Calif. Families
McBride, McCormack & McKenzie
McBride, McCormack & McKenzie
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Calif. Families
McBride, McCormack & McKenzie | |
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Thomas McBride (1749-)
| Donald (1799-1879) Canada > Thomas | Janet McCormack | Christina McKenzie |
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We are descended from Donald McBride who was born in 1799 in Sheanochie, Arran, Scotland. He moved with his family to New Mills in New Brunswick, Canada
in 1851, following other families (McCormacks, Cooks and others) who had moved about 20 years earlier. They probably sailed from Lamlash on the Isle of Arran to Dalhousie just north of New Mills, New Brunswick.
Many people from Arran moved to the US, Canada, and other
British colonies in the early to middle 1800's. Much of this Immigration was a result of changes instituted by the Duke of Hamilton, who owned most of Arran. In 1815 he transformed it from cultivation on a communal system to subdividing it into separate farms, but there were not enough farms to go around. See History of the Early Settlements Around New Mills for more information. Three of Donald's children and many grandchildren moved to California, Thomas (1839-1892) and John moved to Antelope Calif. around 1887. Christina who married John McKenzie moved to Lodi, CA and Grandsons Daniel & Thomas McCormack moved to Rio Vista, CA in 1891. 22 of his 27 grandchildren (McBrides, McCormacks & McKenzies) either moved to California or were born there between 1870 and 1900. While in Arran they were crofters (i.e. they lived on plots land called crofts.) It is unclear whether the McBrides ended up in Arran as a result the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, or actually came to Arran earlier. The McBrides were thought to be of the MacDonald Clan Ranald,who helped Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie), who was defeated at the battle of Culloden in 1746 which ended the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion. The Highland Clearances in 1785, affected mainly the northern part of Arran, however the old croft, about 1 mi. north of Shannochie (1.3 mi. on the dirt road.), may have been abandoned as a consequence. The McBrides moved several times to farms within a 1 mi. radius Sheanochie after that.
DNA testing indicates we may have come from N. Ireland. Our Clan was thought to be MacDonald Clan RanaldRoberta McKenzie's research published in "Descendants of Donald McBride" makes no mention of our clan affiliation. She traced Donald McBride (1799-1879) back to Thomas McBride born 1749 and Donald's wife Isabella MacDonald back to her father Donald MacDonald born 1774 in Arran and his father Ronald MacDonald and grandfather John Cook born 1727, but couldn't go any further. I collaborated with Roberta to hire a genealogist to try and trace our roots back further with no luck. At Clan Macdonald of Clanranald - Wikipedia it makes no mention of McBride or the Isle of Arran.
The MacDonald's Clan Ranald take their name from Ranald, the son John Islay, 1st Lord the Isles and Amy Macruari. Ranald was the obvious heir to chiefship Clan Donald. However, when the succession occurred it was Donald, Ranald's younger half-brother who became chief. Ranald however did receive the territories Moydart, Lochaber and Arisaig. The Clan Ranald was also well represented in the 1745 rebellion for which the chief was forced into exile once more in France. The "Book of Arran" suggests some connection with Robert The Bruce.
Clan Gatherings:
Family Businesses:
Reference/Links:
John (1781-1809) Scotland Arthur Joseph Babineau McBride McBride Sisters Wines - Not part of this family, but they were born in California and and are pioneers in a way, so we welcome them into the clan. Return to Early California Families Page |
In the 60's - 80's the McBride, McKenzie and McCormack families held clan gatherings in central California, where Roberta McKenzie created and updated a family tree.