How does one search for names of people/families who emigrated to Victoria, by assisted passage. We have established that her father was at the wedding in Melbourne.
Mary's marriage cert also states she was born on the "Isle of Sky " sic.
Other family members may have immigrated with her. We also know from the certificate her mother's maiden name was Ann McLean and her father's occupation was a calico printer.
I have a Sccotlandspeople.gov.uk birth record for a Mary McDonald b 8 Sep 1840 in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, father, Alexander McDonald, occupation, Calico Printer and mother Ann McLean
The 1841 Kilmarnock census lists her and her family (+ 2 brothers, Hugh b 1830 and Donald b 1832) however all other members besides Mary are listed as born outside of Ayrshire, suggesting they may have recently arrived from Skye.
An 1851 census form from Kilmarnock has the following McDonald Family:
Alexander, age 49, occupation 'steamer', birth country Ireland
Ann, age 48, no occupation listed, birthplace Skye
Hugh, Age 20, occupation Calico printer, birthplace Skye
Mary, Age 22, occupation Tailor Journeyman, birthplace Skye
Mary's age is a bit puzzling here - she would have been about 11 at the time. However her occupation as 'tailor journeyman' fits with her occupation on her marriage certificate in Melbourne in 1859 "dressmaker". Maybe they lied to the census taker re her age, which I have seen happen on other census forms from North America.
The Calico printer seems to fit, son taking the father's occupation, (how common was a calico printer as an occupation in the day?) but what was a 'steamer"? - something to do with printing? Again, I think the place of birth Ireland could also be a lie, for whatever reason.
My suspicion is that if this is the correct family, they left sometime after that for Melbourne on assisted passage. They obviously were a working class family and wanted to broaden their horizons.
