Chasing the Elusive: Henderson McDonald

 I apologize for the lack of blogging in recent times.  I recently finished a rather large genealogy research project for an acquaintance that ended up consuming all of my free time until just before Christmas, and then took a short research break, as my mind had "fried."

In this new year, I am back to doing my research. I am starting off 2021 with another chasing of the elusive. I also will be updating the last chasing the elusive blog post I wrote in the next few days, as I found more information on Elizabeth Hager VanLuvanee Hause.

One of my paternal third-great-grandfathers was a man by the name of Henderson McDonald.  There is very little on him in regards to a paper trail, thus he remains one of my more elusive ancestors (as does his wife).  

Let's start at the beginning:

Henderson McDonald was born sometime around the year 1815 in Pennsylvania, according to the census records.  However, he could have been born as early as 1811, as a Henderson McDonald was baptized at the Derry Presbyterian Church in Derry, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania on 6 September 1811, per page 142 of the first volume of Notes and Queries: Historical, Biographical and Genealogical, Relating Chiefly to Interior Pennsylvania edited by William Henry Egle.  However, further research will need to be done in order to determine whether or not this is the correct Henderson McDonald.  I have a couple of emailed queries out but am waiting for replies.  For now, this record is merely a note to research as more records come available online.

Because of the lack of records to research at present time, it is unknown who his parentage was. 

At some point, he married Emeline Peterson, who was also born in Pennsylvania around the year 1821.  They probably married before September of 1839, as that was when their daughter Sarah was born.

The couple had three known children per census records, although the only census I have found that lists them all is the 1850 census.  The three known children are Sarah, who was born 1 September 1839, William, who was born around 1848, and Emma G, who was born in June of 1850.

Given the gaps in the years of the children, I am almost certain other children were born to the couple, but those children probably sadly died as infants or children before census enumerators could find them.

Here's where he becomes elusive, as he only listed in a handful of documents despite searching what is available online.

Henderson McDonald appears in two United States Federal census records.  In 1840, he is listed as the head of the household in Pittsburgh's South Ward, living with his wife, eldest daughter Sarah, and an unknown free white woman aged 20-29.  In this census, one person was enumerated as being employed in navigation of canals, lakes, and rivers. In 1850, he was listed as the head of the household, living in Allegheny City's Third Ward with his wife Emeline, children Sarah, Emma G and William, and a 35-year-old woman named Sarah Peterson, who was probably a sister or relative of Emmeline's.  In that census, he was enumerated as being employed as a clerk.

In February of 1844, his name appeared in a "List of Letters" that were waiting at the Pittsburgh Post Office.  The list ran for several consecutive weeks in the Pittsburgh Morning Post. 

He also appears only in one city directory for the greater Pittsburgh area.  That directory is Fahnestock's Pittsburgh directory for 1850, in which he is listed as Capt. Henderson McDonald, living on Federal Street in Allegheny.

1850 is the last known year for documents for him, as the trail runs cold after the directory listing and the 1850 census.  There are a few clues, however, in documents for his wife.

Emeline Peterson McDonald first shows up as a solo woman in the Directory for 1856-1857 of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Cities, when she appears as "Mrs. McDonald" working as a dressmaker on Craig Street near Ann Street.  She then appears in a handful of city directories living on Robinson Street and Fourth in Allegheny City's First Ward.  It is because of these listings that it is likely Henderson died between 1850 and 1856.

Emeline (whose name was spelled in a variety of ways including "Emily") also appears on the 1860 census with daughters Sarah and Emma, living in the First Ward of Allegheny city in the house of one Ann Aiken, where she was employed as a seamstress.

In November of 1861, Emeline's daughter Sarah married James Fielding in her home, according to a write-up in the Pittsburgh Presbyterian Banner. Conflicting information however gives the location of this home in both Sharpsburg (per a questionnaire James Fielding filled out later for his pension application) and Allegheny City (per the newspaper write-up itself done in March of 1862).  The minister who married the couple was one John Williams.  Aside from being a Presbyterian minister, little is known about him.

Emeline McDonald's last entry is in the Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1866/1867, where she appears living on 32 Fourth Street in Allegheny City.  After that directory, her trail also runs cold.

Searches to probate records from Allegheny County for both Henderson and Emeline yielded no hits, as did property records in the forms of deeds available as digitized images on FamilySearch and elsewhere.  Searches of the many newspapers digitized on newspapers.com, NewspaperArchive, and GenealogyBank have not yielded any death notices or notes of any kind on the couple.  The negative searches lead me to assume that the couple owned no property, and therefore had little to take through probate.  They also may have had a death notice in a newspaper that has not yet been digitized or lost to time (or even did not get noted at all).  Aside from daughter Sarah, who was my ancestress, little is known on the couple's children as well.  The trails for Emma and William also run cold.  

Perhaps one day there will be a brick removed in this giant brick wall that is my McDonald family and I will be able to continue the hunt backwards through the generations.  However, until then, I remain, chasing the elusive.

Update here (22 May 2021): I have picked up Emeline's trail and wrote a post about her second husband, Elmon Edward McLaughlin.

Sources

Ancestry.com, "1840 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 31 July 2016), Year: 1840, Census Place: Pittsburgh South Ward Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: 441, Page: 373, Image: 764, and Family History Library Film: 0020536 (Entry for Henderson McDonald).

Ancestry.com, "1850 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 31 July 2016), Year: 1850, Census Place: Allegheny Ward 3 Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: M432_744, Page: 152B, and Image: 310 (Entry for Henderson McDonald and family).

Ancestry.com, "1860 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 31 July 2016), Year: 1860, Census Place: Allegheny Ward 1 Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: M653_1067, Page: 635, Image: 102, and Family History Library Film: 805067 (as Emaline McDonald and daughters).

Directory of Pittsburgh & vicinity for, 1858/1859 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: George H. Thurston, 1858), 165, "McDonald Emeline, widow of Henderson, h Robinson bl Darragh, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 31 July 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh & vicinity for, 1859/1860 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: George H. Thurston, 1859), 186, "McDonald Emeline, widow of Henderson, h Robinson n Canal, A(llegheny)"; digital image, Univeristy of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 11 January 2021).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1861-1862 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1861), 218, "McDondald Emily, widow Henderson, dressmaker, Robinson n Darragh, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (http://historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 31 July 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1863-1864 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1863), 236, "McDonald Emeline, wid Henderson, 46 Fourth"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 31 July 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1866/1867 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1866), 273, "McDonald Emma, wid Henderson, 32 Fourth"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 31 July 2016).

Fahnestock's Pittsburgh directory for 1850: containing the names of the inhabitants of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, & vicinity : their occupation, places of business and dwelling houses : also, a list of the public offices, banks, &c, 1850 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Geo. Parkin & Co, 1850), 61, "McDonald Henderson Capt. Federal, Al(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 31 July 2016).

"List of Letters," Pittsburgh Morning Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 22 February 1844, page 4; Henderson McDonald had a letter; online images, NewspaperArchive (www.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 12 January 2021).

"Married," Pittsburgh Presbyterian Banner (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 22 March 1862, page 3; online images, NewspaperArchive (www.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 12 January 2021).

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 July 2016), Entry for Sarah V. Fielding; died 4 October 1907; Certificate number: 95518; citing Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Parents listed as Henderson McDonald and Emeline Petterson.

Voucher circular questions for James Fielding, certificate number 11390, dated 5 July 1898; Scanned copy provided in the pension file for James Fielding sent to Kelley Wood-Davis 29 Jan 2020 by Deidre Erin Denton, genealogist; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); Records Relating to Pension and Bounty-Land Claims 1773-1942, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, RG 15; 2,807 rolls, National Archives, Washington, D.C.