Baron Macdonald facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Barony of MacDonald |
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Quarterly: 1st, Argent a Lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure; 2nd, Or a Hand in armour fesswise couped at the elbow proper holding a Cross Crosslet fitchy Gules; 3rd, Or a Lymphad sails furled and oars in action Sable flagged Gules; 4th, Vert a Salmon naiant in fess proper; over all (as Chief of the Name and Arms of Macdonald) on an Inescutcheon en surtout Or an Eagle displayed Gules surmounted of a Lymphad sails furled and oars in action Sable
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| Creation date | 17 July 1776 |
| Monarch | King George III |
| Peerage | Peerage of Ireland |
| First holder | Sir Alexander Macdonald, 9th Baronet, of Sleat |
| Present holder | Godfrey James Macdonald, 8th Baron Macdonald |
| Heir apparent | The Hon. Godfrey Evan Hugo Thomas Macdonald, Younger of Macdonald |
| Subsidiary titles | Chief of the Name and Arms of Macdonald of Macdonald High Chief of Clan Donald |
| Status | Extant |
| Seat(s) | Kinloch Lodge |
The title of Baron Macdonald is a special noble rank in Ireland. It was created in 1776 for Sir Alexander Macdonald. This title is part of the Peerage of Ireland, which means it's a very old and important rank.
The Macdonald family of Sleat has a long history. They are descendants of Uisdean Macdonald, who lived a long time ago. In 1625, an ancestor named Donald Gorm Og Macdonald was given another special title. He became a baronet, which is a hereditary title, in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia. This meant his family would hold this title for generations.
In 1716, one of the family members, Sir Donald MacDonald, was given the title of Lord Sleat. This was part of the Jacobite peerage, which was a different set of noble titles.
The ninth Baronet, Sir Alexander Macdonald, was the one who became the first Baron Macdonald in 1776. He married Elizabeth Diana Bosville. Their oldest son, the second Baron, was a Member of Parliament. He didn't have children, so his younger brother became the third Baron.
The third Baron was a Lieutenant-General in the Army. He inherited some family lands and changed his last name for a while. Later, he changed it back to Macdonald. He married Louisa Maria la Coast. There was a question about when their marriage officially started. This caused some confusion about which of their sons should inherit the titles.
Because of this, the third Baron's oldest son from before the official marriage, Alexander William Robert Bosville, did not inherit the Baron title. Instead, his younger brother, the fourth Baron, took over.
The seventh Baron was an important person in Inverness, Scotland. He was the Lord Lieutenant of Inverness for many years. Today, the title is held by the eighth Baron, Godfrey James Macdonald. He is also known as the Chief of the Macdonald clan.
The main family home is Kinloch Lodge. It is located near Sleat on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.
There was a legal decision in 1910 about the third Baron's children. A court in Scotland decided that the children born before his 1803 marriage were legitimate under Scottish law. This meant they could inherit the baronetcy title. However, this decision did not apply to the Irish Baron title. So, the baronetcy and the barony followed different lines of succession for a time.
The family seat for the baronetcy is Thorpe Hall, located near Rudston in Yorkshire.
Contents
Macdonald Baronets, of Sleat (1625)
This is a list of the people who held the baronetcy title before the Baron title was created.
- Sir Donald Gorme Og Macdonald, 1st Baronet (died 1643)
- Sir James Mor Macdonald, 2nd Baronet (died 1678)
- Sir Donald Macdonald, 3rd Baronet (died 1695)
- Sir Donald Macdonald, 4th Baronet (died 1718)
- Sir Donald Macdonald, 5th Baronet (c. 1697–1720)
- Sir James Macdonald, 6th Baronet (died 1723)
- Sir Alexander Macdonald, 7th Baronet (1711–1746)
- Sir James Macdonald, 8th Baronet (c. 1742–1766)
- Sir Alexander Macdonald, 9th Baronet (c. 1745–1795) (He was later created Baron Macdonald in 1776)
Barons Macdonald (1776)
These are the people who have held the title of Baron Macdonald.
- Alexander Macdonald, 1st Baron Macdonald (c. 1745–1795)
- Alexander Wentworth Macdonald, 2nd Baron Macdonald (1773–1824)
- Godfrey Macdonald, 3rd Baron Macdonald of Slate (1775–1832)
- Godfrey William Wentworth Bosville-Macdonald, 4th Baron Macdonald (1809–1863)
- Somerled James Brudenell Bosville-Macdonald, 5th Baron Macdonald (1849–1874)
- Ronald Archibald Bosville-Macdonald, 6th Baron Macdonald (1853–1947)
- Alexander Godfrey Macdonald, 7th Baron Macdonald (1909–1970)
- Godfrey James Macdonald, 8th Baron Macdonald (born 1947)
The heir apparent is the current Baron's only son, Hon. Godfrey Evan Hugo Thomas Macdonald. He was born in 1982.
Macdonald Baronets, of Sleat (1625); Reverted 1832
For more information about the later line of Macdonald baronets, you can visit the Macdonald baronets page.
See also
