Prominent British MacDonalds, Past Generations

The following data is extracted from MacDonald McDonald Family Records.

ALEXANDER MACDONALD: third Lord of the Isles and tenth Earl of Ross; (d. 1449); s. Donald, second Lord of the Isles. In 1425 he sat as one of the jury who condemned Murdac, Duke of Albany, in 1438; was appointed justiciar of Scotland. '

GEN. ALEXANDER: (d. 1647); when Antrim fitted out an expedition of confederate Catholics to recover lands of MacDonalds from the Campbells, and to hold out a hand to projected enterprise of Montrose in Scotland, MacDonald was placed in command of 1600 Scotch-Irish men levied from Antrim's tenants. Following his victory he was knighted by Montrose.

ALEXANDER (or MacIan) of Glencoe: (d. 1692); chief of a sept of MacDonalds inhabiting Glencoe, on borders of Argyll and Inverness. He and his wife killed by soldiers who entered and massacred under disguise of appearing guests; his two sons were among those who escaped.

ALEXANDER (Alasdair MacMhaighster Alasdair) : (1700?-1780?); Gaelic poet; s. Alexander, M.A. ("Maighstear Alasdair"); the Episcopal clergyman of Ardnamurchan; had a commission in highland army under his cousin, but the passing of Act of Indemnity gave him a settled home. Clanranald made him baillie of Isle of Canna and gave him farm of Eigneig on the Glenuig estate. His eldest s., Ranald, was a poet. The farm of Laig in that island remained in the family till emigration of the poet's great-grandson Angus to U. S. about 1850, when American civil war broke out, he, receiving a commission in 11th Wisconsin regiment, was distinguished for his gallantry.

REV. ALEXANDER: (1736-1791); Scottish catholic prelate; s. Laird of Bornish; vicar-apostolic of highland district, being consecrated by Bishop Hay at Scalan, with title of Bishop of Polemonium.

ALEXANDER: (1755-1837); Gaelic scholar; missionary of Gaelic chapel in Blackfriars' Wynd, Edinburgh; returned to Balloch, and built a chapel at Crieff.

ALEXANDER: (1791?-1850); Scottish antiquary; mem. of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; joint curator of the Society's museum; in 1836 was principal keeper of register of deeds and probate writs; supplied material for Sir Walter Scott's notes to the "Waverley Novels".

ANGUS: M.D.; (1834-1886); medical writer, of humble Aberdeen family. Physician to Royal Maternity Hospital, Edinburgh, and fellow of Royal College of Physicians.

ARCHIBALD: (1736-1814); author; Benedictine monk; R. C. pastor Seal St. Chapel, Liverpool.

SIR ARCHIBALD: B.A., M.A.; (1747-1826); judge; 3rd and posthumous s. Sir Alexander (7th baronet of Sleat in island of Skye); in 1778, was made a king's counsel; one of the justices of the grand sessions in Wales; was lineal descendant of old Lords of the Isles.

DONALD: second Lord of the Isles and ninth Earl of Ross; (d. 1420?); s. John, first Lord of the Isles. In 1405 Henry IV sent commissioners to treat for an alliance with him and his brother John; the alliance with England became permanent.

HON. DUNCAN GEORGE FORBES: F.G.S., F.R.G. So. J.P., LL.D.; (1823?1884); agricultural and miscellaneous writer; one of the commissioners to adjust boundary line of British North America, and he later wrote a book on British Columbia.

FLORA: (1722-1790); Jacobite heroine; dau. Ronald, tacksman of Milton; aided Prince Charles Edward to escape from Hebridean island after disaster at Culloden, 1746; was imprisoned in the Tower at London. Receiving her liberty, she stayed in the house of Lady Primrose and was visited by persons of distinction; was presented with £1500, and at Scotland was entertained at Monkstadt at a banquet with principal families in Skye. An obelisk was erected to her memory at Kilmuir; her portrait is in Bodleian Library of Oxford, another painting in possession of Lord Donington, and a third in town hall at Inverness.

REV. HUGH: (1701-1773); Scottish catholic prelate; s. laird of Morar, Invernessshire; consecrated in Edinburgh; ordained priest and nominated to vicariate of highland district, and to see of Diana in Numidia; in partibus infadelium.

HUGH: (1817-1860); Scottish poet; literary editor of Morning Journal at Glasgow. To his memory was erected a rustic stone fount, with his medallion bust, on site of "the bonnie wee well" (subject of one of his songs).

JOHN: of Isla, first Lord of the Isles; (d. 1386?); traced descent from Donald; s. Reginald (2d s. of Somerled of Argyll, king of the Isles). On accession of his father-in-law to throne, 1370, he resigned part of his territories into king's hands; gave him new charter in favour of himself and heirs by marriage with king's dau.; was confirmed in possession of Scottish heritage of house of Somerled by charter at Scone, 1372.

JOHN: fourth and last Lord of the Isles, and 11th Earl of Ross; (d. 1498?); only legitimate s. of Alexander, third Lord of the Isles; assumed title, King of the Hebrides; retired to monastery of Paisley and was interred in tomb of royal ancestor, Robert II.

JOHN: (1620?-1716?); known in highlands as Ian Lorn., Gaelic poet and warrior; descendant of a chief of Keppoch branch of MacDonalds; in 1639 took part in a raid on Campbells of Breadalbane (in revenge for their onslaught), the castle of Keppoch was burned to the ground; a stone and inscription marks the place of the slaughter.

JOHN: (1727-1779); Scottish catholic prelate, nephew of Bishop Hugh MacDonald; consecrated at Preshome to see of Tiberiopolis, in partibus infidelium, the Propaganda having appointed him coadjutor to his uncle; succeeding him on his death as vicar apostolic of the highland district of Scotland.

LT.-COL. JOHN: F.R.S.; (1759-1831); lieut.-col. and military engineer; was in Sumatra, as first lieutenant, for seventeen years of Indian service, where he made maps and charts, and observations on variation of magnetic needle: these are now in British Museum.

REV. JOHN: M.A., D.D.; (1779-1849); called "The Apostle of the North"; in 1813 was promoted to charge of Urquhart, Caithness, in gift of Duncan George Forbes of Culloden.

SIR JOHN: C.B., K.C.B., G.C.B.; (d. 1850); adjutant-general at horse guards under Dukes of York and Wellington 1820-1830; a connection of Flora 'the Jacobite heroine); bro. to Lt.-Gen. Alexander, C.B., royal artillery.

REV. JOHN: D.D.; (1818-1889); Scottish catholic prelate; consecrated at Aberdeen by title of Bishop of Nicopolis, coadjutor to vicar-apostolic of northern district of Scotland.

SIR JOHN ALEXANDER: G.C.B., D.C.L.; (1815-1891); organiser of Dominion of Canada; in 1844 was mem. for Kingston to House of Assembly; was responsible for expansion of Canada into area of 3,500,000 square miles, with population of 4,000,000; for 20 years prime minister of Dominion of Canada; regarded as foremost statesman on American continent; his last public utterance was a warning to his countrymen (1890) that "Canada could not stand alone". A white marble bust erected to his memory was unveiled in south aisle of St. Paul's cathedral, London, by Earl of Rosebery, secretary of state for foreign affairs.

LAWRENCE: (1799-1878); sculptor; his bust of John Marshall, M. P., was sent to Royal Academy; frequent contributor to succeeding exhibitions; his "Ulysses recognized by his Dog", shown in Paris exhibition, became property of Lord Kilnorey; a mem. of Scottish Academy.

REV. RANALD: D.D.; (1756-1832); Scottish catholic prelate; of highland parents; ordained priest at Donay; first vicar apostolic of newly created western district of Scotland.

WILLIAM BELL: B.A.; (1807-1862); linguist; served as surgeon in Sir Pulteney Malcolm's flagship in Mediterranean; translated Irish songs into German, Latin, Greek and Hebrew, making a special study of Coptic; succeeded to estate of Rammerscales, where he collected a large and valuable library.

WILLIAM RUSSELL: (1787-1854); miscellaneous writer, editor and part proprietor of Sunday Herald and other papers; most successful in producing books for the young.

Source: MacDonald McDonald Family Records

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