*cDonald or M*cLean 

Monica

[MonicaL]

You can have a look at the search results yourself on Scotlands People for free. It only costs units to view images online. It is free to register and search. You can often get a lot of detail from just searches.

Have you got any certs for Donald? His marriage or death? Sometimes details are given in other registrations that were not included on a birth reg (or the other way round...sometimes only the birth reg will include some detail not repeated elsewhere).

Monica

[cmaclean55]

Thanks for that Monica, the ages give me some clarification for my ancestry tree.

I feel this may be the stumbling block get again!

Could there be a chance he was never registered? 

I'll try find some other certification to see if there was a Father name etc mentioned anywhere.

Thank you!

[MonicaL]

He should be registered. Official registration as you know started in 1855. I think it will be a matter of where!

Monica

[MonicaL]

Have you had any luck finding Mary, Donald's mother on the census for 1891? Might give you a clue as to where Donald could have been born maybe.

Monica