The Macdonalds of Sutherland in the USA
Two lines of Macdonald descendants crossed the Atlantic to settle in the United States. Robert Macdonald emigrated to Texas in 1885, initially joining his Coghill cousins Jack and Alexander there. Eleven years later in 1901, his aunt Mary Macdonald's daughter Joanna Morrison,(nee Munro), emigrated to Chicago.
by Lea's son, Donald Grant in 1985.
Robert MACDONALD was his parents Alexander and Elizabeth MACDONALD's only son. Born at Mudale in Sutherland, Scotland, he decided to seek his fortune in the United States and emigrated in 1885. He settled first near Albany, Texas as a rancher, but three years later moved to Baird, Texas where he built the “Macdonald Ranch”. Robert was known as 'Bob' to many. He made a return trip to Scotland with Augusta LEA in 1890 where they got married. Augusta was the daughter of a confederate captain.
Keen that his children benefit from a more Scottish style of education. in 1912, the family moved to Leesburg, Virginia to a house they renamed ‘Dunrobin’ after the castle in Sutherland, Scotland. Bob remained devoted to his sisters and returned to visit Scotland five times. He is remembered for his sense of humour, teaching and raising children by example. Bob died in Leesburg in 1942, aged 87.Bob and Augusta had six children: Anne, Robert junior, Alastair, William, Lea and Donald Grant.
Anne married Peyton CRAIGHILL in 1925. Peyton was an Episcopalian Rector. They stayed in Leesburg and had two children: Robert Macdonald and Lloyd Langhorne. Robert, known as ‘Mac’ died after college aged only 28, so he never married. He started a career as a radio engineer. Lloyd’s line of work took him to Philip Morris, where he was a General Manager. The Craighill family today is mostly still based in Virginia.
Robert Jr. married Miriam HARPER in 1930. The family settled in Niagara Falls, New York, where Robert was a Vice President with General Abrasives Company. They had two children: Robert III (’Bob’) and Miriam.
Bob was a Geologist in California and died in Lebanon, Missouri in 2022 aged 89. His sister, Miriam, passed away young at the age of 41. The Macdonald, Hussey and Pruchnic descendants of this branch are spread more widely in California, Colorado, Missouri, Virginia and in Germany.
Alastair Sinclair married Louise SCONCE in 1934. The family settled initially in West Virginia where Alastair was a metallurgical engineer. The had one daughter, Frances Jane. The Williams, Siples and Hoffman descendants of this branch live in West Virginia, California, Texas and Utah.
Bob and Augusta’s third son William (‘Bill’) continue in the footsteps of his father as a rancher in Texas. He did not marry and died in Voca, Texas in 1963.
Lea (‘Grant’) married Helen PITTMAN in 1934. Initially the family settled in Virginia but later moved back to live in Baird, Texas. After Helen died, Grant went to Santa Fe, New Mexico where he passed away three years after his wife. They had one son, Donald ‘Grant’, who is an artist and did the painting of his grandfather (see top left). He now lives in New Mexico.
Donald Grant married Anne HUNTER in 1935. Donald was transferred to Alabama Ordinance Works at the start of WW2 and then transferred to New York and briefly in Delaware before settling in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The family later moved to Virginia and into Anne’s original family home at ‘Janeway’ in Doswell. Donald was an executive with Dupont Corp. They had four sons, though the eldest, Donald Grant, died at the age of four. Most of their descendants have stayed in Virginia though one family is in now settled in Adelaide, Australia and another other in Florida.