William MacDonald, son of Alexander and Eliza (Campbell) MacDonald, was born June 8, 1783 in Braalbin, Scotland. He married Barbara Cameron, born 1784, also from Braalbin, in the parish of Reay on December 15, 1802. As a family they lived in Tullichan in the Strathmore of Caithness in the parish of Halkirk.
Old map of Braalbin area.
‘Braalbin’ – John Thomson’s Atlas of Scotland, 1832 ©National Library of Scotland
William and Barbara MacDonald had 6 children:
Elizabeth, the eldest, was born on June 15, 1803 in the parish of Halkirk. Records indicate she was baptised on June 15, 1803 in the parish of Halkirk, but that can hardly be the case as that is recorded as her birth date. Obviously, the two dates are related. She died in 1878 in Canada.
John*, born in 1804 in the parish of Halkirk, was baptised on March 29, 1808 in Tullichan, Halkirk. He died in 1892 in the Garden of Eden, Pictou Co., Nova Scotia.
George, born April 11, 1811 in the parish of Halkirk, was baptised on April 11, 1812 at Tullichan, Halkirk. He died in 1862.
Margaret was born on March 29, 1813. Records are even harder to believe for her baptism as they indicate she was baptised on March 29, 1810 (3 years before her birth) at Tullichan, Halkirk. She died May 4, 1872 in the Garden of Eden, Pictou Co., Nova Scotia.
Alexander was born in 1818 and died in 1888.
William, Jr. was born in 1821, but no record of his death has been discovered.
*Relationship to John Alexander McDonald “Grampa Jack.” In 1839 John married Margaret MacGregor in the Garden of Eden and had 4 children: Barbara, James, John, and Alexander J who married Mary MacKay – Alexander J. and Mary MacDonald were the parents of “Grampa Jack.”
Old postcard depicting the Gardon of Eden Lake.
The William MacDonald family emigrated from Scotland to Nova Scotia in 1831. Arriving in the fall, they spent their first winter in Pictou, Nova Scotia. When spring arrived they established what would become known as “The Garden of Eden” with William as the “new Adam.”
How the Garden of Eden Lake appears today.
William was 48 years old at the time and his children’s ages ranged from 10 to 31 years old. William, Jr. was married in Scotland and his wife traveled with them. Daughter Elizabeth was also married in Scotland and was accompanied by her husband, Warren Miller.
William and Barbara both passed away in the Garden of Eden, Pictou Co., Nova Scotia. Barbara died in 1857 at the age of 73, and William died in 1863 at the age of 80.
The cemetary at The Garden of Eden, Nova Scotia.
The following was found on a sheet of paper inserted within a book in the Wick Library over 20 years ago:
Roups advertised in church (note to page 146)
The following notice of roup and verification, maybe seen in the museum of the public library at Wick.
“Roup and sale for ready money only at the farm of Toullichen possessed by William Macdonald tenant there upon Thursday the thirteenth day of January next the following subjects, viz-:
1. A red cow horned white flanked
2. A black cow horned
3. A brown cow horned
4. A dunn cow horned.
5. A black polled cow and
6. another black polled cow,
or at least a part of said subjects, being that poinded from the said William Macdonald at instance of David Murray, wright in Thurso”.
“Thurso the 30th December 1824, at Halkirk, 2nd January 1825 I do hereby certify that I have published the within advertisement at the parish church immediately after the dismissing of the congregation. James Sutherland”
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!
-Robert Burns