Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 4, 1896

216
tHE CELTIC MONTHLY.
THE MARCHIONESS D'OYLEY.
(NEE MACDONALD OF KEPPOCIl.)
f[^|HE MARCHIONESS D'OYLEY, though
yly' bearing a French title, is a MacDonald
'-'^ of the Keppoch branch. About the end
of last, or beginning of this century, many
Lochaber MacDonells emigrated to Canada.
Keppoch's
brother, Major
Alexander, and
bis son, John,
went to Prince
Edward's Is-
land, where he
died, as also
bis son, who
never married
Some others
went to Mon-
treal, Virginia,
and Baltimore.
One of these,
John Mac-
Donald, born
in Antrim.
Ireland, in
1783, emigra-
ted in 1801,
and settled in
Baltimore. He
married in
1818, Mar-
garet, daugh-
ter of Alex-
ander O'Coul-
ter, of Down.
Ireland (their
arms, 'Ermine
3 bars azure'
Crest, 'a harpy
guard ppr.').
He died at
Baltimore, and
was buried in
theoldCathed
ral Cemetery.
On his monu
ment is the
following in
scription. "Inmemoriam. John MacDonald
of the family of Keppoch, who died 8th March,
1824," etc.
lie left one child, Alastair MacDonald, born
in 181G, who married in 1839 Annie, daughter
of Thomas Walsh, Esq , of Cork, Ireland (arms,
' Argent a cher, gu between 3 broad arrow
heads sable). She died in IS-tO ; Alastair died
in 1858, and both are buried in St. Patrick's
Cemetery, Baltimore. They left issue two
daughters : the eldest Annie Alexis, the subject
of the present sketch, was born in May, 1841;
was married in 18G8 in the Cathedral of
Baltimore to John Henry, Blarquis D'Oyley, of
Paris. In 1874 Pope Pius IX. granted her
the privilege of having a private Chapel and
Chaplain in her residence : and in 1874 the
Cross of Matron of the Holy Sepulchre was
conferred on
her by the
Patriarch of
Jerusalem.
Though born
in America,
the Marchion-
ess' Highland
sympathies are
very strong.
She takes a
warm interest
in all Celtic
matters, and
has inherited
the open-
hearted hospi-
tality of her
race. Their
Chateau of
Sans Souci —
once belonging
to the Bourbon
Princes — has
been converted
by the artistic
taste of the
M arquis, into
one of the
most beautiful
residences
about Paris
Here, and iu
their Paris
home, they
keep open
house; and her
Ladyship's
genuine kind-
n e s s, and
charm of man-
ner, gather
ai'ound her representatives of every nationality.
Many musicians and artists make their lirst
step on the ladder of fame in her hospitable
salons But she has a specially warm welcome
for all who come from the land of her ancestors,
all the more if they wear the " garb of old
Gaul," in which she has always dressed her boys.
Their first visit to the Highlands was about
1873-4, when they were welcomed as Highland