McDonald/McGilvray

[Jenny1]

Just bought the death cert but I don't think it's the right person as his wife was named as Mary MCDONALD. Wouldn't it have said MARY MCGILVRAY? HIs occupation was a labourer too which makes me think I've got the wrong man.

I've also just found a tree on Familysearch that lists a lot of siblings for Malcolm but those born after him were all born in Nova Scotia (that's assuming his parents were Hugh and Ann Campbell).

What a headache.

[ColC]

This looks like the family on 1851 census at Scarnish

Malcom Mac Donald, a Fisher 40 Mary Mac Donald 35 wife

Cathrine Mac Donald 6 daughter, Niel Mac Dnald 43 son (According to Ancestry Transcript)

Mary Mac Donald 45 Anne Mac Donald 50 - Sisters

So this looks like the family in 1841 – Heanish, Tiree

Catherine McDonald 80 Ann McDonald 40 Mary McDonald 35 Malcom McDonald 30 Niel McLean 6

Colin

[Forfarian]

Just bought the death cert but I don't think it's the right person as his wife was named as Mary MCDONALD. Wouldn't it have said MARY MCGILVRAY? HIs occupation was a labourer too which makes me think I've got the wrong man.

Oh dear

I've also just found a tree on Familysearch that lists a lot of siblings for Malcolm but those born after him were all born in Nova Scotia (that's assuming his parents were Hugh and Ann Campbell).

Ignore that. Never trust any online tree. You don't know if it's well researched or just a load of *******. See https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=714261.0

Malcolm McDonald and Mary McDonald were married in Tiree on 8 December 1841. They had
Niel, baptised 9 January 1842 and Catharine, baptised 26 November 1845, both in Tiree.

In 1851, at Scarnish, Tiree were Malcolm Macdonald, 40; wife Mary Macdonald, 35; sister Anne Macdonald, 50; daughter Catherine Macdonald, 6; sister Mary Macdonald, 45; son Niel Macdonald (age indexed as 43 on SP but that must be an error).

in 1861 at Scarnish are Malcolm McDonald, widower, 47; Mary McDonald, unmarried, 60; Ann McDonald, unmarried, 67; Catherine McDonald, unmarried, 19.

In 1871 Malcolm McDonald, widower, 57, is alone at Scarnish, as he is, aged 71, in 1881.

All of these people were born in Tiree.

So I don't think the Malcolm Macdonald you have followed through the census at Scarnish is the one who married Mary McGillivray in Coll in 1848.

[Forfarian]

Proof positive that the Malcolm Macdonald in Tiree is not the one you were looking for.

Hugh Macdonald, son of Malcolm Macdonald and Mary MacGilvray, was born in Coll on 23 March 1855.

1861 census: Shettleston, Lanarkshire.
Malcolm McDonald, 45, born Coll; Mary, wife, 33, born Mull; Jane, 10, born Coll; Catherine, 8, born Coll; Hugh, 6, born Coll; Ann, 2, born Glasgow.

Malcolm McDonald, 46, died in Shettleston in 1864.

1871 Census: Bridgeton, Glasgow.
Mary McDonald, widow, 42, born Mull; Catherine, 18, born Coll; Hugh, 16, born Coll; Ann, 14, born
Glasgow; Flora, 6, born Shettleston.

Mary McDonald, other surname McGilvary, died in Glasgow Bridgeton in 1874 aged 45.

[Jenny1]

Thank you so much for finding the right family in 1871. If only I'd found that I would have been able to buy the correct death cert for Malcolm! Unfortunately I have run out of credits on Scotland's People now. 

I am following Ann who eventually settled in Annan.

I never trust trees on Familysearch or Ancestry as I have seen some real "howlers" so I always check them out.

Thanks for taking the time in helping me I really appreciate it.

Jenny 

[Forfarian]

Incidentally I don't think that your Malcolm's parents were Hugh Macdonald and Ann Campbell. For a start their son Malcolm was born in Tiree and yours was born in Coll.

Hugh b 1855 is certainly the eldest son in the records, but in the absence of any record of the baptisms of Jane and Catherine, there might have been another child born in 1849/1850 who died in early infancy.

Fortunately there is a means of finding out whether there was another child, because Hugh was born in 1855, and 1855 birth certificates contain a lot of information that isn't recorded in any other year, including the number of children of the parents' marriage. So when you have topped up your credits, have a look at that birth certificate.

Also, Ann was the third daughter (or the fourth if there was another child before 1855 and that child was a daughter) so if they were following the naming tradition you would expect Malcolm's mother to have been Catherine or Jane, depending on whether there was an earlier daughter.

As I have probably confused you with all that, the standard naming tradition is as follows:

First daughter after mother's mother
Second daughter after father's mother
Third daughter after mother

First son after father's father
Second son after mother's father
Third son after father

Subsequent children after great-grandparents, uncles/aunts, other relatives, friends, minister/doctor/laird/schoolmaster/prominent citizen or their wives.

However not all families followed it, so it's only useful as a hint in conjunction with other evidence.

Have you got the death certificate of Mary McGilvray? What were the given names of her parents?

[Jenny1]

Thank you for the naming pattern it certainly helps. I haven't got the death certificate for Mary unfortunately.

I will have to think about buying more credits (yet again).

[Forfarian]

BTW Christina McDonald, mother's maiden surname McGilvary, died in Shettleston in 1863, aged 0.

[Jenny1]

I did manage to find the death for Christina after I posted the message but thank you. I have now found a couple of brilliant sites for Coll and Tiree so I am trying to find a baptism for Malcolm.

Fingers crossed.