# General > Genealogy >  Donald MacKay, blacksmith Berriedale, 1827-1907, and family

## Karen Grant

Hello folks, new to this forum, and hoping to make some connections:

I am searching for descendents of Donald MacKay, who was born at Clyne in 1827, and Marion Ross, also born Clyne in 1820, married Dec 25, 1846 at Clyne.  Later moved to Berriedale where Donald ran the smithy. Marion Ross MacKay died 1899 at Berriedale, and Donald MacKay died 1907 at Brora, Clyne, Sutherland, at the home of his daughter Williamina MacKay Grant.

Children:
John MacKay b. Mar 20 1850 at Berriedale.

James MacKay b. Dec 3 1851 at Berriedale - rumoured to have disappeared in the gold rush during the Klondyke (Yukon, Canada) or perhaps went to Australia (worlds apart, I know!)   ::  .

Ann(e) MacKay b. Sept 20 1853 at Berriedale - married William Reid b. 1857 Latheron(son of Hugh Reid and Grace McIntosh) May 30 1882 at Latheron.  They had at least one son, Andrew Adam Reid, b. Jul 10 1891 at Alness, Rosskeen, where William was a blacksmith.  Andrew emigrated to Canada pre-WWI, he enlisted with the CEF and during or after the war married Ethel ? and lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Catherine MacKay b. Oct 11, 1856 at Berriedale - married William Peters.  They had at least one son, William Donald Peters, born Jun 3 1893 at Arbroath.  "Don" Peters emigrated to Canada pre-WWI, enlisted with the CEF and married "Dollie" Phillips in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1918.

Jane MacKay b. Oct 4 1858 - twin to Williamina

Williamina MacKay b Oct 4 1858 - twin to Jane.  Married Joseph John Grant, tailor of Brora.  Donald Grant b. 1883, Barbara Grant b. 1885, Marion Grant b. 1887, William Grant b. 1889 (KIA WWI), Lena Jane Grant b. 1891, Joseph Grant b. 1901.  Entire family emigrated to Canada by 1909.  My direct link.

Norman MacKay b. Jul 7, 1861 at Berriedale.  Married Margaret MacKay b. Mar 21 1858 Latheron (dau of Murdoch MacKay and Margaret McIntosh) Dec 18 1887 at Latheron.  Donald MacKay b. Nov 13 1886 - KIA WWI 1918, Margaret MacKay b. Sep 20 1888, Murdoch MacKay b. Sept 26 1891, Marion MacKay b. Dec 22 1892, Christina MacKay b. Jan 4 1895.   The family seems to have moved to Arbroath, where Norman's son Donald MacKay enlisted with the 4th Queen's Edinburgh Rifles.  He is memorialized on the Berriedale Cenotaph.

Christina MacKay b. Jun 3 1863 at Berriedale.

Marion MacKay b. Jul 7, 1865.

I have my fingers crossed that just one of these names strikes a chord with someone!  :Grin:

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## tom@seakayakshetland.co.u

Hello, I realise the posting I'm replying to is two years old but I have only recently started looking into my family history and came across it tonight. My grandmother was Christina MacKay born Berriedale 4th January 1895. Her father was Norman Mackay, the blacksmith at Berriedale. The family moved to Arbroath in about 1907, and my grandmother married a Thomas Paterson in Edinburgh in 1922. My mother was born that December, the first of their three children. My gran died in Edinburgh in 1984 still with her Caithness accent. Her brother Donald Mackay was in the 4th Battalion Royal Scots and was killed on 22nd September 1918. He is buried in Moeuvres Communal Cemetery - details from Commonwealth War Graves Commission. My mother is still alive and living in Australia. She was christened Margaret Donald MacKay Paterson, in memory of her uncle. I have a few more bits of information about the Mackays if you are interested.

Tom Smith, now living in the Shetland Islands.

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