The Stevens Family History Page

MacDOUGAL (MacDonald)

MacDougal(l) is a Scottish name. It means the son of Dougall. The members of the family are descended from Dougall, grandson of Somerled, Thane of Argyll.

MacDonald is a Scottish name also. It means the son of Donald. The members of the family are descended from Angus MacDonald, son of Donald, whose father, Reginald, was the son of Somerled, Thane of Argyll.

Alexander MacDougal was nicknamed Sandy, as are almost all Scottish "Alexanders" and Julia MacDonald lived most of their lives in Nova Scotia. Alexander MacDougal was a Presbyterian minister in Inverness, Scotland.

Family rumor has Alexander and Julia connected to the founding of a well known Catholic college in Nova Scotia.

It is believed that some of the family names in the Alexander MacDougals are the Scotch-Gaelic, Maclaine and Cashins. The clipper ship trade through Nova Scotia, and Boston provided a common trade for the Scotch-Gaelics.

Alexander and Julia MacDougal had at least ten children: Big John, Mary, Dan, Donald, Little John, Hugh, Margaret, Mary Ann, Annie and Cristine.

From the Antigonish Cultural Center:

In looking at the information you sent, the family are living at in the Cape George district of Antigonish County. It is an area along the Gulf Coast located approximately 20 miles from the Town of Antigonish. Most of the people that would live in that area would be Catholic, Gaelic speaking Highland Scots, so singing and codfish would be an important part of life in that community. True confessions here--I too sing Gaelic and eat codfish on Fridays!

The 1871 Canadian Census of Antigonish shows the following information.

Abbreviations are as follows: Ant-Antigonish, CapG-Cape George, N S-Nova Scotia, R C-Roman Catholic, M-Married, S-Single.

Ten years later the 1881 census from the same location but naming them MacDougall instead of MacDougald.

1881 Canadian Census - Nova Scotia, Antigonish Co., Cape George, MacDougall

By comparing these two census, many things seem possible. Alexander Macdougal died sometime between his 60th and 70th birthdays as his spouse is listed as widowed. The first person listed is John (perhaps Big John?) perhaps because Hugh's occupation of seaman meant he wasn't there when the census takers arrived. Age differences are relatively consistent. Annie MacDougal is now a teacher but so is Flora. Maggie at 31 is now a servant. Sister Mary is a dressmaker. Only Christy has no occupation while listed at the age of 28.

Big John MacDougal was the one who introduced Annie to Charles Edward.

Dan Holmes (either the husband of Mary MacDougal or their son) received a land grant from the U.S. government after the Spanish American War of 640 acres in Fort Bliss, Texas in early 1900's, had a ranch.

Hugh MacDougal lived in the Columbia River area of Washington.

Margaret MacDougal died of measles at age 21 (contradicting both of the above census).

Annie MacDougal was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia in 1859. She was between 5'4" and 5'8" tall. She was a schoolteacher and good with children. "Kids respected her authority," said Nancy Dell. She acquired her teaching certificate in Antigonish, Nova Scotia on October 15, 1880, invested through the power of Queen Victoria in the fortieth year of her reign. Annie taught all subjects, especially math, while teaching for fifteen years in Georgeville County. She taught at St. Francis College for a time also.

She was a strict Catholic and ate codfish cakes every Friday. (A family rumor has her as an evangelical Catholic, who started many Catholic churches throughout Nova Scotia.) (Perhaps this is in reference to Julia MacDonald, her mother.???)

She met Charles Edward Stevens of Somerville, Massachusetts through her brother John MacDougal who was visiting in the area. He told her, "Here was a man she ought to meet." In 1888, on February 23 (five years after his first wife died) they were married in Saint Ann Catholic Church in Winter Hill, Somerville, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

She sang Gaelic songs to her grandchildren, who have many memories of her.

She died on January 26, 1953 in Knox, a part of Albany, NY. She is buried in St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands, NY. She died of a cerebral thrombosis at the age of 93 years. She had been living at 103 Park Street, Guilderland, Altamont, NY.

Other information comes from the Antigonish, Nova Scotia weekly newspaper, The Casket.

Obituaries from The Casket

At Cliftondale [?], Mass on March 12th ult. Christina MacDougall in the 58th year of her age. Deceased, formerly belonged to B.S. Georgeville, Antigonish. She leaves two sisters and one brother to cherish the memory of a kind and affectionate sister.

Source: April 09, 1908, The Casket

See also Alexander and Julia MacDougal's children chart #00011.

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Page was last modified on December 3, 2006
by Bruce Gatling-Austin, Web Page Coordinator.