Alexander McDonald.....

[Pandabean]

I am trying to find the death certificate for this person who is my Great,great Grandfather. I know he was born in 1856 in the district of Milton.

His parents were James McDonald and Margaret Reid (I am also having dificulty in locating these death certificates).

Alexander is alive in 1901 and living with his family and wife (Margaret Adamson, married in 1885 died in 1914 in Dennistoun, Glasgow). On Margaret Adamson's death certificate it says "Married to Alexander McDonald, Coal Pit Headman". I am presuming that he is still alive at this point.

In the 1901 census, he is living in the Hamlet of Hamilton Palace Colliery and is aged 45. His address is 40 Roman Place.

Can anyone help me at all?

[Jack]

Hi Andy,
Who was the informant on Margaret ADAMSON's 1914 DC?
If it was hubby Alexander, then you know he was still living,
but if it wasn't then you'd need to trust (at the moment) that he did die 1914 onwards.
Jack

[Pandabean]

Yup. It is Alexander McDonald (Widower). So I do now know that he is alive after her death.

When I did the search there were quite a few Alexander McDonald's dying between 1914 - 1955 (Highly unlikely that he lived til after 1955). I have already wasted about 25 credits trying to look for him in the areas that his most likely to be in (Glasgow area) but no luck.

Hi Andy,
Who was the informant on Margaret ADAMSON's 1914 DC?
If it was hubby Alexander, then you know he was still living,
but if it wasn't then you'd need to trust (at the moment) that he did die 1914 onwards.
Jack

[AndrewP]

With a name such as Alexander McDonald, you need a bottomless pit of a credit card. As well as the multitudes using that spelling, you may need to consider that if a mistake was made during registration of his death, you need to consider Mac or Mc Donald, or even M(a)cDonnell. Or if the person registering him, called him by one of the short forms of that name, you have Alec, Alex or Sandy to consider.

In reality if you need to search through a multitude of records, this is most easily done in New Register House, Edinburgh; or Park Circus, Glasgow where there is access to GROS's DIGROS system and for your entry fee, you can look up a lot more than you ever could for the equivalent money on ScotlandsPeople (not knocking ScotlandsPeople, but for this type of search...).

All the best,

AndrewP

[Jack]

Hi Andy,
Andrew was certainly correct when looking for an Alexander McDonald - multitudes is an understatement!
But who'd have guessed your GG-GF had lived to 90yrs of age....
You'll find he died 9 Oct 1947 - in Bellshill (Gros Ref: 625-3. 210)
Jack

[Pandabean]

Thank you so much

How did you manage to find him :O

Would you also be able to help track down his father and mother?

Father: James McDonald Death - Between 1856 and 1885
He is in the 1851 Census in the parish of Barony, married to Margaret Reid in 1850 in Barony. I think he was born around 1827, possibly Broadford.

I did a search using the above criteria and came up with a fair few results.

Mother: Margaret Reid, born around 1824?, age 27 in 1851 census. Died before 1885.


I also cannot locate them in the 1861 census which is really annoying me.

Hi Andy,
Andrew was certainly correct when looking for an Alexander McDonald - multitudes is an understatement!
But who'd have guessed your GG-GF had lived to 90yrs of age....
You'll find he died 9 Oct 1947 - in Bellshill (Gros Ref: 625-3. 210)
Jack

[Jack]

Hi Andy,
You were asking how i found Alexander's 1947 DC age 90yrs. It was luck....
As he was born 1856, i gave him to live to be 100+ (well you never know!).
So, year 1960, age 99 to 109. Then worked backwards till the right man was found in 1947.
You'd previously mentioned a Bothwell connection with William, so i concentrated mainly on Lanarkshire and Glasgow East.
If he'd died much, much younger (or outwith LKS) he'd be very difficult to trace,
but probably would've been eventually, provided that his age wasn't too far out.
Though many hours searching might've been needed because of the large search window - ie 1914 to say 1955+.
And as Andrew mentioned, there may have been a name changes, but thankfully this time there weren't.
====
As regards parents James & Margaret, i'll have a try - but i know my time will be rather limited.
(by the way James was born Broadford according to the 1851 census - eyes must've been really playing up the day i first looked at the page!)
I still can't see James & Margaret in LKS 1861 either, and as we know Alexander at least lived past 1861, he should be somewhere in that year.
(and it may be useful to see who's he's with in 1871 too)

And what happened to John (1850) & Janet (1859)?
I'd like to find them in 1861 & 1871 as well, but always a chance they've died young.
====
I've been hesitating to give you the censuses below as they may well put you on the wrong track altogether.
I have much doubt either are "yours" - especially the 3rd, but you are better knowing of them.
The 1st is in the "right area", and although James 6yrs & Alexr. 4yrs are both gr-children to John 60, it doesn't mean they are brothers.
(but the chances are that they could well be)
There are other Glasgow born Alexanders of the right age in Glasgow,
but not with parents James & Margaret, nor with siblings John or Janet.
--
1861 cens 644-6 Ed 6 pp 13-14 (Blythswood - St. George)
127 New City Road.
John McDONALD, head, marr, 61, labourer, b Strath, INV
Janet McDONALD, wife, marr, 45, ---------b Stewarton, AYR
John McDONALD, son, 9, scholar, b Glasgow, LKS
James McDONALD, gr-child, 6, scholar, b Glasgow, LKS
Alexr. McDONALD, gr-child, 4, -------------b Glasgow, LKS
Robert H SPEDDING, lodger, u/m 22, student, b England
John JACKSON, lodger, u/m 18, student, b England
John McSKIMMING, lodger, u/m 21, clerk (drapers), b Barr, AYR
William MATHIESON, lodger, u/m 19, joiner, b Strath, INV
John McLEOD, lodger, u/m 16, engine fitter, b Strath, INV
&
1881 Census Place: Govan, Lanark, Scotland
Dwelling: 154 Cumberland St
Source: FHL Film 0203675 GRO Ref Volume 644-12 EnumDist 54 Page 21
Janet MC DONALD W 63 F Stewarton, Ayr, Scotland Rel: Head Occ: Housekeeper
John MC DONALD U 28 M Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland Rel: Son Occ: Stone Cutter
John MC DONALD M 47 M Strath Parish Of, Inverness, Scotland Rel: Lodger Occ: Joiner
Marion MC DONALD U 19 F Strath Parish Of, Inverness, Scotland Rel: Lodger Occ: Dressmaker
John MC DONALD U 18 M Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland Rel: Lodger Occ: Clerk
Wm. GREIN U 29 M Mortlach, Banff, Scotland Rel: Lodger Occ: Brewer
----
1861 cens 644-5 Ed 109 p 4 (Calton)
49 French Street. House No.2.
Margaret McDONALD, head, widow, 60, --------b Morven, ARL
Christina McDONALD, daur, u/m 27, cotton weaver, b Kilmallie, INV
Ann McDONALD, daur, u/m 25, dye worker, b Kilmallie, INV
Flora McDONALD, daur, u/m 21, cotton weaver, b Kilmallie, INV
Isabella McDONALD, daur, u/m 18, dye worker, b Doune, PER
Alexander McDONALD, gr-son, 5, ------------b Glasgow, LKS
Donald McDONALD, boarder, u/m 30, labourer in secret works, b Uist, INV
==
Jack

[Pandabean]

Thank you once again.

It does seem to be a big mystery that James and Margaret both disappear. Could they have went to the America's, Australia after Alexander was old enough to look after himself? Far fetched idea but it may be possible.

There is a result for a Jas. McDonald born in Strath around 1827, but the odd thing is the name of the father, Godfrey. This doesnt seem to go along with the name pattern, ie naming the son after the parent's father.

Regarding James and Margaret, they did only have three kids (John, Alexander and Janet) according to the IGI.

[Pandabean]

Here is the possible birth of James in 1827, Strath.

12/11/1827 MCDONALD JAS WM GODFREY MCDONALD/ELIZ. MONTGOMERY FR15 U STRATH 119/00 0001


Also would it be possible that the first census result you have with John as head. Could that have been James' brother? Or would it have said nephew on the census for Alexander?

[Jack]

Hi Andy,
It's really very difficult to say who the John age 60 in 1861 is - but his DC (if found) would hopefully say.
IF he was a brother of James then the census should've said nephew, but not all censuses are correct.
[you get the feeling that Stewarton born Janet may not have been his 1st wife]
But it's a slim chance John (b~1800) was a brother, unless he was abt the oldest & James (b~1827) abt the youngest child.
I know a few women were probably still having children 30yrs after marriage, but in my own family it was mainly over 20 to 26yrs at most.
--
Your James could've been the son of Godfrey McDonald, but on the other hand, maybe not! A DC is sorely needed!
It would require a prolonged One Name Study of the Skye M(a)cDONALDS to MAYBE sort out who's who...with no guarantee you ever would!
But possibly some work's been done? seems there is a Clan Donald Centre which does research.
http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/en/leabharlann ... hnaill.php
--
By the way, to give you an idea how popular (i won't say common!) the McDONALD name was in Glasgow alone.
1841 - over 3,000.
1851 - over 3,750.
1861 - over 4,500.
Of course they would be born in many different places, but there's a lot of them!
==
FreeCEN has these censuses; there is also a 15yr old James MacDONALD in Strath 1841, but not with family.
If this 12yr old James can still be found in Skye 1851 with his parents then he could be eliminated -
but what if he's not with them? he could be married or even outwith the area; in fact anywhere....
And very possibly he's not even your James at all - the similarity is only that he's abt the right age.
So you can see how it would be quite a task to pin down all the Skye M(a)cDONALDs to see what happened to them.
(you already know some were in Glasgow by 1851 - so where else did they go?)
--
1841 / 119 Place: Strath-Inverness-shire Enumeration District: 9, Page: 4
Civil Parish: Strath Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island:
Address: Harripool
MACDONALD John M 40 Ag Lab Inverness-shire
MACDONALD Marion F 40 Inverness-shire
MACDONALD James M 12 Inverness-shire
MACDONALD John M 10 Inverness-shire
MACDONALD Ellen F 8 Inverness-shire
-- and just previous is --
MACDONALD Alexander M 30 Shoemaker Inverness-shire
MACDONALD Janet F 30 Inverness-shire
MACDONALD Alexander M 6 Inverness-shire
MACDONALD Cathrine F 3 Inverness-shire
MACDONALD Christy F 9m Inverness-shire
JOHNSON Marion F 13 Female Servant Inverness-shire
==
It may be worthwhile joining some other Mailing Lists? - say; Inverness or M(a)cDonald.
For eg, this taken from the Rootsweb Inverness List - but it seems a wee bit confusing on names etc.
The writer might know what happened to the son Jas. Wm. born 1827, but Scalpay isn't exactly Broadford.
Alas, there were no replies.
http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/SC ... 1129897985
--
Date: 21 Oct 2005 06:33:05 -0600
From: <wombatultima@optusnet.com.au>
To: SCT-INVERNESS-L@rootsweb.com
Subject: Godfrey McDonald of Scalpay Parish of Strath c1830

I am looking for information about Godfrey McDonald and anyone of his family.
They lived on Scalpay around 1830 and it is believed that Gadfrey drowned sometime about 1841. Here is his family
Subject Godfrey Macdonald
Father James Macdonald
Mother Elizabeth MCLEAN

Son: Alexander (Sandy) Macdonald
Marriage __ ___ Elizabeth (Betsy) Montgomery (b.1804)
Son: 3 Jun 1827 James William Macleod Macdonald; Isle of Scalpay, Parish of Strath, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Son: 1 Jan 1830 John Macdonald; Isle of Scalpay, Parish of Strath, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Son: 25 Dec 1830 Norman Hume Macdonald; Isle of Scalpay, Parish of Strath, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Daughter: 1 Nov 1832 Christy Macdonald; Isle of Scalpay, Parish of Strath, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
==
Methinks you've got some work ahead unless the DCs of your James McDONALD & wife Margaret REID can be found.
And if they are, we can only hope they are accurate in parents names!
I'm sorry i've not been of any real help,
Jack