Alexander MacLeod - Parents

Hi Erica and Tamás

Yes, I agree with Tamás.

I looked into this family a few years ago. I wrote the following on John MacLeod's WikiTree profile last year:

"Biography

Early Life
John MacLeod was born about 1757 in Scotland.

He was known by the name Iain Ruadh; "Red-haired John" in Gaelic. He was also known by the name John Roy; "Roy" being commonly used as the English spelling of the Gaelic word "Ruadh".

John was originally from Raasay, Inverness-shire. Raasay is an island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. There aren’t any records available to show who his parents might have been.

John later settled at Melbost, located on the Isle of Lewis, in the Parish of Stornoway, Ross-shire. About the early 1800s, John and his family settled at Aird of Tong, also in the Parish of Stornoway. They were among the earliest settlers in an area of Aird of Tong known as "Pol Mor”.

Later, when crofts began to be lotted at Aird of Tong, John became the first tenant at No. 6 Aird of Tong. The Aird of Tong Rent Rolls of 1825, 1828, and 1829 show John Roy MacLeod as a tenant, although the individual identifying Croft Numbers are not listed in order on the rolls until the Rent Roll of 1858.

Marriage
John married Anne MacLeod. There aren’t any records available showing when or where they were married. Nor are there any records available to say when Anne died but she likely died at Aird of Tong where the family lived.

They had at least four children:

Mary, 1794-1882
Isabella, 1801-1866
Alexander, 1810-1853
Annie, 1811-1884

Later Years
The census taken in Scotland in 1841 shows a John MacLeod, aged 84 years, living at Aird of Tong. This likely refers to John. Even though the 1841 Census did not record relationships, the details of the other members of the household match those of John's son Alexander, Alexander’s wife Ann and their children. John's occupation was recorded as Small Tenant.

Death
No records have been found for John after 1841. It is likely that he died sometime after the census taken in 1841 and before the following census taken in 1851. It is also likely that he died at Aird of Tong where he was living with his family."

See, https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Macleod-2792.
I haven't looked at this bio since I wrote it so I will go over it and check it's up to date.

Also, Page 44 of the Tong book has information on John and his family.
I'll have a look for other references I've used and let you know.

OTHER SOURCES - for John Roy ("Iain Ruadh") MacLeod

●From HEBRIDEAN CONNECTIONS - PROFILES on Croft at 6 Aird Tong #110443 and VIllage of Aird Tong #44515:
•See, https://hebrideanconnections.com/record/crofts-and-residences/110443/
•See, https://hebrideanconnections.com/record/locations/44515/

● From "Tong: the story of a Lewis village.", pages 44-45 re John Roy MacLeod of #6 Aird Tong:
“No. 6 John Roy Macleod 1757-1845.
Originally from Raasay, then Melbost before settling first at "Poll Mor", Aird Tong. He was married to Annie Macleod.
Family:
(a) Mary 1794-1882. Married first to Norman Cameron and then to John Matheson of No. 10.
(b) Isabella 1801-1866. Married to John Smith (Mac Chaluim Taileir) later of No. 18.
(c) Alexander 1810-1853. Married to Annie Mackenzie (Anna Chaluim) from 18 Branahuie.
(d) Annie 1811-1884. Married to Donald Smith (Mac Mhurchaidh) from Brue, living in Garrabost.
John Roy Macleod may also have been the father of:
(e) Donald 1800-1835. Married to Effie Mackenzie later of No. 16.
On John Roy's death the croft went to his son Alexander and on Alexander's death to his son John. When John died the croft went to his son Alexander, and on his death to his daughter Mrs Mary Ann Macleod. The present owner is Mary Ann's son, William Macleod.”

● From FreeCEN - 1841 Scotland Census at Aird of Tong. Looks like John MacLeod, Head of Household, residing with his son Alexander and Alexander's wife and children:
•See, Free UK Genealogy "Scottish General Register Office: 1841 Census Returns database", FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5a155d21f4040b9d6e71d875 : accessed 22 Oct 2024) [data about John MCLEOD in household of John MCLEOD]; citing Piece: 88 Place: Stornoway Enumeration District: 3 Civil Parish: Stornoway Ecclesiastical Parish: - Folio: 0 Page: 8 Schedule: Address: Aird Of Tong.

● From FAMILYSEARCH - 1841 Scotland Census at Aird of Tong. Looks like John MacLeod, Head of Household, residing with his son Alexander and Alexander's wife and children (Image):
•See, https://www.familysearch.org/memories/memory/33272056?cid=mem_copy

● From HEBRIDES PEOPLE - from genealogy resources of ‘Cò Leis Thu?’.
•See, https://hebridespeople.com/about-hebrides-people/

The following are the Notes on the Family Tree (#7290) of John Roy MacLeod (Iain Ruadh) of Aird Tong and son Alexander (Alisdair Ruadh) from Hebrides People (Paid site),

“Alexander MacLeod of 6 Aird Tong – Alasdair Ruadh – red-haired Alexander – was a son of John Roy MacLeod and Ann MacLeod, also of Aird Tong, though the family are said to have come there from Melbost and before that from the Isle of Raasay, no doubt when that island was being harried by government troops after the battle of Culloden in 1746. John Roy MacLeod and Ann MacLeod had at least five of a family – Donald (7282) of 16 Aird Tong; Ann, who married Donald Smith (8431) of 48 Garrabost; Mary, who married first Norman Cameron (7278) and then John Matheson (7278) of 10 Aird Tong; Isabella, who married John Smith (7276) of 18 Aird Tong; and Alexander, who married Ann MacKenzie, daughter of Malcolm MacKenzie (8318) of 13/14 Branahuie.

Alexander MacLeod and Ann MacKenzie had eight of a family – Ann, who married Alexander MacLeod (7196) of 25 Vatisker and settled at 25 Aird Tong; Alexander, of whom we have no further trace; Malcolm, who was drowned as a young man along with his father; Donald, who married Catherine MacLeod (7309) of 14 Tong and settled at 34 Aird Tong; John, who married Mary MacIver (7050) of 59 Tolsta and inherited his father’s croft at 6 Aird Tong; Angus, who married Ann Finlayson (7235) of 19 Aird Tong and settled there; Kirsty, who married John MacDonald (7252) of 36 Back and settled latterly at 2 Tong Park; and Janet, who married John MacDonald (9672) of 23 Habost, Ness.”