MacDonald ties: Pictou County - Mohawk Valley - Ontario
http://www.glen-net.ca/st-andrews-ucc/martin.htmlhttp://www.glen-net.ca/st-andrews-ucc/martin.html
The origin of the village of Martintown was in the Scottish Highlands. When in 1745 the followers of Bonnie Prince Charlie failed in their attempt to place him on the British throne, they found thereafter that life for them, as tenant farmers was most uncertain. Portions of the estates were being sold and they were homeless and destitute. Tales of the New World across the sea were reaching them, and they began to dream of a new and freer existence far from their native glens.
In 1773 three brothers of the clan Macdonald organized an expedition to sail for America.....................
.................600 passengers were on board the ‘Pearl’. They initially settled in the Mohawk Valley of New York State, and for a few years they prospered
.......................victims of a victorious army. They were deprived of their possessions and driven from their homes. The Loyalists made their way to different parts of Canada.
...............By the mid 1800s, the Gaelic language was still in use in the homes of many of the folk; and Gaelic services as well as English were common.
My McDonald's (MacDonald's) sailed from Glenurquhart in 1775 on the Ship Glasgow. The ship landed in NY Harbor and all the passengers were impressed into the British Army (84th Royal Highland Emigrant Regiment).
On disbandment in 1783, they were given lands in Pictou County at the East River-Upper Settlement. A thoroughly Gaelic Speaking community evolved there for many years.
I am trying to find a MacDonald/McDonald familial link to the Highland Scots settlements of the 1770 Mohawk Valley in upstate NY who eventually (after the American Revolution) resettled in Ontario.
I keep reminding myself that my progenitors landed in NY Harbor in 1775 when they were surely already aware that hostilities might break out at anytime (the Edinburgh newspapers were carrying articles regarding the Highland settlements in North Carolina)
http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/hp/colonial/newspapers/Subjects/Imm.htmhttp://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/hp/colonial/newspapers/Subjects/Imm.htm
September 30, 1775
Edinburgh Evening Courant
Extract of a letter from Fort William, Sept. 14.
“We have no news in this country; only yesterday sailed, the ship Jupiter, from Dunstaffuage Bay with about 200 emigrants on board, for North Carolina, mostly from the country of Appin in Argyleshire. Though formerly among the first to take up arms against the reigning family, they now declare their readiness to support government in case they find it necessary on their arrival in America.— This day likewise will sail the ship Glasgow, with emigrants from the port of Fort-William, bound for New York.”
So, why NY Harbor when they could easily have sailed to either Kings County, NS, Pictou Harbor or North Carolina to enjoin with those Highland Scot enclaves already established?
I keep thinking about how, at that time and place, entire Highland villages would pick up as a group and sail here to the colonies.
I can only assume my family of MacDonalds were enroute to join up with some others from their own clan or villages and they may have already had ties to the Mohawk Valley.
I believe that some of those Scots formerly of the Mohawk Valley, joined the Brit Army (Battalion 1 of the 84th) and possibly resettled in Ontario, Quebec, and Toronto after 1783.
It might explain why several of my McDonald/MacDonald families left Pictou County in the very early 1800's and packed up for Ontario (Brucefield area) and even today some still spell their name as McDonald while those who remained in Pictou adopted MacDonald
We have been unable to locate any other McDonald/MacDonald familial ties within Pictou County in the time frame of 1773-1820
My MacDonald’s are listed in Victor Duncanson's book on Rawdon and Douglas in pages 331 to 343.
from the book "Rawdon and Douglas: Two Loyalist Townships in Nova Scotia", by John V Duncanson
"John (or Iain) MacDonald was born in Inverness-shire, Scotland. m. (1) Jannet, m. (2) Margaret Grant. John McDonald (Iain MacEoghainn Oig) was born at Glenurquhart (about 1720-1723) and belonged to the Glencoe McDonalds.
At the time of the Glencoe Massacre, 1692, one of the McDonalds fled to Glenurquhart and settled there. John McDonald was a grandson or great grandson of that man.
He was about eight years in the Royal Highland Emigrant Regiment, and three of his sons fought with him in the Revolutionary War on the Loyalists' side. He was also reported to be a veteran of Culloden in 1746.
In the History of Bridgeville NS, it is written that ‘Old’ John was over 60 yrs of age when he finally settled in Bridgeville in 1784
According to an article by Rev. Alexander McLean Sinclair in the Eastern Chronicle "He (Iain) settled in Strathbeg, or the Soldier's Grant, East River. Sons Duncan, James and Ewen Mor settled near him.
He (John) was married twice. By his first wife Jannet(?), he had Duncan (20 Feb 1740-Loget), Alexander (26 Nov 1742-Loget), Mary and Christy. By his second wife, Margaret Grant, he had James, Ewen (Hugh), Ann, and Helen (Ellen), twin girls born on 1 July 1772 at Drumnadrochit, Glenurquhart, Inverness-shire.
·Children of Old John MacDonald (Iain MacEoghainn, Oig) of Glenurquhart, Inverness, Scotland
o Ann MacDonald was married to Thomas Fraser, Basin.
o (Helen) Ellen MacDonald was married to James Robertson. The well-known Deacon Robertson, Churchville, was their son.
o Mary, his eldest daughter was married in Windsor to a McDonald.
o Christy married Duncan “Speech or Speich” McDonald
o Duncan MacDonald, eldest son of John McDonald, was married to Catherine Fraser.
o Alexander MacDonald – no true record that he survived the American War, however, there was an oral history that said he remained in the Windsor area (unconfirmed)
o James MacDonald, their third son, was born about 1759. He was a Corporal in the 84th regiment. He married about 1782, Mary Forbes, by whom he had Alexander, Edward and other sons. He left East River about 1834, and settled in Upper Canada (Brucefield ONT) where he died in 1857. He was an elder under Dr. McGregor and a very prominent man on the East River in his day. Alexander McDonald, his fifth son, settled near Bridgeville and was the father of Hon. James McDonald, Chief Justice of Nova Scotia and Minister of Justice in the cabinet of Sir John A. MacDonald (.In 1878 he was made Minister of Justice in the Sir John Macdonald's Government. He was appointed Chief Justice of Nova Scotia in 1881; retiring on a pension in 1904, He declined the honor of Knighthood)
o Hugh (Ewen or Evan) Mor MacDonald was John Oig's 4th and youngest son. Hugh is thought to have married Jane Grant in 1794
If anyone has any ties to these Glenurquhart/Pictou MacDonald/McDonald families, we would like to hear from you to exchange information