Hello everyone! I've already sent this message to the Midlothian list, so if you're on that too, please ignore this one. It's a bit long, and I do apologise, but I thought it would be the best way to link up with anyone out there who has any connection. Here goes: Alexander Donaldson, labourer in Merry-Hatton (a farm), Gladsmuir, East Lothian, and Marion Hunter had at least four children in the 1750s/1760s. But before that, maybe they got married. Ancestral File (LDS) shows Alexander Donaldson as having married Marion Hunter on 15 May 1757 in Haddington. The submitter's name is Susan Cheever of Spanish Fork, Utah. Unfortunately (1) I don't know whether she has any connection with the family or is an LDS official, and attempts to get in touch with her at the address given have failed and (2) I can't find this marriage on either the IGI or the GRO index. Be that as it may, they had at least the following children: Andrew Donaldson, born at Gladsmuir 3 July 1758, christened at Gladsmuir 9 July 1758 John Donaldson, born Gladsmuir 5 January 1760, christened in Gladsmuir 13 January 1760. Alexander Donaldson, born Gladsmuir, 4 November 1761, christened in Gladsmuir 8 November 1761 Margaret Donaldson, born Gladsmuir 26 May 1764, christened Gladsmuir 3 June 1764. (It's possible to surmise from this that Alexander Donaldson the Elder's father was called Andrew and that Marion Hunter's parents were called John and Margaret, but of course there are no guarantees, and that still leaves the field pretty wide open.) I do know something of their son Andrew Donaldson. In December 1775, he joined the 42nd Highlanders (Royal Highland Regiment, later to become the Black Watch) which sailed in May 1776 to deal (unsuccessfully) with a little bother in the North American Colonies. In October 1783, he was discharged from the regiment at Paulus Hook, New Jersey, with "Twenty eight days Subsistence to Carry me to the place of my Destination" while the regiment itself withdrew to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Thirty years pass (no doubt not so uneventfully as all that) and on 21 December 1813 an Andrew Donaldson, street paver, marries Helen Elliot in Edinburgh, High Church parish. They were my great-great-great-grandparents, though there are still blanks to fill in. First, I have not found any record of any children born to them, but I know from other sources that they had at least two daughters, Eliza, born in Edinburgh about 1824, and Isabella (my great-great-grandmother), born in Haddington around 1829. Second, was this Andrew Donaldson the same one who was discharged from the 42nd in 1783? The discharge papers were handed down in Eliza Donaldson's family on the understanding that they related to her father. But that means he (re-?) married pretty late in life and was procreating even later. Not only that, but he was still alive in 1845, when Eliza was married (to Thomas Baillie) and in 1850, when Isabella was married (to Thomas's brother William). In 1845, his address was Hill Place, Edinburgh, and in 1850 it was Musselburgh; on both dates, he is described as a causeway layer. All I can say is, if he was the same Andrew Donaldson, he was made of robust material and I hope I have as many of his genes as possible. Third, although Midlothian marriage records of that era are usually pretty helpful in giving the bride's father's name, place of residence and occupation, in this case Helen Elliot is described as "daughter of the deceased (blank)". The scribe must have expired as he was entering the details, or else Helen couldn't remember or refused to give her father's name. Most frustrating. So, obviously I want to fill in as many of the blanks as possible, and I was wondering if anyone out there had anything to suggest. For example, I think Andrew Donaldson and Helen Elliot will have had rather more than just the two children. Does anyone have a Donaldson connection that could lead back to a child born 1813-1830, with middle names Elliot or Hunter? (For example, Eliza Donaldson had a son called Hunter Baillie and Isabella Donaldson's son Andrew Baillie had a daughter called Helen Elliot Baillie). If I could fill in more of Andrew and Helen's children, that might give a few further pointers. Going back to the children of Alexander Donaldson and Marion Hunter, I have found some possible marriages and children, and I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who thinks they may be connected with them. There are the following children recorded of Andrew Donaldson and Isobell Nicol (no marriage recorded, but this could be the (first) marriage of Andrew born 1758): Mary, born 31 July 1788 in St Cuthberts, Edinburgh Isabel, christened 31 March 1793 at Alloa, Clackmannanshire Andrew, christened 14 March 1795, Edinburgh (could be father of Eliza and Isabella? - Would have been 18 on his marriage to Helen Elliot in 1813.) Alexander, christened 19 November 1797, Canongate, Edinburgh Mary, christened 30 March 1800, Canongate A John Donaldson (could be John born 1760) married Janet Williamson 1 January 1779 in St Cuthberts, Edinburgh, and they had the following children: Alexander, born 15 March 1785 at South Leith, Midlothian Elizabeth, born 20 June 1787 at South Leith, christened 8 July William, born 10 August 1790 at South Leith Andrew, born 18 March 1793, College Kirk, Edinburgh (could be father of Eliza and Isabella?- Would have been 20 on marriage to Helen Elliot in 1813.) Thomas, born 20 May 1796, College Kirk, Edinburgh Jean, born 24 May 1796, Edinburgh Mary, born 23 January (February?) 1799, Edinburgh or Haddington Alexander, born 15 February 1802, Edinburgh An Alexander Donaldson (could be Alexander born 1761) married Helen Donaldson 7 January 1788 in Edinburgh, and they had the following children: Robert, born 8 May 1789, Edinburgh Andrew, born 16 April 1790, Edinburgh (could be father of Eliza and Isabella? - Would have been 23 on marriage to Helen Elliot in 1813.) Alexander, also born 16 April 1790, Edinburgh Margaret, born 31 October 1791, Edinburgh Helen, christened 15 May 1793 at Lasswade, Midlothian Grace, christened 24 July 1794 at Lasswade Anne Graham, christened 23 September 1795, Liberton, Midlothian Janet, christened 12 November 1796, Liberton Christian Hepburn, christened 1 February 1798, Liberton Robert, christened 1 June 1799, Liberton Sarah, christened 21 October 1800, Liberton Janet, born 3 July 1803, Edinburgh Isabella Gordon (or Garder?), born 24 September 1804, Edinburgh, christened 20 October Georgina, born 11 January 1806, Edinburgh Caroline Howard, born 23 April 1807, Edinburgh Eliza(beth), born 23 February 1809, Edinburgh Allen Campbell, born 4 November 1810, Edinburgh (An awful lot of children, so it could be two couples, but there are no date clashes) Finally, a Margaret Donaldson (could be Margaret born 1764) married John Chambers 25 November 1788 at Gladsmuir. They had the following children: William, born 12 April 1789, Gladsmuir James, christened 26 June 1791, Gladsmuir Henry, christened August 1793, Tranent, East Lothian Jean, christened 14 June 1795, Tranent Francis, christened 18 March 1798, Tranent Alison; christened 26 July 1802, Gladsmuir Elisabeth, christened 19 February 1804, Gladsmuir George, christened 27 April 1806, Gladsmuir Any suggestions/connections? I'd love to hear from you if there are. Hast luego Alan Baillie