THE JOHN McDONALD FAMILY
JOHN McDONALD (1778-1853)
John McDONALD was born in 1736 in Argylshire, Scotland. He came to America at the age of sixteen with his older brother William,
arriving in Georgia circa 1872. The brothers parted ways with William going to New York State [and never heard of again] and John
settling in Betetourt County, Virginia. There, John married a Miss SCHUYLER and raised a family. There is some controversy and disagreement
among family genealogists and historians as to how many children were born to this union. By some accounts they had five sons. Other
accounts proclaim they had seven sons. However, all accounts agree that John's sons were born in Botetourt County, Virginia. After his
wife's death circa 1785, John and his children joined a wagon train headed West. John bought the old Daniel BOONE farm in Tennessee where
he resided until around the year 1803 or 1805 after all of his children had grown and left home. Approaching the age of 70, John sold the
farm and left Tennessee with his sons James and John II, arriving in Ohio and settling in Madison County in the Spring of 1807. Here,
John resided and died in March of 1811 at the age of 74 years and 4 months. He was the first to be interred in the new McDONALD Cemetery
located in Upper Glade, Deer Creek, Ohio. John McDONALD II, son of John McDONALD and Miss (SCHUYLER) McDONALD, was born in July 29, 1778 in
Botetourt County, Virginia. After the death of his mother, John, his siblings, and his father moved to Tennessee around the year 1785.
While residing in Tennessee, John became a Methodist minister. Around the year 1803 or 1805, John, his father, and his brother James sold the
farm in Tennessee and moved to Madison County, Ohio. [NOTE: The Bureau of Land Management's database shows an original land warrant to John
McDONALD II, dated January 20, 1801 and covered 300 acres "on the waters of Indian Creek, a branch of the Scioto River." The land survey was
executed August 1, 1799, signed by U.S. President John ADAMS, January 20, 1801.] The McDONALDS were among to settle in Madison County, Ohio,
thus were able to purchase land fairly cheaply. In all, John II purchased 2,000 acres for anywhere from 50-cents to $1.25 an acre. He later sold
or gave away all but 500 acres which he and his sons had cleared for farming. John II prospered and was generous with his land. He donated an
where a church was erected; two acres for a burial ground [the new McDONALD Cemetery where John's father was the first interment in 1811]; and
land for the purpose of erected a school house. John formed the first Methodist SOciety in Madison County, Ohio, and was the class leader
forthe Glade Run and Deer Creek settlements. He built the first brick house in the vicinity around the year 1823. John was married four times.
From these four marriages, he was the father of seventeen children. He was around fifty-years-old when he married the twenty-year-old Mariah BOYD,
his last wife. From this marriage, they were the parents of eleven children, the last child born when John was seventy-two-years-old. John's four
wives and children were as follows: Mary E. MELVIN, born 1780, Jefferson County, Virginia, and died in 1823, Ohio.
Three Children:
1. Elizabeth "Betsy" McDONALD, born Sept 5, 1799, probably in Tennessee, and died December 1, 1848 with interment at Oak Hill Cemetery, London, Madison
County, Ohio, with her husband, children, and her husband's second wife. Married June 2, 1825 in Tennessee to Samuel Taylor PIERCE)
and had 10 children, including Thomas PIERCE who was a Civil War Veteran, serving with Company A of the 40th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Betsy and Samuel
resided with his sister Mary (PIERCE) GREGG in Madison County, Ohio.2. Thomas McDONALD, born in Tennessee on October 15, 1801 and married Rebecca (?).
Thomas and Rebecca resided at Deer Creek, Madison County, Ohio with their three children [1840 Federal census], and later moved to Farmer City, Dewitt County,
Illinois, where he died at age 80. 3. John McDONALD II was born in Tennessee on December 27, 1803, Tennessee.
He married the widow Sallie (McCOY) DAVIDSON March 19, 1825, Madison County, Ohio, and had twelve children. They also raised John's half-siblings, the twins
William and Mary McDONALD until their father remarried to Mariah BOYD. John died just before his 80th birthday, London, Ohio. Sallie was born October 11, 1805, and died June 12, 1889. Sallie and
John were interred at Deer Creek Township Cemetery, Madison County, Ohio. Second wife, name unknown, died after seven or
eight months of marriage. No children born to this marriage.Anna Eliza "Betsey" BYERS, sister of Moses BYERS, married in Madison County, Ohio on
March 22, 1825. Betsey died approximately a year after the birth of twins William and Mary at the age of twenty-one years, 11 months in 1827. Betsey was interred
at McDONALD Cemetery, Upper Glade, Deer Creek, Madison County, Ohio.
Three children:
1. James Byers McDONALD, born February 3, 1826 and died in 1902, Madison County,
Ohio. Married Lucilla C. (?) and resided in Madison County, Ohio. James and Lucilla had several children, including Lamar McDONALD who moved and resided in Creston,
Union County, Iowa. James and Lucilla were interred in Oak Hill Cemetery, London, Madison County, Ohio.2. William McDONALD, twin of Mary, born February 24, 1827.
William married Naomi J. MONTGOMERY in 1853. They moved to Decatur County, Iowa where William farmed. William and Naomi were the parents of four children. William enlisted
on August 15th, 1862 and was assigned to Company I of the 34th Iowa Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. He was mustered into service on October 15, 1862, and
died of disease at the hospital in Alton, Illinois, on February 11, 1863. William was interred at the National Cemetery, Alton, Illinois.
3. Mary McDONALD, twin of William, born February 24, 1827, and died in 1859, Madison County, Ohio. Married May 11, 1848, Union Township of Madison County to Andrew RUBERT.
Mary and Andrew had only one known child, Elizabeth who was born circa 1852. Mariah BOYD, born February 22, 1808 in Ohio. John and Mariah married on May 19,
1828, Madison County, Ohio. Mariah died in Kellerton, Ringgold County, Iowa, and was interred at Maple Row Cemetery.
John McDONALD II died January 17, 1853 at the age of 74 years, 5 months and 19 days, with interment at McDonald Cemetery, Upper Glade,
Deer Creek, Madison County, Ohio. John and Mariah were the parents of eleven children:
1. Infant Daughter McDONALD, died August 30, 1830, interred McDonald Cemetery, Upper Glade, Deer Creek, Madison County, Ohio.
2. Robert B. McDONALD, born July 20, 1832, Madison County, Ohio, and married Ellen NASSAMAN in 1853, Iowa. Robert and Ellen,
were German Baptists and resided in Lucas County, Iowa. Ellen died circa 1902. Rober and Ellen and were the
parents of sixteen children, eight of whom died young. In 1906, seven of their children were still living:
John W., James B., Frank M., David M., Malay, Ida, and Theodosia. Malay McDONALD and his wife were interred beside Mariah (BOYD)
McDONALD in the southeastern corner of Maple Row Cemetery, Kellerton, Ringgold County, Iowa.
3. George McDONALD was born May 4, 1834, Madison County, Ohio. George did not have children.
4. Samuel "Sam" McDONALD was born in Madison County, Ohio on July 9, 1836. Sam resided in Colorado and did not have children.
5. Infant Daughter McDONALD, died March 13, 1838, interment McDonald Cemetery, Upper Glade, Deer Creek, Madison County, Ohio.
6. Martha Ann McDONALD, born March 19, 1839, Madison County, Ohio; died at age 2 years, 6 months and 15 days on October 4, 1841.
7. Barbara "Barby" Jane McDONALD, born February 2, 1841, Madison County, Ohio, and died circa 1890. Married Isaiah BENNET of Kansas.
Barby and Isaiah were the parents of one son.
8. "Lucy" Catherine McDONALD, born March 28, 1842, Madison County, Ohio, and died in Iowa. Married to Henry MOORE.
9. Charity McDONALD, born December 19, 1884, Madison County, Ohio. Married Joseph JOHNSON and resided in Mercer County, Missouri.
Charity and Joseph had several children, all born in Mercer County, Missouri, including Eliza (JOHNSON) HALL.
10. Eliza McDONALD, born December 2, 1846, Madison County, Ohio. Eliza was deaf and remained unmarried.
11. Malinda Mariah McDONALD, born August 12, 1850, Madison County, Ohio. Married Michael SANDERS and had two children,
Norma and Walter. In 1870 Malinda and Michael were residing in Wayne County, Iowa with her widowed mother. They later
moved to Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California.
John W. McDONALD, son of William McDONALD (1827-1863) and Naomi J. (MONTGOMERY) McDONALD, was born near Kellerton, Ringgold County, Iowa,
on July 7, 1862. He later moved to Kansas with his older brother George M. McDONALD (1857-1937) around the year 1881. The brothers ran
a livery stable together. John branched out and opened a drug store for about five years until he sold out and joined his brother George
in Medical Lake, Washington in 1888. John, who worked in the construction trade, helped rebuild Spokane, Washington, after the fire of 1889.
He also owned and operated a successful grain and implement business in Hartline of Grant County, Washington. He established
and was the president of the Hartline Bank. John married on August 9, 1894, Spokane, Washington to Ella HAGEY. They were the parents of
Clive W., born in 1895, and Darrel W., born in 1900. John was a member of the A.F.&A.M. He died in 1954.
Submission by anonymous, 2007
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