Clan Donald derives its name from Donald of Islay, a grandson of the warrior King Somerled of the Isles. Somerled, whose ancestry included the royal families of both the Scots and the Norse, ruled as a sub king over the south Hebridean islands and the adjacent coast of mainland Scotland. His descendants became the Lords of the Isles and held great power over the various tribes of the West Highlands and Islands. By the 1400's, Donald, Lord of the Isles, obtained more territory to the north and claimed Ross in the right of his wife. Tradition claims that he planted various loyal kinsmen in these northern territories to spy on his newly acquired vassals. Thus the MacDonald and MacLean names commenced to appear in these new areas. The Lord of the Isles also acquired a foothold in Sutherland in the Parish of Creich on the Ross border. Again it is generally thought that MacDonalds were settled in the area to protect the Lord's interest and later spread to other parts of Sutherland. The MacDonalds that settled in Earltown were mostly from the Parishes of Rogart and Clyne, refugees of the clearance era. One family came from Caithness.

Alexander MacDonald, North Earltown

Alexander MacDonald , (1791-1837), was born in the Parish of Clyne. He married Annie MacLeod, a daughter of Hugh and Janet MacLeod, Brora. She was a sister of Mrs. Ellen MacKenzie and Mrs. Hector Sutherland who also came to Earltown at the same time. Alex, Annie and their young children were part of the large migration of 1832 that brought several families to Earltown. They acquired land near the headwaters of Matheson Brook which had previously been granted to a family in Truro. Alexander only enjoyed his new home for five short years prior to his death. His widow and older daughters kept the farm going until the boys were old enough to expand it.

See Alexander MacDonald, (1791-1837) in the database index

Alexander MacDonald, The Falls

Alexander MacDonald, (1800-1882), was a son of Adam MacDonald and Mary MacKay, Clyne, Sutherlandshire. He came to Nova Scotia as a bachelor in 1821 and received a 200 acre grant at The Falls. His farm, still in existence, is opposite the community hall and once included the properties near the churches. His neighbours were mostly from Clyne and his first wife, Christiana Baillie, was a Clyne native who settled in the Berrichan with her family in 1820. She died in 1845 after which Alexander married Annie MacDonald of North River, a Rogart native. Alexander was one of the first elders of the Kirk in The Falls area. He is buried in MacKenzie Cemetery.

See Alexander MacDonald (1800-1882) in the database index

Alexander MacDonald, Schoolmaster

Alexander MacDonald was a native of Scotland and was fortunate in that he had acquired an education. He served as a schoolmaster in various communities in Pictou and Colchester Counties. He conducted a school in Earltown Village. Two of his children, Annie and Gilbert, remained in the Earltown area.

See Alexander MacDonald, Schoolmaster in the database index

Squire Donald MacDonald

Donald MacDonald, (1784-1857), was a native of Caithness, Scotland. As a young man he was in the employ of Lord Sinclair, Earl of Caithness, as a coachman. He became acquainted with the Earl's daughter, Esther, which led to elopement. This did not meet with the approval of the Sinclair family who felt Donald's status to be too low to warrant marriage to an Earl's daughter. The young couple led an obscure life in Caithness for a few years before deciding to emigrate to Nova Scotia in 1818. They obtained land at East Earltown near the Pictou County line. Pioneer life was very hard on Esther Sinclair as a result of having been brought up in a castle. Consequently she died in 1829 at the age of 40 years. She was buried in the remote Gunn Cemetery to the rear of their property, far from the castles and fortunes of her aristocratic origins. The family castle, Moy, is now the northern home of the Queen Mother. It appears that family was not completely shunned by the Sinclairs. From time to time sums came to Esther's children. When the Sinclair estate was being settled, several of the Earltown descendants had to sign releases.

See Donald "Squire" MacDonald in the database index

Hugh MacDonald, Soldier

Hugh MacDonald "Soldier" (1787-1828), was a native of Rogart. He married Jane MacKay, "MacHugh" , (1788-1881), a daughter of John MacKay and Mary Sutherland, Muie, Rogart, and North Earltown. They lived near the Earltown Village Cemetery. A near relative of Hugh's, John MacDonald "Soldier" also lived nearby on the Berrichan Road. At this point we don't know if he was a brother or nephew to Hugh. He married Margaret ______.

See Hugh or John MacDonald "Soldier" in the database index

The Reverend Laughlin MacDonald

Laughlin MacDonald was born in 1810 on the Isle of Coll, Argyle, Scotland. He was a son of Neil and Flora MacDonald who settled at River Denys Basin, Cape Breton, in 1820. As a young man, Laughlin developed a keen interest in theology and instructed the protestants of the River Denys area. He eventually studied theology in Scotland and was ordained to the Free Church of Scotland in 1851. He returned to preach in Nova Scotia was later called to Earltown in 1866. He died at Earltown in 1868 a single man.


Paul MacDonald "Paulie"

Paul MacDonald, (1771-1857), was a son of Hugh MacDonald, Rovie, Rogart, Sutherland. He was one of the early settlers and among the very first to settle in Earltown Village. His farm is located beside the DOT garage on Highway 311. In Rogart he married Janet MacKay, a sister of Donald MacKay, "Deacon" who settled on the next farm at Earltown. Paul's younger brother, James, (1790-1843), emigrated several years later and settled near Upper Kemptown. James was known as Jim MacDonald 'Uhr', Uhr being gaelic for late.

See Paul "Paulie" MacDonald or James "Uhr" MacDonald in the database index

Murdoch MacDonald

A Murdoch MacDonald appears in the 1838 census as living in the Berrichan area of Earltown. We have no further information on this settler but we believe him to be the ancestor of a MacDonald family that settled at Bayhead, Colchester County, in the 1840s'. An Angus and Murdoch MacDonald of Earltown settled near the Bayhead Union Church. They listed Earltown as their birthplace. In later years their descendants kept in close contact with the Earltown families.

See Angus MacDonald ( ) in the database index

Robert MacDonald "Lake"

Robert MacDonald, (1778-1840), was a native of Rogart, Sutherlandshire. Robert is believed to have been related to some of the MacDonald families living along the Berrichan Road. He was a distant cousin of Sir John A. MacDonald, Canada's first prime minister. Sir John's father was a Hugh MacDonald, native of Rogart. Robert married Catherine MacKay, "Deacon", of Rogart and Earltown.

See Robert "Lake" MacDonald in the database index

Robert MacDonald, West Earltown

Robert MacDonald, (1800-1864), was a native of Rogart. He married Jane Murray, (1799-1889), a daughter of Alexander Murray "Corrigan" and Christy Sutherland who had settled on Spiddle Hill. Robert, Jane and their young family came to Earltown in the later migration of 1832. They settled to the north-east of the Nuttby towers on Ferguson Brook Road. Robert's eldest son Donald settled at Balmoral on the Peter MacDonald Road.

See Robert MacDonald (1800-1864) in the database index

William MacDonald, Kemptown Road

William MacDonald lived between Earltown Lake and Kemptown. He married Elizabeth Baillie, (1826- ), daughter of John Baillie and Isabella Sutherland, Balmoral. It is not known whether other members of his family came to Nova Scotia from Sutherland.


William "Berrichan" MacDonald

William MacDonald, (1746-1833), was a native of the Parish of Clyne and lived in the Berrichan.

See William MacDonald (1746-1833) in the database index