Who was the father of John MacDonald XIIIth of Largie?

Question

Can someone please help me figure out who his father was? Some sources say his father was John MacDonald who died in 1729 and that that John was a son of John MacDonald who died in 1710. However, the Genealogy of the Cadets of the Family of Auchenbreck(Volume 22 - Highland papers - Series 3 - National Library of Scotland (nls.uk)), which was written in the early 1740's, says the present laird of Largie (John b. 1708) was a son of John MacDonald and Florence Campbell, who remarried in 1711 to Lachlan MacLachlan.

The only source I can find for the John who supposedly died in 1729 is this: NRAS Register - catalogue record (nrscotland.gov.uk), which is also mentioned in The clan Donald (familysearch.org).

A John MacDonald of Largie married Grizell MacDonald on 14 Jul 1690 and they were divorced in 1707.

Answer 1

Ronald and James Campbell both mentioned in the first source would have been his uncles which would make sense if his mother was Florence.

Comments

Yes, I’m pretty sure Florence is his mother. But I’m still confused about the father. Since she remarried in 1711, his father must have been the John who died in 1710. So who was the John MacDonald, son of deceased John MacDonald in the 1711 & 1712 records? Could he be a half brother of the John b.1708?

Answer 2

Were these Johns both with the Macdonalds of Largie?

The classic "Clan Donald" book by Rev. Angus MacDonald (Minister of Killearnan) and the Rev. Archibald MacDonald (Minister of Kiltarlity) mentions both John XII and XIII on page 385 (in a section on the Macdonalds of Largie)

Quote:

XII. JOHN. In 1712 a summons was issued against him by his uncle by marriage, Rev. Angus Macdonald, minister of South Uist, to have himself served heir to his father and his uncle Archibald. We are not informed as to the issue, or whether the service was duly executed. John, 12th of Largie, died in 1729. He was succeeded by his son,

XIII. JOHN, who was served heir to his father on 17th January, 1730. He married Elizabeth, only daughter of John Macleod of Muiravonside, by whom he had one daughter, also named Elizabeth. On 3rd April, 1763, he executed a Deed of Entail, by which his estates devolved upon heirs general. John Macdonald of Largie died in 1768, and was succeeded in terms of her father's disposition by his daughter,

XIV. ELIZABETH. In 1784 she succeeded her uncle, Alexander Macleod of Muiravonside, as heiress of his estates. On 17th August, 1762, she married Charles Lockhart, third son of Lockhart of Carnwath, with issue.

Comments

Yes but I have no idea what the source was for John XII being the father of John XIII.

The other, more reliable source says John XI was his father, which makes more sense.

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Sorry, I must have missed something. What's the other source, and how do we know it is more reliable?

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The Genealogy of the Cadets of the Family of Auchenbreck

Volume 22 - Highland papers - Series 3 - National Library of Scotland (nls.uk)

It was written while John XIII and Florence Campbell were living.

Answer 3

Not a direct answer, but there are some records in the National Records of Scotland online catalogue at https://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue/overview.aspx?st=1&tc=y&tl=n&tn=n&tp=n&k=macdonald+of+largie&ko=p&r=&ro=s&df=&dt=&di=y which might help with the family