Source Documents:
A digital copy of Ila May Fisher Maughan “James McDonald Sarah Ferguson Their Progenitors and Their Posterity”, 1964 
is available through www.familysearch.org search/books. Search by title or author to obtain a full digital copy. The copy is legible but is scanned from a bound book and is not the best. Some pages are slightly distorted, but legible. We have recently found a professional printer who has created a beautifully clear reprint. We have ordered and sold several reprints over the last ten years.
If you are interested in obtaining a beautiful reprint of Ila Maughan’s book go to www.familyheritagepublishers.com. All copies of the second, third, & fourth printing have been sold. These reprints are faithful reproductions of the original, containing all the information, and professionally bound just as the original printing. Additional printings may be ordered directly from the printer. Give them the full title “James McDonald -Sarah Ferguson Their Progenitors and Their Posterity”. This reprint is offered so that the next generation may benefit from Ila Maughan’s work.
Macdonald, Donald J. “Clan Donald”, Midlothian Scotland, 1978 (reprint by Pelican Books). The most comprehensive one volume history of Clan Donald available. This reprint of the original is available from www.amazon.com/ for less than the cost of the original and has brighter pages that make the color photographs & artwork more vibrant.
Clan Donald is the international organization of the descendants of Donald of Islay from whom the surname McDonald (and its various spellings) is derived. We have not established our ancestor’s connection to the chiefs of Clan Donald (only 17% of those with the surname do), but all those with the surname are welcome to join the Clan Donald organization that promotes awareness of our heritage. One advantage of joining Clan Donald is is the opportunity it provides to participate in Scots/Irish cultural events that celebrate our ancestors’ culture.
Recent Sources May be Accessed and Verified by Anyone, Anywhere Through the Internet
Links to On Line Sources:
www.archive.org/stream/edinburghannpt2v05scotuoft#page/90/mode/2up Sir Walter Scott’s account of Moses McDonald’s execution
www.clandonald-heritage.com The surname McDonald pre-dates the nations of Scotland or Ireland. This site provides a history of Clan Donald based upon Donald J. Macdonald’s 1978 history entitled “Clan Donald”.
www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nirdow/index.htm Rootsweb Ancestry.com excellent brief history of County Down including photos, culture, music, & politics. The words to “Come By the Hills” are on the home page. Our daughter Eden McDonald Benson recorded that song with the Irish band Tir N’a N’Og part of the Salt Lake Scots Pipe Band on their CD “Stangers in a Stange Land”. The story of the Irish tune “The Star of County Down” may be of interest. Members of the LDS faith know the tune as “If You Could Hi to Kolob“!
www.ulsterancestry.com/Map-Down.html Free maps of Ulster, Ireland, County Down, County Antrim from the time our ancestors were there.
https://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/SURNAMES Rootsweb Ancestry.com list of surnames in County Down
www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/ecatalogue.htm The Public Record of Northern Ireland (PRONI) offers an e-catalogue to determine documents within their archives
https://heritage.uen.org/companies/Wce37bf28ad68f.htm William McDonald’s recollections of when he was a 15 year old Irish immigrant. The unique spellings are better understood if you read them just as they are written. You will hear yourself reading with a Scots/Irish accent! His account of his father singing Irish comic songs and step dancing for the negro slaves each night, after working along side them all day, gives us a beautiful look at James McDonald through the eyes of his son:
https://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~patricia/muir_journal_.htmJames Muir journal entry 5 Jun 1812 Moses McDonald. Also note the 14 November 1810 list of tragic deaths from a capsized barge in Paisley, Renfrew, Scotland. Included in the list of 84 who died are a 14 year old Maxwell Cunningham son of Robert Cunningham and a John McDonald age 23, son of the widow McDonald. Moses named his next (and last) son John born 1811. Was he named after his uncle who died in an accident a few months before?
www.pasthomes.com/index.php?aid=304 Irish Townland Maps is where I obtained maps of Balleylesson and Crawfordsburn, Ireland showing residences at the time our ancestors lived there. Membership is required to purchase old maps. Images of 2 maps are listed under Source Documents:
www.stevemcdonaldfanclub.com/Steve_McDonald_Fan_Club/Welcome Steve McDonald is a singer/composer from New Zealand who has put much our our clan lore to music. You can hear his music and purchase CD’s from his fan club