KERR FAMILY CHRONICLES

© Christopher Earls Brennen

Appendix 6A. MACDONALD FAMILIES

Here we document several MacDonald families from the area around Arboe that may be connected with our MacDonald family.

TWO KILLICOLPY FAMILIES:

In the 1775 Survey of the Parish of Arboe, two McDonald families are listed as living next to each other in Killicolpy:

  1. Alexander McDonald and his wife Jane are listed in a 1775 Survey of the Parish of Arboe as living in Killicolpy with their four sons and one daughter. In August 1775, James, Alexander and Elizabeth McDonald (grouped together on the list) were confirmed in ceremonies in Moneymore; they may be children of Alexander and Jane. In 1808, Alexander McDonnell borrowed money from the Parish Church of Arboe and an entry in the parish records dated Jan.1, 1808, reads as follows. ``I, Alexander McDonnell, do hereby acknowledge to have received from the Rev. Dr. Hall the sum of five pounds, thirteen shillings and nine pence which with the five pounds, thirteen shillings and nine pence before received by me is in full of all bounty for the Parish of Arboe amounting to eleven pounds, seven shillings and six pence and for which I promise to be accountable to the said parish. Given under my hand this 1st Jan 1808.'' In the 1826 Tithes Applotment Book for the Parish of Arboe, Alexander and Jane McDonald are listed as occupying a farm of 9 acres in the townland of Carnan.

  1. William McDonald and his wife Jane are listed in a 1775 Survey of the Parish of Arboe as living in Killicolpy with their four sons and one daughter:
    1. Eliza McDonald was born about 1748 and is listed in a 1775 Survey of the Parish of Arboe as a 27-year-old living in Killicolpy with her parents.
    2. Archibald McDonald was born about 1751 and is listed in a 1775 Survey of the Parish of Arboe as a 24-year-old living in Killicolpy with his parents.
    3. John McDonald was born about 1753 and is listed in a 1775 Survey of the Parish of Arboe as a 22-year-old living in Killicolpy with his parents. In August 1775, John and William McDonald (grouped together on list) were confirmed in ceremonies in Moneymore.
    4. William McDonald was born about 1756 and is listed in a 1775 Survey of the Parish of Arboe as a 19-year-old living in Killicolpy with his parents. In August 1775, John and William McDonald (grouped together on list) were confirmed in ceremonies in Moneymore.
    5. James McDonald was born about 1759 and is listed in a 1775 Survey of the Parish of Arboe as a 16-year-old living in Killicolpy with his parents.

LATER KILLICOLPY FAMILIES:

The following Killicolpy families are somewhat speculatively constructed from the records in File 5b:

  1. Archibald McDonald (1), a labourer and farmer of Killicolpy, must have been born about 1798 for his death in 1878 gives his age as 81. An Archibald McDonald married Eliza Darragh, both of the Parish of Arboe, on Jul.25, 1831. Archibald is known to us from the birth records of his children, Archibald (2), Jemima and Harriet. In the 1826 Tithes Appplotment Book ``Archey'' McDonald is listed as occupying a farm of 6 acres in the townland of Carnan, Parish of Arboe. In the 1860 Griffith Valuation, Archibald M'Donnell is listed as occupying a farm in the townland of Carnan, Parish of Arboe; the farm consists of 6 acres, 3 roods and 25 perches of land worth 5 pounds and 15 shillings and a house worth 15 shillings. Archibald McDonnel of Carnan, aged 81, was buried at the Parish Church of Arboe, County Tyrone, on Aug.1, 1878. Archibald (1) and Eliza had children:
    1. Anne Jane McDonald, daughter of Archibald and Eliza McDonald, was born Jul.30, 1832, and was baptized on Aug.5, 1832, in the Parish of Arboe.
    2. William McDonald, son of Archy and Eliza McDonnell, and was born May 27, 1835, was baptized on Jun.31, 1835, in the Parish of Arboe. A William Macdonald, full age, bachelor, labourer, of Tullyroan (father: Archibald Macdonald, labourer) was married to Rachel McCormick, full age, spinster, of Brackaville (father: Robert McCormick, labourer) on Oct.24, 1867, in the parish church of Ardtrea.
    3. Archibald McDonald (2), according to his stated age in the 1901 Census, was born about 1846 though an Archibald McDonald, son of Archibald (Killycolpy labourer) and Eliza McDonald was born on Apr.5, 1849, and was baptized in the Parish of Arboe on May 11, 1849. Archibald McDonald was married to Margaret Kennedy on Jun.21, 1888, in Newmills Presbyterian Church, Parish of Tullyniskan, Civil District of Dungannon. Archibald McDonald (2) is listed in the 1901 Census as a 55-year-old Church of Ireland farmer living in the townland of Carnan with his 52-year-old wife Margaret, their two daughters listed below, two neices 37-year-old Martha McDonald (a linen weaver) and 9-year-old Charlotte McDonald and a nephew and farm servant, 20-year-old James Kennedy. Archibald must have died prior to 1911 for in the 1911 Census his wife, Margaret is listed as a 63-year-old widowed farmer (married 23 years with two children, both living) living in Carnan, Killicolpy, with her two daughters and her 30-year-old nephew, James Kennedy. They now listed their religious affiliation as Presbyterian. The children of Archibald and Margaret McDonald:
      1. Rachel McDonald was born about 1890 and is listed in the 1901 Census as an 11-year-old living with her parents in Carnan. In the 1911 Census Rachel is listed as an unmarried 21-year-old living with her mother in Carnan, Killycolpy.
      2. Margaret McDonald was born about 1892 and is listed in the 1901 Census as a 9-year-old living with her parents in Carnan. In the 1911 Census Margaret is listed as an unmarried 19-year-old living with her mother in Carnan, Killycolpy.
    4. Jemima McDonald, daughter of Archibald (Killicolpy farmer) and Eliza McDonald was born on Oct.31, 1851, and was baptized in the Parish of Arboe on Feb.23, 1852. A Jemima MacDonald was married to Andrew Armour Donald on Jul.5, 1872, in Muckross Church of Ireland, Parish of Templecarn, Irvinestown, County Fermanagh.
    5. Harriet McDonald, daughter of Archibald and Eliza McDonald was born on Aug.7, 1854, in the Parish of Arboe.

  1. John McDonald was born about 1796. In the 1860 Griffith Valuation, John M'Donnell is listed as occupying a farm in the townland of Carnan, Parish of Arboe; the farm consists of three pieces of land: (1) 19 acres, 0 roods and 20 perches worth 14 pounds and 5 shillings with a house worth 1 pound and 5 shillings, (2) 13 acres, 2 roods and 20 perches worth 8 pounds and 15 shillings and (3) 1 acre, 1 roods and 0 perches worth 15 shillings. He sublets two houses, one worth 1 pound to James M'Donnell and another worth 10 shillings to William M'Donnell; both may be sons or brothers of his. Also in the 1860 Griffith Valuation, John M'Donnell is listed as occupying a farm in the townland of Killycolpy consisting of 2 acres, 2 roods and 5 perches worth 2 pounds with a house worth 10 shillings. John McDonnell of Killycolpy, aged 83, was buried at the Parish Church of Arboe, County Tyrone, on Jan.27, 1879.

Christopher E. Brennen