Heny/Henrietta MacDonald

[Shuggie]

Hi, I'm new to the Forum having only just joined. I've been researching family history on and off for a lot of years. Born in Scotland, I've lived in England for most of my adult life.

Finding MacDonalds can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. I've been looking for information about my father's aunt, Heny MacDonald. She is indexed as Henry, I think wrongly, in the Scotland's People Births for 17 August 1856 and subsequently appears as Henery, aged 4 in the 1861 Scotland Census. Her birthplace and the family home was Kinlochbervie, Sutherland, Scotland. She seems to disappear after that - I've been unable to find her in subsequent censuses, statutory marriages or deaths.

I'm also looking for Anne Matheson, listed in the Scotland 1891 Census as the grandchild of the head of the household, David MacDonald. Aged 4 and born In Edinburgh. I can't find any record for her. There is an Anne Matheson born in South Leith around the correct year to a different Angus Matheson and Henrietta MacDonald - but this is not the same Henrietta.

 

[Shuggie]

I should also have said that Heny was listed in the 1871 Scotland Census aged 14. But no trace after that.

 

[Ellie7]

1856Birth place Golspie,Sutherland,Scotland

William Macdonald
Jessie Cowan

 

[Ellie7]

NameEventsRelationshipsView
Henrietta Mc DonaldPrincipalScotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950birth:20 June 1858Tain, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, United Kingdomfather:William Mc Donaldmother:Jessie CowanView attached tree person(s)View the record details
Henry James Mc DonaldPrincipalScotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950birth:24 August 1867Avoch, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, United Kingdomfather:William Mc Donaldmother:Jessie CowanView attached tree person(s)View the record details
Jessie McDonaldPrincipalScotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950birth:12 June 1872Avoch, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, United Kingdomfather:William McDonaldmother:Jessie CowanView attached tree person(s)View the record details
John McDonaldPrincipalScotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950birth:7 December 1869Avoch, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, United Kingdomfather:William McDonaldmother:Jessie CowanView attached tree person(s)View the record details
Andrew MacDonaldPrincipalScotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950birth:2 May 1862Croy and Dalcross, Inverness-shire, Scotland, United Kingdomfather:William MacDonaldmother:Jessie CowanView attached tree person(s)View the record details
Henrietta MacDonaldPrincipalScotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950birth:18 December 1856Golspie, Sutherland, Scotland, United Kingdomfather:William MacDonaldmother:Jessie CowanView attached tree person(s)View the record details
Floar MacDonaldPrincipalScotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950birth:22 June 1860Cawdor, Nairnshire, Scotland, United Kingdomfather:William MacDonaldmother:Jessie CowanView attached tree person(s)View the record details
Donald MacDonaldPrincipalScotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950birth:16 August 1864Croy and Dalcross, Inverness-shire, Scotland, United Kingdomfather:William MacDonaldmother:Jessy CowanView attached tree person(s)View the record details

 

[Ellie7]

1871 England, Wales & Scotland Census
Easter Lodge Rosehaugh, Avoch, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
William McDonald-Head-Married-Male42-1829-Sawmiller-Lochwinnoch, Sutherland, Scotland
Jessie McDonald Wife Married Female 36 1835 Sawmiller Wife Roxburghshire, Scotland
Christina McDonald Daughter-Female14 1857 Sawmiller Daur Golspie, Sutherland, Scotland
Hennrita McDonald Daughter-Female12 1859 Sawmiller Daur Tain, Ross & Cromarty, Scotland
Flora McDonald Daughter-Female10 1861 Sawmiller Daur Invernessshire, Scotland
Andrew McDonald Son-Male 8 1863 Sawmiller Son Invernessshire, Scotland
Donald McDonald Son-Male 6 1865 Sawmiller Son Invernessshire, Scotland
James McDonald Son-Male3 1868 Sawmiller Son Avoch, Ross & Cromarty, Scotland
John McDonald Son-Male1 1870 Sawmiller Son Avoch, Ross & Cromarty, Scotland


Christina Cowan Niece-Female12 1859-Tain, Ross & Cromarty, Scotland

 

[Ellie7]

First name(s) Henrietta McDonald Birth 1858 Birth date 12 Jun 1858 Baptism year 1858 Baptism date 01 Nov 1858Place Tain County Ross and Cromarty Country Scotland Father's first name(s) William Father's last name McDonald Mother's first name(s) Jessie Mother's last name Cowan Father's occupation Sawyer Residence Tain Additional information Baptised By Rev John Gordon, Edderton Collection Tain Free Church Baptisms 1843-1866

Is this a different one ?

 

[Ellie7]

1851 - Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, Samuel Lewis
KINLOCHBERVIE. See Keanlochbervie, in the county of Sutherland.
https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/Lewis1851/Sutherland/Kinlochbervie
https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/SUT

 

[Shuggie]

Hi Ellie thanks for your efforts. This is a different Heny. I think I've finally found her as Heneretta Matheson in the1891 census and her death entry as Heny in 1937.

 

[Shuggie]

Having finally found Heny in the 1891 & in the 1901 census along with her husband Angus Matheson and seven children I have a new conundrum which I have spent hours since Wednesday trying to resolve without success. The Birth certificates for all her children show her parents and their date and place of marriage as 24 March1822 in South Leith/Leith. That's all fine except for the fact that the only marriage certificate I can find for that date for Angus and Henrietta is about 4 years adrift in each of their ages (possible I suppose) but differs materially in their parentage. Copy of the certificate attached. Angus' father and mother are not the same as on his death certificate in 1914 and Henrietta's mother is not correct so I question if this is them. That said, I can find no other certificate of marriage for them. Its also complicated by the fact that there is an additional child in the 1891 Annie Matheson staying with her grandparents David & Dolina MacDonald - born in Edinburgh in 1884 - most likely Henrietta & Angus' child since there are no other Mathesons in the family. Now I know Registrars sometimes got things wrong and its just possible since this marriage was at the Manse that the minister mixed up the details but I 'm really stiuck with this. Sop if anyone has a flash of inspiration to help me solve this I'd be really grateful. Thanks

 

[DaveHam9]

I have searched SP in 1856 for a female MacDonald/McDonald with given name starting with Hen and this is the only one

MACDONALD
HENRIETTA
F
1856
051/ 50
Golspie

Re the ages in the 1882 marriage there are births in 1855 2x, 1856 and 1857 for an Angus Matheson and in 1859, 1860 and 1861 for a Henrietta McDonald and 1859 2x, 1860 and 1861 3x for a Henrietta MacDonald.

Only the one marriage in SP in 1882. At the moment I can't say if most of the details in that marriage are correct and the errors are elsewhere or if the marriage is the wrong one because it does not match details known to be correct.

 

[DaveHam9]

What details are correct ???

MACDONALD
HENY
F
1859
056/ 61
Tongue

 

[Shuggie]

Hi Dave, many thanks for your comments.

On SP, the correct Henrietta MacDonald is wrongly indexed as:

Birth:
Henry MacDonald
1856 Kinlochbervie. 049/2 17
Father - David MacDonald. Mother - Dolina MacLeod

Death:
Heny MacDonald
1937 Kinlochbervie 049/2 19

Angus Matheson
1914 Kinlochbervie 049/2
Father - Norman Matheson. Mother - Annie Buchanan

I haven't found a birth record for Angus. Based on censuses and his death cert he was born in Kilmuir in Skye around 1851 - pre statutory birth records.

If married as claimed in 1882 March 24 in South Leith in the children’s birth entries The he would have been around 31 and she would have been about 26 Which is wide of the mark on the screenshot I posted above.

Thanks again.