Parents of Kenneth McCaskill born about 1800 in Inverness-shire, Scotland

[memccask]

I am trying to find the parents of my ggggrandfather Kenneth McCaskill.  He came to Canada sometime between 1800 and 1833 (when he married Mary McRae) in L'Orignal, Ontario.Up to now I have stumped, but, I just came across a potential answer.  The answer is that his parents are John Donald McCaskill and his mother is Catherine Chisholm.  However, when I look at Kenneth's children, I am a bit confuse, because if I follow my understanding of ancient Scottish naming customs, it doesn't quite make sense.
Kenneth's Children (oldest to youngest) are: Kenneth, Annie, Rebecca, Donald, Margaret, Alexander, Malcolm, Catharine, Mary.
His father-in-law was Malcolm McRae and his mother-in-law was  Rebecca Morrison.
I thought that the 1st born son would be named after the paternal grandfather; the next son after the maternal grandfather; the 3rd son after the father - then the similar concept applied for naming the female children after female relatives.  Is my understanding correct, and/or can any one advise me where to do further research?  Thank you.

[Forfarian]

Welcome to RootsChat.

The naming tradition was

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 this, and even in some who normally did, the sequence might be interrupted and varied by an important family event, for example a child might be named after an unce or aunt who had recently died instead of being given the next name in the traditional pattern. Or, for example, if a child was the first to be baptised by a new minister it might be named after the minister or his wife.

What have you found to suggest that his parents were Donald Macaskill and Catherine Chisholm?

[ColC]

There is only one record 1795 – 1805 on https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk for Kenneth in Inverness-shire.

MCCASKILL   KENNETH   DOND. MCCASKILL   M   07/10/1805   Glenelg

No marriage for the father.

Colin

[memccask]

I have been to his grace site and the inscription on his headstone reads:

"To the memory of Kenneth McCaskill from Inverness-shire Scotland who died at East Hawkesbury April 8, 1856 Aged 56 years    Erected by his wife."

Also, I have the 1851 Census where it states that his "Age at Next Birthday" as 52.

Also, in a listing, from Ancestry.com, of Kenneth McCaskill there were 8 listed, but only one with birth "about 1800".  This is the one (I was referring to in my original posting) showing Spouse as Mary McRae and his parents as John Donald Macaskill and Catherine Chisholm.

[Forfarian]

Also, in a listing, from Ancestry.com, of Kenneth McCaskill there were 8 listed, but only one with birth "about 1800".  This is the one (I was referring to in my original posting) showing Spouse as Mary McRae and his parents as John Donald Macaskill and Catherine Chisholm.

Do not trust this listing - use it as one possible theory. If whoever put it there was guessing at his date of birth, they could also be guessing at his parents' names. You need to find out why that person thought that those were his parents.

[DonM]

The descendants of Rev. Malcolm Macaskill of Eigg.  Ancestry is full of those claiming to be descendants.  Lots of dates no definitive proof.  You would be wise to ignore these for one important reason.  That family settled in Alabama I do not believe for one minute a son would say I'm going 1,200 miles north to the Ottawa River because I love the cold and 8' snow drifts.

I don't see your Kenneth in the 1841 Census but do in the 1851.  His bride was 10 years younger at 42 born Scotland.  Her death suggest she was born around 1809 based on her age at death.
 
The October 1st 1833 Marriage has witnesses being Allan Macaskill and Colin Campbell.  Above this there is Allan Macaskill and Ann Macaskill married on the 19th Jun 1833 and on the adjoining page on December 5, 1833 there is a Donald Macaskill and Rosemary Higginson also of Hawkesbury being married.  I think your Kenneth's family is there you just have to look a bit further.

If this was my search I would search two years on each side of 1833 and list the Macaskill's you might be able to figure out who belongs to which family.  And do the same with the McRae's. It is possible a parent might be a witness.  And don't forget to look at the deaths, the informant might help identify or confirm the parents.

Don

 


 

[memccask]

I guess that it is very possible that Kenneth, Allan, and Donald are related:  they are buried close to each other in the same cemetery (McLaughlin Cemetery in Vankleek Hill, Ontario Canada).  Based upon the inscriptions on their headstones, their birthdays are "about" 1800, 1801 and 1802.  Are they brothers or cousins? Two of them each married a Mary McRae while the 3rd married a Catherine McRae.  Now, I guess that I have to figure out how do I proceed to sort this out.  Any suggestions?

[DonM]

Its too bad the 1842 Census for Hawkesbury isn't around or it would have answered a lot of your questions.

Go to the 1851 Census pull in the sub-directory enter Hawkesbury pull up all the McCaskill's including the spelling variants.  List the heads of each family and age.

From what I see there are only two families in Hawkesbury.  You will see "Nancy" aged 91 mother, living with her son Alexander.  Further down Allen is there but born in Canada, so not yours but likely Alexander's brother.  Perhaps these are cousins its hard to say given a male/female McCaskill married both being in Hawkesbury. 

Then go to the marriages and start 1825 -1840 and pull these to find the female's and the rest of the males including witnesses.  From this you should be able to put them into one or the other family.

Don

[Forfarian]

I note with interest the baptism of an Allan McCaskill, father Donald McCaskill, in Glenelg in 1815. Obviously not your one, as he is at least ten years too young and not born in Canada, but maybe another piece of the jigsaw?