Alvie is on the River Spey near Kincraig - on this map approximately half way between Inverness and Perth.
Searching through the old census for Scotland was a very time consuming and tedious job but the family was finally found living in Alvie Parish.
Here is a more detailed map of area.
The 1841 census listed quite a few people living at a place called "Leault". Thinking it was a village of some sorts, we were surprised and pleased to find that Leault is a farm near Kincraig. The farm is still standing and is a working sheep farm.
View from the farm looking south. The village of Kincraig can be seen in the distance.
The census in 1841 show our guys!!
Alex McDonald - Chelsea Pensioner, age 50; his wife Ann (nee Meldrum), age 40 and their family - James 14, Janet 12, William 10, John 8, Robert 4 and Alexander 2
In 1851 - the census show:
Alex McDonald - Chelsea Pensioner, age 60; Ann, age 50; William, age 18 - Apprentice Shoemaker; John, age 16 - Apprentice Shoemaker, Robert, age 13 - scholar; Alexander, age 11 - shepherd boy; Angus, age 8 - scholar; James, age 5 and Elspet, age 2 and a visiting sister - what a find! Her name was Jane and for the first time we see a birthplace for Alex and Jane - Nairnshire - Milton.
Notice the new James in the 1851 census! James should have shown up as 24 in this census, but now they are showing a James at age 5! James, the elder, must have passed away and it was the practice of the time to name the next born after the deceased. James must have died between 1851 and 1856.
In 1861 (the year they immigrated to Canada) the census show:
Ann - widow, age 60; Janet, age 32 - unmarried domestic servant; Angus, age 19, unmarried agriculture labourer, James, age 16, formerly a farm servant, Elizabeth (Elspet) age 12, scholar; and a five year old child named Ann who we later find out is Janet's child - father is unknown.
We have other information of families living at Leault - email us for more information or click here to see the listing I have put together.
This is a typical house on the farm still standing from that era.
The Alvie Church overlooking Loch Alvie
In the small Alvie church yard my brothers located Alex McDonald's grave.
My brother lucked out and was able to find Alex's death certificate and there listed was his parents John McDonald and Elizabeth Morrison from Nairnshire - Milton.
Unfortunately, we have reached a deadend. We can't find any information on John and Elizabeth. An Elizabeth and Jane were found in Nairn, in a later census, living together, but other than that - no marriage certificates, death certificates. My brother did pay for a researcher in Edinburgh but even he came up empty. Should any of this fit in with your McDonalds - contact us!
In 1861 Ann, William, Janet and Robert (my great grandfather) immigrated to Canada - Beverly Township- Crieff, Ontario.
As no ship lists are available prior to the late 1860's so we have no record of who else accompanied them. Due to their age, we have to assume that Angus, John, Elizabeth and Ann must have been with them - and that is the where we are focusing our research at this time. If any one has any information on these elusive aunts and uncles be sure to email us!
For more information on where they settled in Canada, please visit our Ontario site.
The Ross family now live at Leault and twice a day put on a terrific demonstration with their sheepdogs. They have won so many awards and competitions that trophies take up one whole wall in the living room.
I am so proud of my sister, Ruth Macdonald Steinfatt. An accomplished artist living on Vancouver Island, she also visited the Alvie area this spring and painted the small white church on Loch Alvie. To view more of her work visit her website and gallery . Be sure to read her story Highland Magic which chronicles her visit to Alvie and Alex's grave.
Hey, email us!
We would love to hear from all the McDonald's out there!
