cDonald
Deepest Root
The most distant confirmed McDonald ancestor is George McDonald, who was identified along with his wife, Matilda DeVinney, in the death certificate of James C. McDonald. He is most likely the same Georg McDonald buried in same plot as James C. McDonald in Grove Cemetery, New Brighton, Pennsylvania.
The Immigrant Ancestor
The records at Grove Cemetery note the George was "born at sea", presumably while his family was emigrating to America. From this and his age at death, also in the cemetery records, the family apparently came to America in 1795. No other infromation - ship, port of arrival, or other family members - is available.
Family History
Nothing is known about this family prior to James C. McDonald. James served in Company A of the 38th Pennsylvania Volunteers during the Civil War. This unit was also known as the 9th Pennsylvania Reserves prior to the war.
The McDonald or MacDonald name is of Scottish origin, and most likely the
family emigrated from Ireland, which would mean they were among the many
Scotch-Irish immigrants to America. However, this is all conjecture right
now.
The Origin of the Name
The MacDonald name is Scotish in origin. There are there three Mac Donald clans registered with the Lord Lyon Court: MacDonald, MacDonald of ClanRanald, and MacDonald of Cleat.
The chiefs of Clan Donald are direct descendants of Somerled, Regulus of the Isles, who lived in 1269, but little is known of their history until the annexation of the Isles to the Crown in the year 1266. The name of the clan is derived from Donald, the eldest son of Reginald, who appears to have inherited South Kintyre, and the island of Islay. Reginald was the second son of Somerled. According to Highland tradition, Donald made a pilgrimage to Rome to do penance, and obtain absolution for the various enormities of his former life, and, on his return, showed his gratitude and piety by making grants of land to the monastery of Saddel, and other religious houses in Scotland. Donald's son Angus Mor was the first "Mac", or son of (a) Donald.
Clan Donald is one of the oldest, and probably the largest and most famous of all the Highland clans. Its Celtic heritage goes back into antiquity, beyond the 6th Century AD, to the great clans in what today is Ireland, Conn of the 100 Battles, Cairfre Raida, founder of Dal Raida in Antrim, Eire, and Colla Uathais. Its Viking heritage goes back to Ingiald "Ill-Ruler" and Olaf "Tree-Hewer" in 7th Century Sweden and Norway. All of these traditional blood lines came together in the 12th Century Somerled MacGillebride MacGilladamnan, the historic founder of Clann Domhnaill. Their ancestors were regarded as the heads of the ancient race of Conn, and the lineal heirs of the kings of the Dalriadic Scots.
References:
Robert Bell, The Book of Irish Surnames
George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaing,
and History, New York, NY: New York Public Libary,
1996
Clan Donald USA
Electric Scotland Clan McDonald
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Pictures
- James C. McDonald
1918
- Anna Luella
McDonald Martsolf & husband Charles Martsolf
- Four generations:
ca. 1913 - James C. McDonald, Anna Luella McDonald Martsolf,
Ermest Martsolf,
Wilber Martsolf
Obituaries
James C. McDonald 1924
Anna Luella Martsolf
nee McDonald 1937
Off-Site Links
Clan McDonald
web page at Electric Scotland & ScotSearch
Clan Donald USA home page
McDonald.com has a collection of Clan
Donald links
Clan
Ranald web page at Electric Scotland & ScotSearch
Macdonald
of Sleat, in Gaelic Mac Dhonuill
at Electric Scotland & ScotSearch
Tartams.com
Our contact information here.
This page
was last updated on: Friday, April 3, 2015.
.
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