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  1. #1
    JanGlaschu
    Guest

    Default Donald MacKay, shepherd, Portskerray

    I haven't posted for a while so thought I'd try again; I'm looking for info on Donald MacKay, a shepherd in Bighouse, lived in Portskerray.
    I believe he married Jean Mackay in 1814 and had several children 1815-1820, John, Finlay, Catherine and Margaret; also possibly children Ketty, Sarah and George (I have birth records for the first four only). Donald died some time before 1831, when his daughter Catherine marries for the first time at the very young age of 13, in Aberdeen.

    I think I have the same Jean/Jane as a widow on the 1841 census in Portskerray, along with the remaining children, and a family named MacDonald. Also have Jane on 1851 and 1861 censuses, she was born in Durness. Son Finlay married Barbara (?) and had a son Angus.

    I would love to know more about the family; any help appreciated,

    Janet

  2. #2
    Michael Duke
    Guest

    Default Donald MacKay

    Hello Janet,

    I have a Barbara MacKay married to Peter Angus, emigrated to Canada early 1800's. Both came from the Thurso area, any good to you?

    Best Regards Michael Duke

  3. #3
    JanGlaschu
    Guest

    Default

    I've no idea if there is any connection; there are and were so many MacKays in Caithness, even in a small place like Portkerra, every other family seems to be Mackay!
    The only Barbara I know of seems to be the wife of Donald's son, Finlay, and as far as I know they stayed in Portskerra.

  4. #4
    Stephen M. Kohler
    Guest

    Default

    Jan, Michael, My great-uncle (five generations) Sergeant Donald Mackay (From Thurso) served in one of the Highland Regiments during the American War for Independence. He settled on a land grant from King George in Shelburne Nova Scotia after the war. Many of his/my MacKays/McKays originating in Thurso immigrated to Nova Scotia, Canada in the late 18th Century and early 19th Century. Amongst them was David a younger son of Donald's. David is my fifth great grandfather. Donald's grandson was Donald McKay the famous shipbuilder remembered for the building Clipper Ships like the "Flying Cloud", "Courier", and "Hercules". Are there any MacKays in Thurso aware of this family and possible connections?

    There is an enormous amount of history and genealogy posted on the internet about the extended families of Donald and David MacKay/McKay. Start with "Donald McKay Shipbuilder".

  5. #5
    Lyntochter
    Guest

    Default Relative in Portskerra

    I came across this post and although my relative is not Mackay, I have a g.g.g.grandfather, George McLeod, who was born around 1810 in Portskerra but I cannot trace his parents at all. I have his death certificate but no names of parents are recorded. However, I think his father must have been John as his eldest son was John and he also had a first child, Johan, who died as a baby. He came to Edinburgh later and married there. If anyone has any information, I would be very interested.

  6. #6
    JanGlaschu
    Guest

    Default

    Have you tried the 1841 census for Portskerra (online at https://www.freecen.org.uk)? Portskerra comes under Reay parish.

  7. #7
    Mamie
    Guest

    Default Donald Mckay, Portskerra

    Donald may also have been born in Durness /Farr as most people from Reay in the early years would have been registered in Sutherland. I too have Mckay's in Portskerra lol.

    Portskerra is actually physically in Sutherland.

    Certainly the oldest Finlay Mckay age 75 in Reay was born there.
    Perhaps this one is even your Donald's father altough there is another aged 65 who was born in Caithness(maybe lol)

    In that case his birth might be registered in Thurso. However searching FREEREG there are no Donald Mckay's born in Thurso parish with some combination of Finlay, John, Catherine or Margaret born in a suitable time period to be your Donald.

    People from Portskerra could be interred in any of several cemetaries in Farr but of course could also be interred in Caithness. Couldn't find anyone with a photographed headstone currently on line at www.countysutherland.co.uk that fits dates. The mailing list group on that site may be able to help. I belong to that mailing list and a better group of people cannot be found.

    If the Finlay in Portskerra married to Barbara is yours Barbara is Barbara MacDonald(also a very common name in Portskerra).

    BTW you said you had birth records for the first 4 of Donald and Jean's children. Did you mean actual OPR entries? I certainly can find dates for them but all are member submissions on the IGI.

    Reay is one of the difficult parishes to pin down where actual registrations have taken place assuming the births were actually registered. In that part of Scotland many births were not registered.

    Mamie

  8. #8
    Mamie
    Guest

    Default George McLeod

    When did he marry and when did he die?
    There certainly is no George McLeod in Portskerra in 1841 or later of suitable age and while there are several John's they aren't old enough to be your George's father.

    There is a widowed John aged 60 in 1851 with children Ann, Betty and Niel. I guess he could be a brother.

    Do any of those names occur in your family?

    There are only 4 George Mcleod's in Reay in 1841

    one at Isauld
    one at New Reay who was born outside the census county
    the above were married

    one at Borlum
    one at Bighouse a salmon fisher

    anything ring a bell?

    Mamie

  9. #9
    Lyntochter
    Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mamie View Post
    When did he marry and when did he die?
    There certainly is no George McLeod in Portskerra in 1841 or later of suitable age and while there are several John's they aren't old enough to be your George's father.

    There is a widowed John aged 60 in 1851 with children Ann, Betty and Niel. I guess he could be a brother.

    Do any of those names occur in your family?

    There are only 4 George Mcleod's in Reay in 1841

    one at Isauld
    one at New Reay who was born outside the census county
    the above were married

    one at Borlum
    one at Bighouse a salmon fisher

    anything ring a bell?

    Mamie
    Thanks to everyone for replies. My George married in Edinburgh in 1832 and appears in the 1841 census in Edinburgh but I don't have an exact birth date or information about parents. I am not sure when he left Portskerra but I imagine it would be in his late teens maybe. I think his father's name might have been John as his first daughter (who died as a baby) was Johan and then his next child, a son, was John. Family names are John, Harriet (but I don't think Harriet followed the family tradition), Catherine. I'm not sure where I might find any information because it is obviously before the census. Could there be any church or school records available and where would I locate those?

  10. #10
    Mamie
    Guest

    Default

    Assuming there are baptismal records they could be in Durness, Farr, Reay or Thurso.
    Scotlandspeople should have the OPR's that are available. Alternatively a Family History Centre near you would have or could get the microfilms for these areas.

    If George married in 1832 you would have to assume he could be anywhere from 20 - 30 at that time. He could even have been older. It was rare that someone married before the age of 20 on the average.

    What was his age on the 1841 census? His birth could be at least 4 yrs earlier than that age. Meaning if he was listed as 40 he could easily be really as old as 44.

    Do you know who the wife's parents were? In the traditonal naming pattern her parents would be included in the childrens names. It could be the wife's father was a John???

    If his mother was Harriet in the north that could also be Herod, Harriot, Herret and a couple of other variations. Spelling really didn't become fixed in first or last name until the close of the 19th century. I haven't seen Harriet much in Sutherland but it is reasonably common in Caithness.

    In Portskerra Catherine could be Ketty, Katherine(Katharine )or Catherine(Catharine) and perhaps Caithren, Cathrin etc etc.

    Often marriages might be recorded in the parish but births not It varies quite a bit from parish to parish.

    There were just the 4 children that you know of? Have you found any of the family in later censuses. So you need to perhaps look for a marriage of a John and Harriet or Catherine in all of the above listed parishes say up to 20 years before George's possible birth and beyond it as well. He might have been illegitimate. It was really quite common. If he was illegitimate then he could have registered under either or both parents surnames. It would depend on whether the father agreed that he was the father or not. Often where he didn't officially agree the surname of the suspected father was included as a middle name.

    Then an alternate source might be KIRK session records which might mention the parents who would have been admonished for fornication. These are held at the National Archives of Scotland(Edinburgh) and only a very few have been put online.

    So that would mean a visit if you found some possibilties to check out or hiring a researcher to look for you.

    There are various other sources such a rental lists and militia lists some of which are online or published in articles, books, etc.

    Mamie
    Last edited by Mamie; 27-04-2009 at 11:30 PM. Reason: placement of name

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