This is an attempt to share some of the information I have gathered in trying to map out my family tree. I have started with my father’s side, the Donalds from Gamrie and King Edward in Aberdeenshire, and will later add my mother’s side, the Harrisons from Birmingham.
Most of the information has come from a trawl of birth, marriage and death certificates, and this can be browsed here. I will put additional information in posts to the Blog section. If you can fill in any gaps or point out any errors, please feel free to leave a comment here or on the Blog.
The photograph in the header was probably taken sometime around 1914 (I am hoping this will become clearer as I identify the people in the picture). The bearded man sitting centre-right is my great grandfather Stewart Donald (1834-1924). The woman with the bonnet sitting centre-left is my great grandmother Susan Donald (Hay) (1838-1921). Directly behind Stewart is my grandfather Garden Donald (1877-1954). Directly behind Susan is my grandmother Agnes Donald (Johnston) (1884-1972). Garden and Agnes were married in 1906. The others in the picture probably include Morrisons, Donaldsons of Dundee and Smiths of Aberdeen (see Photo Who’s Who page for more information).
Gordon Donald,
August 2012 (ed. September 2022)
Looking foward to heping you complete the Harrison side of family.
Thank you for the research you have done, it has permitted me to complete some information on Mary Donald (daughter of Stewart Donald and Susan Hay) and James Smith. Is she in the picture header above?
Furthermore, by way of research, I have a found a small article in the Aberdeen Journal, 10th January 1912 about Stewart and Susan’s golden wedding anniversary if you are interested.
Happy hunting!
I was delighted to find the long-lost Donald family tree online, and am very grateful for all the research you have done on this! Until a few months ago, we didn’t even know of the Donald link, as some secrecy was involved in my grandmother’s parentage. It would’ve made her very happy to find out the full truth. Best wishes from Ellon.
I was interested to see this Gordon. I remember your Grandmother, as she stayed with Edwards mother in Earlsdon before her death. There was also a Susan Morrison who lived in the cottage at east walker hill and who I believe was a cousin?
Hi, Elizabeth and Shaun Duffy, I’m one of the descendants of the photo above. My grandmother, Mary Smith (nee Donald) is the eldest daughter, sitting on the right of the photo and my father, Garden (named for his uncle Garden) is the young lad standing on the far left.
I’m very interested in who your grandmother is and where she fits in. My email is jacquietosh@yahoo.co.uk and I’d love to hear from you
Fascinating to find this site. I am a Morrison, granddaughter of Mary Morrison, daughter of Stewart & Bella Morrison late of Braehead, Walkerhill. I have been updating a Morrison family tree compiled by my aunt Susan, late of Aldersyde, Walkerhill. My nephew, also called Stewart Morrison, lives at Braehead and his sister Pamela, lives in Aldersyde, having bought the cottage from Susan. I still have a close connections and visit when I can. I remember Stewart & Betty Donald well, also the Kindness family in New Deer, the others, not so much. I wonder if the girl No 14 in the picture could be Susan? She would have been 10 in 1914 – so perhaps not old enough?
Hi Irene, Mary your grandmother is my aunt, th eldest child of my grandmother, Mary Smith (nee Donald) and oldest sister of my dad, Garden standing on the left hand side of the photo.
I remember Bella and Stewart at Braehead. My dad was close to Susan Morrison (his niece and my cousin, though she was considerably older than me). She lived and taught in Aberdeen when I was young and we saw a lot of her. I also visited her with my dad when she stayed at Aldersyde. It was on that visit that I started asking questions about our relationship and discovered that “Auntie Mary Morrison” as I knew her was indeed my aunt.
Growing up, I met some of the Morrison family, but my memory is not what it should be and I don’t remember many names. One I so remember was Kathleen (I think!) who lived in Torry, a niece of Susan’s who was roughly ages with me (I’m 75 now) and was at university at the time I was at Teacher Training g College.
I’d love to be in touch with you. My email is jacquietosh@yahoo.co.uk
Kind regards,
Jacquie
Hi Irene,
I do remember meeting Susan at Aldersyde when I was a boy visiting uncle Stewart at East Walkerhill.
I would be very interested in seeing your family tree research. Did you click through to https://www.walkerhill.org.uk/family/index.php
and look at the details I’ve been able to put together?
Gordon Donald
Hi Gordon, Yes I did click though and saw your excellent work. My efforts are not so sophisticated as this website but I could forward copies (they are word documents). Susan traced our ancestory back to c.1420 to the Hay’s of Rannes. She then described the ‘disinheritance’ of George Hay; she wrote some words about her grandmother, her parents and her own life at Braehead and Aldersyde. Her original notes were handwritten I first typed them in the 1980’s and have been updating them to an electronic format to pass on to future generations.
I would love to see your notes Irene. My aunt Susan was also convinced about the family link to the Hays of Rannes and gave me a copy of her notes. Since then I have tried to confirm this myself but have not been able to do it. I haven’t found any conclusive evidence that Francis Garden Hay’s father George is the same George Hay who married Jane Roy. I would be happy to share what details I have. My email is gordon@walkehill.org.uk.