MacDonald
	Family Genealogy

Family Genealogy

	I have been researching several different branches of my family tree to include surnames such as MacDonald, Wibel, Carroll, Raber, Ray and Soucy. I have more family surnames histories and trees that you can access in the index below.
My research, for birth, death and marriage documents, has taken me thru several different states including Maine, Massachusetts and New York to Indiana and Pennsylvania. I have some of my genealogy research below, including short family histories and family trees. There are no living persons included in this information, for their privacy and protection. The files have basic genealogy information, along with pictures of family individuals, cemetery headstones, as well as copies of different Census and other records that I have purchased and use as sources.
I do have some genealogy reference materials in the form of CD-ROM and Books with name indexes, if available, and I would be happy to do surname look-ups. If you have any related information or research that we might have in common I would be happy to share. Just contact me at clandonald1@comcast.net via email so that we might share information.

Family Surnames

MacDonald ( History & Tree )	Bryant ( History & Tree )	Carroll ( History & Tree )	Frothingham ( History & Tree )
Wibel ( History & Tree )	Raber ( History & Tree )	Eichhorn ( History & Tree )	Carter ( History & Tree )
Ray ( History & Tree )	Pelletier ( History & Tree )	Levanseller ( History & Tree )	Brimigion ( History & Tree )
Scothorne ( History & Tree )	Leighton ( History & Tree )	Soucy ( History & Tree )	Frost ( History & Tree )
Proctor ( History & Tree )	Gatchell ( History & Tree )	Chase ( History & Tree )	Hawkes ( History & Tree )
Cilley ( History & Tree )	Music ( History & Tree )

Clan History

	Clan Donald is the oldest and most famous of the Scottish clans. It's Celtic heritage goes back into antiquity beyond the 6th century A.D. to the great clans Conn and Colla in what is today, Ireland. Our ancestors were regarded as the heads of the ancient race of Conn and the lineal heirs of the Kings of the Dalriadic Scots.
	Clan Donald begins its recorded history with Somerled, a great leader and warrior-king. In 1156, Somerled defeated the Norse King of Man, who had occupied the western isles and large portions of the Scottish mainland. He thus secured independence for the Celtic people who lived there. This independence would last for over four centuries.

Somerled became known as "Rex Insularum" or "King of the Isles". Over time, this title evolved to "Lord of the Isles". His genius at both land and naval warfare gave rise to the clan motto, "Per Mare Per Terras", which means "By Sea and by Land". Clan Donald takes its name from Donald the grandson of Somerled. In Gaelic, "Mac" means "son of". For about four centuries "Mac Donald" was a title not a surname.
Over the centuries, the power of the Lords of the Isles grew and it brought them into conflict with both the English and the Scottish Kings and with other powerful clans. This growth of power also gave rise to other forces, which were eventually to cause the clan's downfall. Territorial expansion made centralized authority more difficult to maintain. The increasing clan population gave rise to allegiances to strong local leaders of the branches of the clan. Territories assigned to sons of various chiefs became more independent and weakened the central authority.
When James VI of Scotland, who held the title of Lord of the Isles, became James I of England, the title went with him. Male heirs to the British crown retain the title to the present day. Mac Donalds remained powerful and important in the Highlands, but six major branches of the clan were no longer unified as under the Lord of the Isles. After the battle of Culloden in 1746 the clan way of life in Scotland was destroyed and massive migrations that sent Mac Donalds all over the world began.

References & Research Links

Maine Marriage Database (1892-2009)	Maine Death Database (1960-2009)	Maine State Genealogy Resources	Genealogy Collection Indiana State Library
Auburn City Clerk	Lewiston City Clerk	Portland City Clerk	Augusta City Clerk
New England Ancestors	Genealogy.com	Rootsweb.com	Ancestry.com
Nationwide Gravesite Locator	National Archives & Records Administration	Provincial Archives New Brunswick, Canada	War & Soldiers Records, Indexes & Databases

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Reference Title		Name Index
	Auburn, Maine - 100 years a city (1869-1969)	(Available)
	History of the Town of Waldoboro, Maine	(Not Available)
	The Levensalers of Waldoboro, Maine	(Not Available)
	The Frost Genealogy in Five Families (CD-ROM)	(Not Available)
	Leighton Genealogy (CD-ROM)	(Not Available)
	Cemetery Inscriptions & Revolutionary, War of 1812, & Civil War Veterans of Bowdoin, Maine	(Not Available)
	History of the Town of Greene, Maine (1775-1900)	(Not Available)
	Early History of St. Paul's (Summer Hill) Lutheran and Reformed Church (including Tombstone Inscriptions & Burial Records)	(Not Available)

	Back to Main Page	Last Updated: 10 April 2011 Email: clandonald1@comcast.net