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Donald Trump's mother: From a Scottish island to New York's elite
BBC ^ | 07/23/2025 | Steven Brocklehurst

Posted on 09/16/2025 8:29:28 AM PDT by simpson96

Donald Trump is a US president with a uniquely strong connection to Scotland. His mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born and brought up on the Hebridean island of Lewis but emigrated to New York to live a very different life.

Mary Anne was one of tens of thousands of Scots who travelled to the US and Canada in the early years of the last century looking to escape economic hardship at home.

She first left Lewis for New York in 1930, at the age of 18, to seek work as a domestic servant.

Six years later she was married to successful property developer Frederick Trump, the son of German migrants and one of the most eligible men in New York.

The fourth of their five children, Donald John, as he is referred to on the islands, is now US president for the second time.

His mother was born in 1912 in Tong, about three miles from Stornoway, the main town on the isle of Lewis.

Genealogist Bill Lawson, who has traced the family tree of Mary Anne MacLeod back to the early 19th Century, says her father Malcolm ran a post office and small shop in his later years.

Economically, the family would have been slightly better off than the average in the township, he says.

However, life during and after World War One, in which 1,000 islanders died, was very hard and many young people were leaving the Western Isles.(snip)

Mr Lawson says: "Mary Anne MacLeod was from a very large family, nine siblings, and the move at that time was away from the island.

"The move by Viscount Leverhulme to revive the island had gone bust and there was not much prospect for young people.

"What else could she do?"

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: hebrides; lewis; maryannemacleod; scotland; scotlandyet; stevenbrocklehurst

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Nice photos in the article, but cannot post them here as they are Getty Images.
1 posted on 09/16/2025 8:29:28 AM PDT by simpson96
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To: simpson96

My husband has MacCleod family from the Hebrides. It would be a ton of work to find a connection, though.


2 posted on 09/16/2025 8:44:34 AM PDT by madison10 (There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.)
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To: simpson96

Typical crap BBC UK state-run media - has to get its subtle digs in against Trump by the end of the article.


3 posted on 09/16/2025 8:45:24 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: simpson96

She was born two years before my mother, and died 12 years before my mother did.

My mother also had red hair, and worked in houses of the wealthy before she got married.


4 posted on 09/16/2025 8:46:05 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: simpson96

I think it’s BS how Getty images gathers up other peoples photos, slaps their logo on it and suddenly you need to ask their permission to use it. I am sure Trump never gave them the rights to his family photos.


5 posted on 09/16/2025 8:59:44 AM PDT by pepsi_junkie ("We want no Gestapo or Secret Police. F. B. I. is tending in that direction." - Harry S Truman)
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To: madison10

“My husband has MacCleod family from the Hebrides. “

My maternal grandmother was a McLean.

Traced back to Scotland. The MacLean’s and MacLeod’s lived close by an intermarried.


6 posted on 09/16/2025 9:13:02 AM PDT by TexasGator (1.he 750 hp Florida Gnat)
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To: simpson96



7 posted on 09/16/2025 9:38:38 AM PDT by Albion Wilde (RIP, Charlie. Say hi to Andrew Breitbart. God protect your family. Justice for Charlie Kirk!)
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To: simpson96

We need clarification.


Getty Images offers an “Embed” feature that allows users to use its photos on non-commercial websites and blogs without purchasing a license. To use this feature, find an image on the Getty Images website, click on it, and then select the </>Embed icon on the image’s details page. This provides a code snippet to copy and paste into your non-commercial blog or website to display the image.

Steps to Embed a Getty Image:

Find an Image: Go to the Getty Images website and search for the image you want to embed.

Select the Image: Click on the image to open its details page.

Locate the Embed Icon: On the details page, look for the </>Embed icon.

Copy the Code: Click the </>Embed icon to get the code snippet.

Paste into Your Website: Copy the provided code and paste it into the HTML of your non-commercial website or blog.


8 posted on 09/16/2025 9:46:07 AM PDT by TexasGator (1.he 750 hp Florida Gnat)
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To: pepsi_junkie

“I think it’s BS how Getty images gathers up other peoples photos, slaps their logo on it and suddenly you need to ask their permission to use it.”

Not exactly how Getty works.


9 posted on 09/16/2025 10:04:45 AM PDT by TexasGator (-/.he 750 hp Florida Gnat)
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To: pepsi_junkie

“I am sure Trump never gave them the rights to his family photos.”

Somebody did.


10 posted on 09/16/2025 10:07:41 AM PDT by TexasGator (-/.he 750 hp Florida Gnat)
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To: Albion Wilde

Thanks for those pictures.


11 posted on 09/16/2025 10:14:03 AM PDT by simpson96
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To: TexasGator
no they didn't. Getty takes public domain images (like historical photos from Library of Congress, for example) and then puts their logo on them and lie to people that they need Getty's paid permission to use them.

See here: Column: Photographer sues Getty Images for $1 billion after she’s billed for her own photo

12 posted on 09/16/2025 10:22:29 AM PDT by pepsi_junkie ("We want no Gestapo or Secret Police. F. B. I. is tending in that direction." - Harry S Truman)
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To: simpson96
"Mary Anne MacLeod, was born and brought up on the Hebridean island of Lewis"

Site of the discovery of The Lewis Chessmen.

The Story of the Lewis Chessmen

13 posted on 09/16/2025 12:43:45 PM PDT by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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To: simpson96
Thanks for those pictures.

He loved both his parents so much. I've never read a bad word he has said about them.

14 posted on 09/16/2025 1:30:25 PM PDT by Albion Wilde (RIP, Charlie. Say hi to Andrew Breitbart. God protect your family. Justice for Charlie Kirk!)
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To: madison10

I do, too but mine are from the Isle of Skye.


15 posted on 09/16/2025 1:47:32 PM PDT by Andy'smom (Proud member of the basket of deplorables)
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To: madison10
My husband has MacCleod family from the Hebrides. It would be a ton of work to find a connection, though.

It would be quite easy. Go to the local Mormon office in your city. They will do your genealogy for you. Their church has the best genealogy data and some of their volunteers have years of experience. The work they do would cost you a lot if you hired someone. They do it for free.

16 posted on 09/16/2025 1:57:43 PM PDT by ladyjane
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To: Andy'smom

I should see if I can narrow the island down. Never looked.


17 posted on 09/16/2025 4:48:15 PM PDT by madison10 (There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.)
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