Searching for Mackays, Gordons, Sinclairs, Frasers

[cliffhbuber]

A fine day to all!
I am researching ancestral links and lost cousins of Clans Mackay, Gordon, Sinclair, and Munro.
My 4th great grandparents, Rev.George Gordon and Harriet MacKay were of Loth and Lairg. Harriet's grandmother, Elizabeth Sinclair of Caithness, descended from James, 1st of Murckle (Murchill) MacKay and Elizabeth Stewart.
Harriet's father, Rev. Thomas MacKay descends from Huisdean Dhu MacKay of Durness and Jane Gordon of Dunrobin.
best regards,
Cliff Huber of Canada

[CaithLynn]

I read Huistean's name in the ancestors http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jandjroots/Mackay/d0000/g0000072.html#I6126

Maybe this is you who put this together? If not, I am sure you will find this useful. I am interested in Catherine Gunn b.1640 Killearnan who married Angus McKay - she may be linked to the branch of Gunns I am studying. Also the Gunns married a few McKays so there must be some links there. Historically they seem to have been warring, then marrying, then warring over some time but maybe they were using marriage to end the troubles between them by the 1600s?

[Peterd500]

Hi Cliff

You wrote:
"Harriet's grandmother, Elizabeth Sinclair of Caithness, descended from James, 1st of Murckle (Murchill) MacKay and Elizabeth Stewart."

1st of Murkle who married Elizabeth STEWART was James SINCLAIR not James MACKAY. His daughter Agnes SINCLAIR married John MACKAY 1st of Strathy & Dirlot who was the son of Huistean Dhu (Hugh) MACKAY & Jane GORDON.

Elizabeth STEWART was the daughter of Robert STEWART one of the many illegitimate children to James V of Scotland.

I'm descended from David SINCLAIR of Broynach, second son of Sir James SINCLAIR 2nd of Murkle, son of James SINCLAIR 1st of Murkle & Elizabeth STEWART.

Can you spell out the link from Harriet to Murkle for me?

I can be emailed at
peterd500@yahoo.co.nz

peter

[Peterd500]

have you seen these at google books?

http://books.google.com/books?id=5t8NAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA395&lpg=PA395&dq=%22rev+thomas+mackay%22+harriet&source=web&ots=yw8Js2_QzB&sig=JWXJwpRSqURLA3S9HBpQ1hjC1LU

http://books.google.com/books?id=5O8NAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA746&lpg=PA746&dq=%22rev+thomas+mackay%22+harriet&source=web&ots=boY4x_TgkS&sig=DXnOjr3zSypBFgVWZb3dSJBggFY

[Peterd500]

I'll have another go, the bulletin board software chopped the addresses off the first time.

< http://books.google.com/books?id=5t8NAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA395&lpg=PA395&dq=%22rev+thomas+mackay%22+harriet&source=web&ots=yw8Js2_QzB&sig=JWXJwpRSqURLA3S9HBpQ1hjC1LU (http://forum.caithness.org/go.php?url=http://books.google.com/books?id=5t8NAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA395&lpg=PA395&dq=%22rev+thomas+mackay%22+harriet&source=web&ots=yw8Js2_QzB&sig=JWXJwpRSqURLA3S9HBpQ1hjC1LU) >

< http://books.google.com/books?id=5O8NAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA746&lpg=PA746&dq=%22rev+thomas+mackay%22+harriet&source=web&ots=boY4x_TgkS&sig=DXnOjr3zSypBFgVWZb3dSJBggFY (http://forum.caithness.org/go.php?url=http://books.google.com/books?id=5O8NAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA746&lpg=PA746&dq=%22rev+thomas+mackay%22+harriet&source=web&ots=boY4x_TgkS&sig=DXnOjr3zSypBFgVWZb3dSJBggFY) >

[Peterd500]

Hi Cliff

I think I've worked it out by googling other information posted by you at the likes of the Sutherland lists etc in which you elaborate Harriet's links back through the MACKAYs to James John SINCLAIR born circa 1642 Lybster married to Beatrix.

James John SINCLAIR I take it is John SINCLAIR 1st of Lybster (=Beatrix SINCLAIR of Thura), son of John SINCLAIR 1st of Assery, son of James SINCLAIR 1st of Murkle. I don't think Elizabeth STEWART was Assery's mother as he supposed to be illegitimate and any marriage between Murkle & Elizabeth would have legitimised previous issue in the scottish fashion.

peter

[Peterd500]

Hi Cliff

I've looked into things better, and received wisdom has it that

a) your Harriet MACKAY's greatgrandmother, Elizabeth SINCLAIR, was the daughter of James 2nd Lybster, son of John 1st of Lybster, son of John 1st of Assery, son of James 1st of Murkle. Assery was supposedly a natural son implying that Elizabeth STEWART was not his mother.

b) Elizabeth STEWART 's husband John MACKAY from Kirtomy was the son of James MACKAY (=Mary FRASER), son of John MACKAY 1st of Strathy & Dirlot & Agnes SINCLAIR, dau of James SINCLAIR 1st of Murkle & Elizabeth STEWART, dau of Robert STEWART, natural son of James V of Scotland, grandson of Henry VII of England etc.

This gives you at least two ancestral routes to James 1st of Murkle via his children John 1st of Assery and Agnes SINCLAIR (half brother & half sister).

peter