Events
Date of Baptism: 13 June 1800.
Date of Baptism: 7 September 1800.
Place of Baptism: Peebles, Peeblesshire.
The birth and baptism are recorded in the parish register.
Date of Death: unknown.
Place of Death: unknown.
Relationships
Father: Thomas McDonald.
Mother: Jean Campell.
See the Commentary section.
Partner: William Stewart.
See the Commentary section.
Spouse: Robert Ward. Married 31 July 1825 in Peebles.
The marriage is recorded in the parish register.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
William Stewart (born about 1821 in Peebles; baptized 20 September 1830 at Barns, Peeblesshire - died 10 May 1878 in Dalkeith, Midlothian) married Mary McKay in 1850 in Peebles. Had a child with Agnes Fotheringham.
John Ward (born about 1825 in Peeblesshire) married Mary Bryce 9 February 1851 in Edinburgh.
Thomas Ward (born 27 June 1828 at Barns, Peeblesshire; baptized 27 July 1828 at Traquair, Peeblesshire)
Jane Ward (born 17 March 1832 at Barns; baptized there 25 March 1832)
Jane Ward (born 2 March 1833 at Cross Houses, Barns; baptised there 4 April 1833 - died 27 January 1865) married John Ketchin 11 February 1855 in Traquair, Peeblesshire.
Agnes Ward (born 30 March 1835 at Peebles; baptized 26 April 1835 at Traquair, Peebleshire) married William Monaghan 22 November 1858 in Peebles.
Mary Ward (born 23 February 1836 at Peebles; baptized there 15 March 1836)
Robert Ward (born 6 June 1838 at Glack, Peeblesshire; baptized at Traquair Chapel 8 July 1838)
Nicholas Ward (born 27 February 1841 at Woodhouse, Peeblesshire; baptized 4 April 1841 at Traquair House).
Peter Ward (born 22 March 1843 at Hallyards; baptized 23 April 1843 at Traquair House)
Thomas Ward (born about 1848 in Peebles)
Evidence
from the Peebles register:
1825:
Robert Ward Labourer in Peebles & Jean McDonald daughter of Tho.s McDonald Labourer there, gave in their names to be proclaimed in order to marriage, which was done once on the 31 July & twice the following Sunday & no objection offered why the same may not be solemnized.
from a transcription of Catholic baptism records at Traquair House:
Thomas lawful son of Robert Ward and Jane McDonald born at Barns 27 June 1828 baptised at Traquair House 27 July
Sponsors Daniel McGuire and Mrs McGuire
William Stewart, son of [blank] Stewart and Jane McDonald, born at Peebles, baptised at Barns, 20 September 1830.
Sponsors Mr and Mrs McKinna
Jane lawful daughter of Robert Ward and Jane McDonald born at Barns 17 March 1832 [1830?] baptised at the same place 25 March
Sponsors William McGlachlan and Mrs McKinna
Jane lawful daughter of Robert Ward and Jane McDonald born at Cross Houses, Barns 2 March 1833 baptised at the same place 4 April
Sponsors James McKinna and Mrs McKinna
Agnes lawful daughter of Robert Ward and Jane McDonald born at Peebles 30 March 1835 baptised at Traquair 26 April
Sponsors Neil Shirkey and Janet Bremner
Mary lawful daughter of Robert Ward and Jane McDonald born at Peebles 23 February 1836 baptised at the same place 15 March
Sponsors James McKinna and Mrs McKinna
Robert lawful son of Robert Ward and Jane McDonald born at Glack 6 June 1838 baptised at Traquair Chapel 8 July
Sponsors Archibald McGuigan and Bell Maxwell
Nicolasa lawful daughter of Robert Ward and Jane McDonald born at Woodhouse 27 February 1841 baptised at Traquair House 4 April
Sponsors John Corry and Mary Corry
Peter lawful son of Robert Ward and Jane McDonald born at Halyards 22 March 1843 baptised at Traquair House 23 April
Sponsors William Downie and Mrs Downie
from the 1841 census:
Manor, Upper Clack
Robert Ward, male, 35, born Ireland, Ag Lab
Jane Ward, female, 35, born Peeblesshire, Scotland
John Ward, male, 15, born Peeblesshire, Scotland
Agnes Ward, female, 10, born Peeblesshire, Scotland
Jane Ward, female, 8, born Peeblesshire, Scotland
Mary Ward Ward, female, 5, born Peeblesshire, Scotland
Robert Ward, male, 3, born Peeblesshire, Scotland
Nicholas Ward, female, 3m, born Peeblesshire, Scotland
from the 1851 census:
Manor, Glack
1851:
Robert Ward, head, 41, born Ireland, Farm Labourer
Jane Ward, wife, 42, born Peebles, Peeblesshire, Wife of Labourer
Robert Ward, son, born Manor, Peeblesshire, Scholar
Nicholas Ward, daughter, 10, born Manor, Peeblesshire, Farm Labourer’s Daur (scholar)
Peter Ward, son, 8, born Manor, Peeblesshire, Farm Labourer’s Daur (scholar)
Thomas Ward, son, 3, born Manor, Peebleshire
Commentary
Jane’s parentage:
The father of Jane/Jean is recorded in the 1825 entry in the Peebles register for Jane’s marriage as “Tho.s McDonald Labourer there [i.e. in Peebles]”. Only one baptism of a Jean McDonald took place in Peebles in the period, in 1800, where the parents are recorded as Thomas McDonald and Jean Campbell. The female name “Nicholas” given to one of Jane’s daughters is additional corroboration, as Thomas and Jean had a daughter Nicholas, and Nicholas was not a common name in the area (only 8 recorded baptisms in Peeblesshire in the decades around 1800, compared with several hundred Marys and more than 1000 Janes.)
Jane’s relationship with William Stewart:
It is clear that the Jane McDonald who married Robert Ward is the same person as the Jane McDonald who had a son, William, with William Stewart. The younger William’s parents were identified by his daughter in his death registration as William Stewart and Jane McDonald, and the younger William’s baptism turns up among the baptisms of Jane’s children with Robert Ward in the Traquair House Catholic mission records. The younger William’s daughter gave his birthplace as Peebles. There does not seem to be more than one Jane McDonald in the area in the appropriate period, and there is additional corroborrating evidence: the younger William Stewart named one of his daughters Nicholas; and a documented descendant of the Nicholas McDonald who I am arguing is the sister of the Jane McDonald of this page shares significant amounts of DNA with me and two other documented descendants of William Stewart (10 cM, 24 cM, and 24 cM). The paper-trail trees leave little doubt that the connection is through the McDonalds.
There is another probable DNA connection through Jane’s mother Jean Campbell, but in that case, the tree is not as well documented and so the relevance of the shared DNA is not certain.
References
Ancestry.com. 1841, 1851 Scotland Census [database on-line].
Parish register for Peebles at FamilySearch.org [digital images