Mcdonald, New Brunswick and Prince Edward County
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Family of Daniel McDonald, New Brunswick and Prince Edward County compiled by John A. Brebner for the Friends of Sandbanks 29 March 2021 Generation One 1. Daniel/David McDonald #67333, b. c. 1755? in Scotland? . From "Pioneer Life in the Bay of Quinte", 1904 "The McDonald Family." "The ancestors of this family came originally from Scotland from which country they fled at the time of the massacre of Glencoe *; eventually their descendants located in New Brunswick in the early days of the settlement of that province. Here were born David, Henry, John, William, Daniel, George, James, Alexander, Francis, Nancy and Susan; all of whom appeared to have emigrated to Prince Edward County and to have settled in or near Hallowell directly after the War of 1812." Local lore suggests that there were fewer children, but based on the McDonald families in Hallowell Township whose ancestry suggest both a New Brunswick birthplace, as well as their common religious beliefs within the Church of Christ Disciple at West Lake, the "Pioneer Life..." extract from 1901 is more likely... This is very much a genealogy in progress. There are many "loose ends", folks that seem to have disappeared from both Ontario and the United States. One of the major problems in tracing descendants of this family is that they often used their middle names, or nick-names later in life, rather than the first names that appear on their birth certificates, or in early census data. Daniel arrived in Prince Edward County after the War of 1812 from New Brunswick with five (more likely) sons and three daughters * (see conflicting data from above source). An original log cabin on the site was replaced by a frame house in 1836, close to the present Lakeland Lodge site. It burned down in 1950, and the house directly opposite the Lakeland Lodge site was built by his son Alexander and his wife Lydia in 1876. The farm and land continued to be held by his descendants, and in 1977 was sold to the Ministry of Natural Resources. Note that the publication "Pioneer Life on the Bay of Quinte" states that the family consisted of nine brothers and two sisters. It is still farmed by descendant Keith MacDonald, who lives on the family land on Block H at West Point with his wife Eleanor, and who plans to continue working the farm for as long as possible. The 1950's newspaper article of the house fire states that the original log cabin was moved to the Disciple Church property, although it is no longer there today. John A. Brebner is a major compiler of this genealogy. As a member of the Friends of Sandbanks, a semi-retired career photographer with the federal government, and a long-time genealogist, who has documented the Scottish Brebner/Bremner families since 1988, he is working to link as many of the founding families of Prince Edward County in an attempt to collect as many stories, photographs and histories that will be deposited in the Prince Edward County Archives for future researchers. 1 There are many more descendants and family connections still to be discovered within this genealogy. Aside from McDonald/MacDonald descendants in Prince Edward County, there are other families in northern New York State, Michigan, California and other locales even further afield. John welcomes corrections, criticisms, additions and photographs, and may be contacted at [email protected] This genealogy is by no means either complete or 100% accurate. Caveat emptor! * Note that the Massacre of Glencoe cited above happened in 1692. If the McDonald family had fled to "New Brunswick" after that, then they would have been in New Brunswick (then Nova Scotia) for over a century before moving west to Prince Edward County. It seems more likely that the McDonald family came along with the bulk of English and Scots during the latter part of the 18th century, after the Clearances' so-called "Year of the Sheep" in 1792, and especially after the United States War of Independence in 1783 and the War of 1812. By 1815, much of the best farm lands in Lower Canada had been given to Loyalists, and moving west to Ontario would have been an attractive option for a large and growing family. It's also worth noting that the Province of New Brunswick only came into being in 1784, carved from Nova Scotia in response to the influx of Loyalist settlers from the original American Colonies. This is an area that deserves more research, but I suspect that the McDonalds' and others that made the westward trek to Prince Edward County probably lived in the Thirteen Colonies prior to the Revolutionary War, and only passed through New Brunswick after 1784. Family lore suggests that they arrived in Prince Edward County with their large family in about 1818. The 1825 and 1842 Censuses of Lower Canada (ancestry.com) have not yet revealed any likely ancestral McDonald/MacDonald families from New Brunswick. He married Hannah (unidentified) #67334, b. c 1760? in Scotland? Hannah: The Marianne Grey Otty database of baptisms. marriages. deaths shows a couple David and Hannah McDonald living in Grand Lake (near the Branscombe family). That database shows six children to the couple, four of whom match with other sources. Nova Scotia Land Petitions show a draft grant to David and John MCDONALD , Grand Lake, northern side. River St. John, Lots no. 1 - no. 41, both inclusive, except Lots 37 and 38. This was part of a 9800 acre grant to 60 individuals. (Nova Scotia Land Papers, 1765 -1800). The 1770 census of Sackville, Nova Scotia (to become Sackville, New Brunswick in 1784) shows no McDonald families, so it is assumed that they arrived in the area when they were given the land grant in 1784. Children: 2. i. David McDonald #67219 b. c. 1785. 3. ii. Sarah McDonald #67377 b. c. 1786. 4. iii. Henry McDonald #69564 b. c. 1787. 2 5. iv. Daniel McDonald #67187 b. c. 1790. 6. v. Francis McDonald #67356 b. c. 1793. 7. vi. Alexander McDonald #67335 b. c. 1794. 8. vii. John McDonald #154974. 9. viii. William McDonald #70480 b. c. 1796. 10. ix. Susan McDonald #69327 b. 02 July 1800. 11. x. George C. McDonald #70481. 12. xi. James McDonald #69734 b. c. 1808. 13. xii. John McDonald #69685 b. c. 1812. 14. xiii. Hannah? McDonald #179158. Generation Two 2. David McDonald #67219, b. c. 1785 in New Brunswick, Lower Canada,1 occupation 1851 Farmer in Hillier Township, religion 1851 Wesleyan Methodist, d. after 1851. Family of seven children (Pioneer Life on the Bay of Quinte), but that is obviously incorrect. 1851: Farmed in Hillier Township, Prince Edward County with family. Is the David McDonald born c 02 MAY 1814 part of this family? He married Sarah Barton #67220,1 b. c. 1787 in New Brunswick,1 d. 20 August 1873 in Hillier Township, Prince Edward County, Ontario.2 Sarah: Note that there are no BARTON / BURTON families found in the 1825 New Brunswick, Lower Canada census. (ancestry.com) Possibly d/o Isaac BARTON, born c 1769, and family in Demorestville, Prince Edward County? Sister to Isaac BARTON, enumerated with the Marmaduke ELLIS family in Hillier Township. Children: 15. i. Hannah McDonald #70499 b. c. 1806. 16. ii. Henry McDonald #69682 b. c. 1806 - 1808. 17. iii. John McDonald #69658 b. c. 1812. 3 18. iv. Joseph McDonald #69579 b. c. 1814. 19. v. Mary Ann McDonald #69732 b. c. 1817. 20. vi. Andrew McDonald #70676 b. 1819. 21. vii. Lydia McDonald #69858 b. c. 1821. 22. viii. (unidentified) McDonald #70527. 23. ix. (unidentified) McDonald #70528. 24. x. (unidentified) McDonald #70529. 25. xi. (unidentified) McDonald #70530. 26. xii. Elizabeth McDonald #67221 b. 12 July 1826. 27. xiii. William McDonald #69745 b. 01 December 1833. 28. xiv. Letitia McDonald #122408 b. c. 10 November 1825. 3. Sarah McDonald #67377, b. c. 1786 in New Brunswick, never married, religion 1873 Wesleyan Methodist, d. 20 August 1873 in Hillier?, Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada.3 . *** Verify that Sarah is sister to other McDonalds born New Brunswick ** Death certificate suggests that she was a spinster, but 1871 Hillier census states that she was widowed... did she marry Jared CLARK(E), with possible daughter Miriam that married FERGUSON?? 4. Henry McDonald #69564, b. c. 1787 in New Brunswick,4 baptized 18 February 1794 in Grand Lake, Queen's County, New Brunswick, occupation 1851 Farmer, religion 1851 "No Church", d. 1859 in Hillier Township?, Prince Edward County, Canada West,5 buried in Wellington Cemetery, Wellington, Prince Edward County, Ontario.5 . 1851: Farmed in Hillier, Prince Edward County. Enumerated in the household were Benjamin PHILLIPS, 24, Lydia J. ALBEE, 15, Servant Maid. Verify all children and relationships... some children likely from an earlier marriage " Sons Henry, Nathaniel not from wife Hannah! Is Henry Garrett MCDONALD, b c 1843, died 05 FEB 1891 in Hillier from this family? He married (1) (unidentified) Barton #69764, in New Brunswick. (unidentified): Existence of first wife solely based on children in Hillier that could be a possible match... Verify relationships!! Children: 4 29. i. Ann (Hannah) McDonald #72293 b. c. 1803. 30. ii. Nathaniel McDonald #69568 b. c. 1813. 31. iii. William McDonald #70082 b. c. 1818. 32. iv. Joseph McDonald #190781. 33. v. George McDonald #190782. 34. vi. Sarah McDonald #100250 b. c. 1815. 35. vii. Charlotte McDonald #70081 b. c, 1818. 36. viii. Thomas L. McDonald #69574 b. 30 December 1822. 37. ix. Hannah McDonald #139416 b. c. 1823. He married (2) Hannah Pettingill #74123, 16 October 1838 in Prince Edward County, Upper Canada,6 b.