Posted on: DOHERTY Queries Board URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/surnames/d/o/DOHERTY/queries?read=5 Surname: Doherty, McDonald, McLean, Ross, McIntosh, Ferguson ------------------------- I am a Ferguson descended from Doherty, Ross, McDonald and McLean. According to oral history, little is known of the Scottish origins of the Ross or McDonald sides of the family; we have a very detailed family tree, based on the recollection of my (late) great aunt. Although I have thus far been searching Nova Scotia census records for individuals and/or their family listings, little of the known oral information has been confirmed by documentary evidence. Further, we know precious little about the Doherty side of the family, and even less about the Ferguson lineage. We do know that the earliest known of our ancestors - John Ross, Neil McDonald and John Doherty - were each born in Scotland and that Ferguson is a Scottish name; we do not know anything about their respective parents, nor the town/county from where they came, nor (except for Neil in 1830) when exactly they arrived in North America, nor how (ship passage, etc.), nor why they emigrated. A potential researcher in Scotland has informed that my particular Scottish ancestors have very common names and that, in order to proceed, she needs exact locations in Scotland and dates of events which, based on the information available, I cannot provide at this time. It is, therefore, like finding a "needle in a haystack." As you review the following, can anyone offer suggestions to pursue MY John Ross, MY Neil McDonald and MY John Doherty? What we do know is that our Scottish ancestors settled in Canada or the USA: in Nova Scotia on Cape Breton Island (Victoria County in Plaster/North Shore, Englishtown and Sydney/Sydney Mines); or in Boston, Massachusetts. Here they are by generation: I. John Ross, (b. Scotland ca 1814) became a farmer in the Englishtown area of Cape Breton. He had two sons with his wife Mary (surname Marey? or Montgomery? also b. Scotland ca 1823): first son Donald Ross (b. 1850 St Ann's, Victoria County, NS); second son John Ross (b. 1852 St Ann's, Victoria County, NS). So the naming pattern is John, Donald, John. In seaching for John Ross's parents, are we therefore looking for another Donald Ross who preceded our 1814 John Ross? For farmers living in Englishtown, would the births of children in St Ann's be normal given time/distance considerations? According to the 1871 Englishtown Cape Breton census, one Isabella Montgomery age 70 (b Scotland 1801) and one Sarah Ross age 45 (b Scotland ca. 1826) "resided in John Ross's household". No mention is made of Isabella on the 1881 census in the John Ross household where Sarah was recorded as Sarah Ross Ferguson. However, an Isabella Montgomery age 80 is listed in the household of John Montgomery (an Englishtown neighbor of John Ross) in 1881. Could this be Isabella's son? Further, no mention is made of John and Mary Ross or of Sarah or Isabella on the 1891 census (presumably they had moved or died). Based on the 1871 census alone, I had speculated that Sarah was John Ross's younger sister and that Isabella (maiden name Montgomery) was the mother of John and Sarah Ross living in John's household. Based on the 1881 census listings I am now wondering: could Isabella (m surname Montgomery) have been Mary Ross's mother living in the senior John's extended family household (or visiting) at the time of the 1871 census? that Mary's maiden name was Montgomery? that Isabella was living in her son John Montgomery's extended family household (or visiting) at the time of the 1881 census? "None of the women in the (John Ross) household could read or write." It is my contention that the elder John Ross may have emigrated Scotland to Cape Breton either in his father's family or else with his own extended family intact sometime before his own sons Donald and John were born St Ann's (1850 and 1852 respectively). Any thoughts anyone? II. I also have the names of the children of John and Mary Ross: In 1871, Donald Ross and brother John Ross, both "fishermen and single, lived in the household of John Ross" their father. Based on the 1881 census from Englishtown: Donald Ross was single, a farmer/fisherman residing in his father's household which at that time also included the family of son John Ross. By 1891, Donald is no longer listed in Englishtown; his brother John, then head of household, continued to reside there as his own family grew (but without the senior John Ross, Mary Ross, Isabella Montgomery or Sarah Ross). a. Donald Ross (first marriage: 2 girls; and second marriage: 5 girls): (1) As of the 1881 Englishtown census, Donald was a farmer and still resided in his father John's household. Donald moved in the 1880s to Cow Bay/Port Morien, became a miner (probably coal), and married McIntosh (who died after 2d daughter Christine Ross/later Morrison was born 1888). Donald's children from 1st wife (given name unknown, surname McIntosh): (a) Kate Ross Pentecost (Kate married a Pentacost, first name unknown, had four children, Donald Ross's grandchildren [Danny, Wilbur, Mildred, David], and lived in Sydney). Can anyone identify? (b) Christine Ross Morrison (Christine b 1888, married a Dan Morrison but had no children, and lived in French River). (2) By early 1891, Donald Ross was a miner and widower with two daughters. On May 1, 1891, he married Christine McDonald (from North Shore) in North Sydney. Donald's children from 2d wife, Christine McDonald (with spouse; known location): (a) Mary Ann Ross Chase, b. 1892 (married Fred Chase; Danvers, MA) (b) Margaret Isabella Ross Drown, b. 1893 (married George Lester Drown; Jamaica Plain, MA) (c) Johnena Ross Doherty, b. 1895 (married William Henry Doherty; Danvers, MA) (d) Cassie Ross, b. 1896 (Montreal, Ontario) (e) Jessie Ross Coburn, b. 1897 (married Joseph Coburn; National City/San Diego, CA) b. John Ross, fisherman/farmer, m Margaret (surname unknown); their children (2 boys and 3 girls): (1) Danny Ross (2) John Ross (thus, naming pattern is John-John-John) (3) Jessie Ross Ploff (married a Ploff, first name unknown) (4) Margaret Ross (5) Catherine Ross III. Here are some more of my ancestors, Neil McDonald (b. Scotland Aug 12, 1828) married Margaret McLean (b. Sep 10, 1838 NS (rural?). Neil was a farmer and resided in the Plaster/North Shore area of Cape Breton Island. He had "arrived from Scotland 1830" at the age of almost 2. Neil and Margaret had seven children (six girls & 1 boy) all b. NS. Note: none of the girls' spouses' (nor respective childrens') surnames (except a & d below) are known. Can anyone identify? a. Rachel McDonald, b. 1862 [married a Morrison: Neil, Elliott, Cassie, Annie]; b. Margaret McDonald (called Maggie), b. 1864 [Peggy, Jessie, Rachel, boy]; c. Annie McDonald (called Big Annie), b. 1868 [Morris]; d. Christine McDonald (my gr-grandmother, called Christy), b. 1871 [married Donald Ross: Mary Ann, Margaret, Johnena (my maternal grandmother), Cassie, Jessie]; e. Sarah Ann McDonald, b. 1873 [Roddie, Morris, Margaret, Jessie, Bessie]; f. Annie McDonald (called Little Annie), b. 1875 [Margaret]; and g. Donald John McDonald, b. Feb 1, 1878 [Neil, Annie, Dollie, Peggie, Elliott]. Can anyone identify the surnames of unknown spouses (b, c, e, f, g above)? Exact birth places of children unknown but, by 1881, Neil McDonald still resided in North Shore; so the seven children were probably born vicinity North Shore. Both Rachel and Donald John had sons named Neil and Elliot. So the naming pattern here is Neil, Donald, Neil. So, are we also looking for a(nother) Donald (McDonald) or an Elliot (McDonald) or perhaps a John (McDonald)? Oldest daughter Rachel McDonald, who married a Morrison, had five children, the last of whom was Annie Morrison who lived in Sydney Mines and married Angus Campbell; their two known children were Margaret Catherine and Mary. IV. As above, on May 1, 1891 in North Sydney my gr grandmother Christine McDonald married Donald Ross. And so, the two families - Ross and McDonald - were united. Donald Ross and Christine McDonald Ross began their family in the early to mid 1890s. V. My grandmother Johnena Ross was born 1895 Cape Breton vicinty Sydney/North Sydney/Sydney Mines. After immigrating to Boston, MA ca 1910, she worked as a nurse's aide at Danvers State Hospital; she met William Henry Doherty who was a meat cutter at the hospital and a volunteer fireman in Danvers/Boston (he was the son of Scottish parents John Doherty, a coal shoveler, and Mary Hernan who had settled in East Boston where William Henry was born August 10, 1897; at the time of William Henry's birth, they lived at 2 Savage Court). William and Johnena married ca 1920, settled in nearby Danvers, MA, and began family in the 1920s; my mother Mary Virginia Doherty, b July 26, 1921; was the oldest of four girls; and on January 17, 1947, married Thomas Francis Ferguson (son of Thomas E Ferguson and Mary Conway) from Westfield, MA. Conclusions: It seems that all the Ross girls emigrated Cape Breton; all except Cassie immigrated the USA, became nurse aides/attendant nurses at Danvers State Hospital, and married. Known descendants today are in Massachusetts, Kansas, Wisconsin and Maryland. So the Cape Breton area bounded by Cow Bay/Port Morien on the east; Sydney, North Sydney and Sydney Mines in the center; St Anns on the west; and Plaster/North Shore/French River in the north may be the likely area where Donald Ross and Christine McDonald raised their family. While some Ross and McDonald descendants may have emigrated from Cape Breton Island, some may still reside there today. If anyone can help identify any of them or validate any of my conjectures, based on the details cited above, kindly notify Tom Ferguson at fergusontlk@erols.com. Thank you in advance.