This outline is adapted from the introduction to ‘Finlay McDonald and his Descendants’ by Florence Pelton PATTERSON, 1983, with additions by Peter DILLON. The reader should refer further to the list of Descendants of Angus MCDONALD for more detailed references to individuals in these notes.

Finlay MCDONALD's parents lived near Loch Shin, Sutherland. There are five possibilities in Lairg parish registers for the baptism of Finlay, including the baptism of Finlay MCDONALD to Angus MCDONALD of 'Aulderbreck' (Auldersbreack) in 1774. Broadly speaking, registers of Lairg parish in Sutherlandshire, Scotland show that Angus MCDONALD had a number of issue baptised at Lairg parish from about 1770, the mother or mothers of these issue not being listed in the baptismal records. It is not clear if all the issue baptised to Angus MCDONALD at this time were to one or more than one Angus. For example there are three Williams baptised to Angus MCDONALD at Lairg parish, in 1782, 1785 and 1789. What is clear from various researches, however, is that our Finlay, also known as Philip, had a sister Elspet and at least two brothers, Hugh and William. Circumstantial evidence is such that their father must be Angus, above. Elspet MCDONALD in the 1851 Scottish census was age 70 which puts her birth year circa 1781, which is close enough to the baptismal date for Elspet. A possible baptismal record has not been found for Hugh.

Finlay MCDONALD was said to be a shepherd for the Duke of Sutherland. The cottage in which he may have lived stood on its bleak spot in 1970. The area of Loch Shin, however, can boast of some of the finest scenery in all of Scotland as well as being an angler’s paradise. The area has a colourful history. Finlay and family emigrated during the time of the Highland Clearances in Scotland which were instigated to clear the land of small tenants (unprofitable) and rent large tracts of land (profitable) for the raising of sheep. The Duke and Duchess of Sutherland had a large part in this. The Clearances were imposed on an unwilling population. There was no consultation between landlord and the people, and the Clearances provoked a series of ugly incidents which, though often exaggerated, were not figments of the imagination of a deluded people.

Finlay married Elizabeth ANDERSON - we don't know when, maybe circa 1800/03 - and they had seven issue; Anne, Robert, Angus, James, William, Hugh and Janet. It was in 1830 that Finlay and Elizabeth, and five of their seven children emigrated to Canada, arriving in the autumn of 1830; they had arrived in Oxford County, Ontario by Dec 1830/Jan 1831. Presumably, the ship upon which they travelled sailed down the St Lawrence River on their way to Oxford County, Ontario. One son, Robert, had previously emigrated to Nova Scotia.

Finlay's son, Angus MCDONALD, having elected to remain in Scotland to marry his sweetheart, married Margaret MCCOLL at Lairg parish in 1830 and they emigrated with their many children to Victoria, Australia on the ship 'AUSTRALIA' in 1853. After a few years they finally settled at Swan Bay on the Bellarine Peninsula. One of their twelve children was Annie MCDONALD who married Peter SINCLAIR at Swan Bay in 1876 and went soon after to New Zealand where they raised their family.

Finlay MCDONALD's sister, Elspet MCDONALD, and his namesake, Finlay MCDONALD, were married at Lairg parish in 1804. Elspet and Finlay brought up a family of at least nine children at Milnchclaren & Bualnatobrach in Lairg. Three of their daughters, Annie (Anne), Johan (Johannah) and Margaret, were left five pounds between them in the will of their cousin Angus in Victoria (died 1894). Another daughter, Janet, married Donald MATHESON and they had issue baptised at Brora, Dundee and Lairg.

Two of Finlay MCDONALD's brothers, Hugh and William, also went to Canada. By at least 1825 Hugh was a storekeeper at Lower South River in the Antigonish area of Nova Scotia. He was joined for a time by his nephew Robert, whom we have already mentioned, who later lived at Cape George until moving to Antigonish not long before his death in 1885.

Finlay died in 1843. It is likely that Eliza MCDONALD, Widow, aged 80 years in the 1851 census was his wife. The names Finlay and Philip are interchangeable. This occurred with Finlay himself and carried over to Donald MCARTHUR's son, Finlay/Philip. A letter in the Ontario Archives questions whether the name was supposed to be Philip or Finlay on the original deed for Lot 12, Concession 14, East Nissouri Township, Oxford County.

The MCDONALDs spoke the Gaelic language.