John McDonald : Short Biography

At last, a break through the brick wall! There are so many John McDonalds that I had more questions than biographical details. Then, amazingly, a gentleman in Ireland, my newfound cousin, posted some letters written by my 3rd great-grandfather John and his family. They contained a wealth of information, which allowed me to discover so much more, and reach back at least one more generation.

John was born in County Offaly, near Banagher. (I have yet to find his baptism record, but I was able to find those of a few of his siblings.) His parents were Robert Burns McDonald and Bridget Daly. Robert was born in Scotland, and might have come to Ireland for a military posting or as a result of the Clearances (or both). It seems Bridget was born in Ireland, so Robert would have come over as a single man. 

A descendant of John's brother Patrick, Mary McDonald O'Shea, told her grandson (my cousin) that the home they built in Banagher was the building now known as La Sante Union School. They donated the property to the order who ran the school at the time, and she attended many of the events and celebrations there. I have found limited evidence of this connection, and would love to learn more from people familiar with the local history.

Somehow, probably for his own military service, John ended up in Kilkenny, living in Dunbell with his wife Margaret Cody, according to his marriage record and the baptism record for his son. The dates are a bit confusing - in his Feb 1847 letter, he mentions his pride in his 1-year old son, Robert. This suggests Robert was born in 1846, but he wasn't baptised until November 1847 in Dunbell. My theory is that Robert might have been born in England, and then baptized in Margaret's home parish when the family returned to Ireland. It's also possible that the first child died, and the next child was also named Robert. A similar date conflict seems to exist on their marriage record - did they elope and solemnize the union later?

The letter attached below was written from his duty station in Woolwich, Kent, England. At the time, he was a bombardier with the Royal Artillery. In a later letter, his brother James sends best wishes to the Engineers, so John may have transferred back to Ireland as a member of the Royal Engineers after the Royal Artillery was re-organized around 1850. (Additional information from those familiar with this part of military history is welcome, please comment!)

In 1856, his father, brother Edward, and his Aunt Margaret (surname unknown) died of illness. Was there an epidemic that year?

John and Margaret had four children: Robert, Patrick, Bridget and John. Margaret died in Kilkenny around 1857, possibly of complications from childbirth, and the family had made their way to New York by 1865.

John died in New York in 1884.