Donald McDonald 1854

[MonicaL]

$mil dollar question always! Sometimes the child knew the name of reputed father and gave it to the registrar when they married or it shows on their death reg. Most of the time as you know, there will be no way of telling...

Monica

[MonicaL]

The most likely death for Isabella is I think this one:

ISABELLA MCDONALD
Age 68
1891
060/ 1
Contin

There is no additional surname so the informant (if it is the right death) may not have known name of her parents  Murdo and daughter Mary show living together in 1891.

Monica

[MonicaL]

Just found some family trees which show Murdo marrying a Julia Macrae on 2 Aug 1906 in Carnoch. Easy enough for you to verify on SP. See www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/78298589/person/48451883365/facts

Two sons died in WW2:

1943 Duncan www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2201987/DUNCAN MacDONALD/

1945 Alistair www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2039959/ALISTAIR MacDONALD/

Some details on the tree regarding sister Mary's death in 1922 in Contin to let you follow up on that.

Monica

[Wodgemac]

Monica,

Thats the correct death of Isabella McDonald, her parents are recorded as Donald McLennan and Mary Cameron. Her son Alexander was present at death.

I will look into Murdo and his family, but how sad that two of his sons died in the war.

In the 1871 census there is no mention of Murdo living with Isabella, but there is a Hardwell Leman McDonald aged 2... could that be the same person? And is that a clue to his father's name?

The Murdo born in 1896 to Donald and Maggie Morgan emigrated to America.

I forgot to mention on Isabella McLennan's birth record, her father is Donald from Tarvie and her mother is Mary Cameron.

Richard

[Neale1961]

Good to see progress with Isabella's parents. Thanks for posting your up-date.

Richard, more for you to follow up on …..

Ann (MacKenzie) MacDonald is still alive in the 1851 census Contin, living with grand-daughter Peggy
https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5a155dcbf4040b9d6e72bd52/ann-macdonald-1851-ross-and-cromarty-contin-1783-?locale=en

2 possible deaths for her on SP which might give you more information about her parents, and with luck something about her husband Alexander.
060/ 19  Contin 1855 Ann MacKenzie age 77
060/ 2 Contin 1860 Ann MacKenzie age 90 (mother – Cameron)
I am thinking that the names given to her children – “Kenneth” and “Helen”, might be family names going back to Ann’s parents or Alexander’s.

[Neale1961]

In the 1871 census there is no mention of Murdo living with Isabella, but there is a Hardwell Leman McDonald aged 2... could that be the same person? And is that a clue to his father's name?

I think that is a typical Ancestry erroneous transcription. See this version of the 1871 census attached. Unfortunately his middle name does not give any clues to his father.

[Neale1961]

Donald MacLennan and Mary Cameron married 19/02/1819 Contin
Children (all Contin): John 1821, Isabel 1823, Mary 1825, Ann 1827

Mary (Cameron) MacLennan has died between 1841 census and 1851 census.

1851 Census Tarvie Contin
Donald MacLennan, widow 60, farmer 2 acres, born Contin
Mary MacLennan, daughter, unmarried 24, born Contin
Kenneth McDonald, son in law, 33, born Contin
Ann McDonald, daughter (wife), 21, born Contin
(I see daughter Ann married a McDonald too – a cousin of John?)

Possible death for Donald MacLennan
060/ 14 - Contin - 1869 Donald McLennan, age 80, Mmn - McIvor

[Forfarian]

In the 1871 census there is no mention of Murdo living with Isabella, but there is a Hardwell Leman McDonald aged 2... could that be the same person? And is that a clue to his father's name?

I take it that you are using the transcription on Ancestry. According to the transcription on FindMyPast he is Murdo McLennan McDonald. You should look at the original to see which is correct (if either) but my money's on Ancestry being wrong.

[Wodgemac]

Yes the census for Hardwell Leman McDonald was on ancestry... Pretty terrible really...

I have found a death on SP for Ann McDonald, - nee McKenzie - living in Fodderty, aged 86 widow to a crofter. Father Alexander, crofter. Mother Margaret - nee McKenzie, is it possible it's the right one?

I'm currently looking into the other info Neale1961 gave me for Donald McLennan.

Thank you