Clan Donald Magazine No 2 (1962) Online
Where Are The Lost Macdonalds? By Donald J. Macdonald.
Donald J. Macdonald, Secretary of the Clan Donald Society of Edinburgh, appeals for help in filling the gaps in the family tree.
I ended my first article by making an appeal to any who knew of "lost" families of the Clan to send me particulars for record. The appeal still stands; but I am glad to say that some details have come to hand thanks to the keenness and kindness of some of our members.
Among these are Heiskeir and Skeabost, and Rigg and Balvicquean, both branches of the Clann Domhnaill Hearaich. We are also in touch with Hugh Macdonald of the Glenmore family of Sleat. My friend A.G. MacDonald, Commissioner of Clan Donald in Queensland, has done much to find some of these, and he hopes to find still more in Australia. I would like to acknowledge here our debt to him for his kindness and the great deal of trouble he has taken, and is still taking, to find more.
I have had many visitors from overseas, and letters from others who have some idea of a connection with known families, but their opinions rest usually on family tradition. Now, although this is hard to substantiate in a documentary manner, such traditions are not to be ignored. There is usually some reason for them, and research may lead one to the truth. They are, at the least, a starting point. In one or two cases these traditions have been followed up and found to be correct. So do not be deterred. Send in any information you have and it will be treated with respect and welcomed, for it may throw light on some other case, or may itself be corroborated by some other contributor.
In order to make it easier for any interested (and I hope there will be more than a few) I give a list below of the families I still have to "find," with their connections to the cadet families of the various branches of our Clan.
Information is sought about the following families:
Family |
Founder |
Last Known Representative |
Chiefs |
Keppoch |
Alasdair Carrach (1440) |
Donald (dsp 1855). |
Clan Godfrey |
Godfrey, 4th son of John of Islay |
Donald of Balranald (1500). |
Cadets of Glencoe |
Dalness |
Iain Dubh, 2nd son of Iain Og, 8th of Glencoe (1610) |
Donald (dsp 1855). |
Achtriochtan |
Alasdair, 2nd son of Iain Dubh (above) (1620) |
Colin John in Brisbane (1890)and 2 brothers. |
Laroch |
Alan Dubh, 3rd son of Iain Dubh (above) |
Donald (d. 1745), Bard and Lt. to his chief. |
Inverigan |
Iain Og, 4th son of Iain Dubh (Above) | |
Achnacone |
Iain Mor, 5th son of Iain Dubh (above) | |
Cadets of Dunnyveg and the Glens (Clan Iain Mhor) |
Colonsay |
Coll Maol Dubh, 4th son of Alexander, 5th of Dunnyveg (1551) |
John, son of Robert MD, who died 1889, and 6 cousins. |
Cadets of Clanranald |
MacEachain |
Hector, 2nd son of Roderick, 3rd of Clanranald (1500) |
Charles, son of Alexander of Ord (1900) and 10 cousins, some with issue. |
Gerifluich |
Alexander, 4th son of Ranald of Benbecula (1700) |
Ranald, alive 1822, and 3 brothers: Donald, Roderick and James. |
Milton |
Angus Og, 9th son of Ranald of Benbecula (1690) |
Angus, alive 1850 and brother Colin, at Milton in 1830. |
Bornish |
Ranald, 4th son of Dugall, 6th of Clanranald (1570) |
Ranald, alive and sold out in 1845. |
Knockeltaig |
Ranald, 2nd son of Alan, 1st of Morar (1610) |
George (1800), nephew of Alan, who sold out in 1763. |
Rhetland |
Angus, 3rd son of Alan, 1st of Morar (1610) |
Alan, alive c. 1773 and 4 brothers to America 1773. |
Laig |
Iain, 2nd son of Alexander, 2nd of Morar (1566) |
Ranald, his brother Roderick and cousin John. |
Glenaladale |
Iain Og, 2nd son of John of Moidart (1566) |
Col. John Andrew CB, married twice, in 1862 and 1901. Also collateral family of Archibald "Old Rhu" who dies 1828. |
Cadets of Glengarry |
Ardnabie |
Iain Mor, 4th son of Donald, 7th of Glengarry (1645) |
Alexander (1814) in Canada. |
Shian |
Angus Mor, 2nd son of Alexander, 3rd of Glengarry (1490) |
Captain James, EICS (dsp 1800). |
Lundie |
Alan, 2nd son of Alexander, 5th of Glengarry (1560) |
Donald (d. 1805) and Alan (d. 1815) at Chambly, Canada. |
Barisdale |
Archibald, 5th son of Ranald, 9th of Glengarry (1670) |
Archibald, last male dsp 1862. |
Crowlin |
John, 2nd son of Angus, 3rd of Scotus |
John Alexander, son of Donald Aeneas, Sheriff in Canada, d. 1879, grandson of "Spanish John" (1775 - 1810) who left 3 sons: Miles, Governor of Hudson Bay Co., John and William who married Lucy Walters of Boston, Mass. |
Cadets of Keppoch |
Insch |
Ranald, 2nd son of Ranald Og, 9th of Keppoch (1600) |
Alexander, married 1709. |
Fersit |
Donald, 3rd son of Ranald Og, 9th of Keppoch (1620) |
Duncan or his brother Andrew, married in NZ with issue (1904). |
Achnancoichean |
Angus, 5th son of Alasdair nan Cleas,10th of Keppoch (1600) |
Angus (issue) and several brothers to America (c. 1770). |
Inveroy and Murlagan |
Donald Gorm, 6th son of Alasdair nan Cleas,10th of Keppoch (1600) |
George, in Canada with issue (1770). |
Bohuntin |
Iain Dubh, 3rd son of Ranald Mor, 7th of Keppoch |
Alexander of Antigonish (c. 1904) and several cousins. |
Clianaig |
Donald Gorm, 4th son of Alasdair Buidhe, 14th of Keppoch (1691) |
Donald or his cousins Angus Roy (1770) and Donald Ban Og. |
Tulloch |
Angus, 2nd son of Iain Dubh of Bohuntin (above) |
Ranald to America. |
Gellovie |
Alan, 3rd son of Iain Dubh of Bohuntin (above) |
Ranald of Strathmashie, family to Australia (c. 1830) and many cousins, incl. Major Dugan (d. 1893) and Sir Claude Maxwell KCB, (alive 1900). Sons of Maj. Gen. James Dawson, (d. 1879). Also Alan, son of Alasdair Ban. |
Aberarder |
Donald, 2nd son of Angus, 1st of Tulloch |
Ranald (c. 1870) to Australia. |
Cranachan |
Angus, 3rd son of Donald of Aberarder |
Alexander, son of Alexander said to have been Governor of Auckland, NZ, 1870, and several cousins. |
Tulloch-Chrom |
Alasdair Ban, 2nd son of John, 3rd of Aberarder, d. 1800 |
Archibald to America or his brothers, all in Army or abroad (c. 1830). |
Dalchosnie |
Alan, 2nd son of Alexander, 2nd of Tulloch (above) 1680 |
General Alasdair McIain Macdonald (c.1900). |
Cadets of Sleat |
Balranald |
Donald Hearach (1500) |
James, Major, with issue c. 1800, main line having died out. |
Heiskir & Skeabost |
Donald Hearach (above) |
Hector, born 1893, son of Donald by 2nd wife (other collateral now being known) |
Cuidreach |
Hugh, 4th son of Donull MacIain 'ic Sheumais (c. 1640) |
Lt. Donald, son of Capt. Alexander in NC who married Frances (Surname Uknown). |
Glenmore |
Hugh, 2nd son of Sir James Mor, 2nd Bart. (c. 1680). 2nd family descended from Rev Hugh of Portree has now been found in Australia. |
Henry Francis b. 1779, m. 1811, issue a son. |
Totscor |
John, 3rd son of Sir James Mor, 2nd Bart. (d. 1710) |
Hugh, and Capt. Donald in 42nd Hldrs. alive 1810. |
Bernisdale & Scalpay |
As above, through Norman of Scalpay |
7 sons, all notable soldiers, issue unknown. |
Sartle |
Somerled, 5th son of Sir James Mor, 2nd Bart. (d. 1700) |
James, an Army officer, son of Hugh of Armadale. |
Totamurich & Knock |
Roderick, 6th son of Sir James Mor, 2nd Bart. (d. c. 1692) |
Donald, General in American war in 1776, in Carolina. |
Aird & Vallay |
William, 3rd son of Sir Donald, 3rd Bart. |
Reginald Alastair, son of Capt. Reginald James RA, who was son of the Hon. Wm J. in BC. Several others to Australia. |
Baleshare |
Ranald (1660 - 1742), son of Sir James Mor |
Capt. Charles, 50 years in Army, d. 1883. |
Some of you will know that, thanks to the generosity of Mr Roy Thomson, we were presented with a large quantity of "sheets" and blocks belonging to The Northern Chronicle, which published the three volumes of Clan Donald in 1900-04. Unfortunately we have found that there are not enough, among all that we received, to complete three volumes. This has been a great disappointment to me, of course. But there it is. The printers are of the opinion that it would not be practicable to reprint the missing sheets. The suggestion was made that it might be worthwhile re-issuing the work in one volume, and adding further notes on families, bringing them up to date as far as our records go. If this were undertaken, my appeal for more information about the families is even more urgent.
Sixty years - two generations - have passed since the original volumes were published and copies of the originals are hard to get and expensive. Would there be a demand for such a revision?
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