Duncan (1803-1855) was a son of Malcolm Smith and Isabella Maclennan. By 1820 his father's name is on the rental list for Buanish and by then the family were settled at 5 Buanish.

In 1826, when Buanish was cleared, the family lived with his uncle at 8 Tong.

At Stornoway, in 1832, he married Henrietta Macsween of 16 Tong. Duncan and Henrietta settled at 1 Old Gearraidh Ghuirm where they had three of their nine children.

Old Gearraidh Ghuirm was cleared in 1840 and the family moved to 5 Tong.
https://hebrideanconnections.com/record/people/107964/
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Biography

updated 6 November 2024

Duncan Smith was born about 1808 in Isle of Lewis, Scotland, and died 5 September 1855 in Tong.

He married Henrietta MacSween on 7 January 1832 in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland. Henrietta was born on the Isle of Lewis and Harris about 1811 to parents Angus MacSween and Margaret Campbell and died on 26 March 1882, "age 72," in Tong, Parish of Stornoway.

"He was the only man in the family not to have the dual occupations of crofter and fisherman as he was described as a woollen weaver and cottar. His widow, Henrietta, worked the croft after his death."

Henrietta and Duncan Smith had nine children:

1. Murdo Smith
2. Donald Smith.
3. Ann Smith
4. Angus Smith
5. Catherine Smith
6. Annabelle Barbara Smith
7. Margaret Smith
8. Malcolm Smith
9. Isabella Smith

Death record

On www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. Also on microfilm at the Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, FHL film 0103480, ref. Stornoway 1855, 088/74.

Death of Duncan Smith, age 57, born at Tong. Parents: Malcolm Smith, cottar, deceased, and Isabella Smith m.s. ?, deceased. Married to Henrietta Smith m.s. MacSween. Children: Murdo age 22, Donald 21, Ann 18, Angus 16, Catherine 13, Annabella 11, Margaret 7, Malcolm 5, and Isabella 2. Died September 5th at Tong of inflammation of the bladder. Buried at Sandwick. Informant: Henrietta Smith, her mark, wife.

5 Thunga

The first tenant of 5 Tong was Duncan Smith (1803-1855), son of Malcolm, 2 Tong and he passed the croft to his widow, Henrietta Macsween (1812-1882) and she passed it to their grandson, Malcolm Smith (born 1851).

In 1895 Malcolm Smith sold the croft to Malcolm Macleod (1866-1954) son of Alexander, 28 Aird Tong and moved to Steinish.

Malcolm Macleod passed 5 Tong to his son-in-law, Malcolm Murray and in due course 5 Tong passed to his sons.
https://hebrideanconnections.com/record/crofts-and-residences/111359/

8 Thunga

Duncan Smith (1803-1855) was the first to occupy this croft, it is not known where he came from but he is thought to be from Laxay. He passed 8 Tong to his nephew, Donald Smith (1811-1888) of 2 Tong and it was passed to his widow, Marion Macdonald (1817-1895) of 12 Tong. The next tenant was Kenneth Macleod of 11 Aird Tong and after his death in 1920 8 Tong was passed to his widow, Catherine.

In 1949 Donald Mackay (1908-1986) of 42 North Tolsta bought the croft.

https://hebrideanconnections.com/record/crofts-and-residences/111737/

Family notes

(Son) Donald was said to have been a fisherman and the son of Duncan Smith and Henrietta MacSween Smith. A note of tragedy creeps into the family tree here as Donald was lost in Broad Bay off Vatisker Point, Stornoway when a squall of wind overturned his open boat in 1868. He was aged thirty-four and left his widow to carry on the family croft after his death and to bring up their four children, the youngest of whom, Mary, was only a year old. Donald's father was the only man in the family not to have the dual occupations of crofter and fisherman as he was described as a woollen weaver and cottar. His widow, Henrietta, worked the croft after his death.

Sources

1. (National Records of Scotland (NRS). Statutory registers - Deaths (Scotland's People, https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 9 Jul 2021) Statutory register of deaths. Year 1855. Reference: 088 /74. RD: Stornoway)
2. Bannerman, Alexander, Julie Helen Otto and Gary Boyd Roberts. "The ancestry of President Donald John Trump: an initial investigation." American Ancestors 18, no. 1 (Spring 2017): 50-1. < membership needed to view >; (document attached)(accessed June 26, 2019). “28. Duncan Smith (b. Stornoway ca. 1803); married Stornoway 7 January 1832 29. Henrietta “Essie” MacSwane/ MacQueen (Lochs Ross, Druimtong, Scotland ca. 1810–Stornoway 26 March 1882 “aged 72”), daughter of Angus MacSwane and Margaret Campbell”
3. https://www.scottishroots.com/people/donald.php
4. https://www.familysearch.org/service/tree/tree-data/pdf/family-grou...
5. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LB6H-GJR
6. WikiTree contributors, "Duncan Smith (abt.1808-1855)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Smith-86513 : accessed 07 November 2024).