James MCDONALD b c1837 and Allan McDonald b c 1830

[Tgapitbull]

I am not connected to the family but looking for information on the family of James MCDONALD and his brother Allan McDonald:

James MCDONALD b c 1837 died 1882 [17 April] Bellevue House, Auckland, New Zealand
Additional information: Lived at Achnahannet, Strathspey, Moray, Scotland
Source: Findmypast

Death notice in the NZ Herald of 18/4/1882 states "MCDONALD - On 17 April at Belle View, Whangarei of consumption James McDonald brother to Allan McDonald MHP age 45 years".
Have been unable to locate burial details to date.

His brother Allan McDonald moved to Poverty Bay c 1875 from Dunedin, NZ.  He was the NZ Member of Parliament for the East Coast 1879-1884 when he resigned.  In 1885 he was elected Mayor of Gisborne, but resigned before the 1886 election "due to death of his property manager".
The NZ Herald newspaper of 1 October 1884 records that he [Allan] is at present in the Highlands of Scotland but due back about Christmas time.

Around the middle of May 1893 he left Dunedin on the ss Rotomahana for Melbourne.  He was last seen on 24 May 1893 at the Otago Hotel, Flinders street, Melbourne.

At this stage I am not looking for any further information on James or Allan McDonald, other than to identify the parents/siblings of Allan and James McDONALD.

These common names are making the search a little difficult so a fresh pair of eyes would be welcome.

Any assistance appreciated.

TPB

[Tgapitbull]

Following is the link to the story behind my research - I am not the lawyer.  Just interested.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/northland-land-mystery-descendants-of-possibly-vanished-early-european-settler-sought/CB7D4RHUTJATLBB5L773KKBMHY/

TPB

[CaroleW]

Did either of them marry?  Would their marriage certs show parents names?

Does James death cert give any parental info?

[Tgapitbull]

Hi CaroleW,
Thanks for your posting.
As far as I can tell from newspaper reporting there has been no mention of any family.
The death notice for James refers to his borther Allan.  If he was married I would have thought the wife would have been mentioned.
Also re death cert, I am reluctant to purchase as not a family member.  Also if the informant did not know James it is likely that there is no parental information recorded.
If I can find the burial information I will contact the relevant Council to see what information they hold.

TPB

[Forfarian]

There are several Achnahannets (spellings vary) but IIRC only two of them are near or in Strathspey, both in the united parish of Cromdale Inverallan and Advie.

One is north of Dulnain Bridge http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NH9727
The other is further east, north of Grantown-on-Spey http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ0633

If James M(a)cDonald was aged 45 when he died in 1882, he would have been born about 1836/1837.

In 1851 there's a family in one of the Auchnahannets consisting of Donald McDonald, 80; daughter Elsie, 22; sons Donald, 16: James, 15; and William, 9. From the names of the other places in the same enumeration district I reckon it's the one near Dulnain Bridge.

This looks like the family of Donald McDonald and Ann Stuart. Their son James was baptised on 8 September 1836, so he is a very good fit for the one who died in 1882. 

They also seem to have had two sons named Allan. One baptised on 22 April 1821, and another on 2 June 1842. Presumably the first one died, but if the second one is your disappearing MHP, where was he in 1851? He's not in either of the two census transcriptions I've looked at, or in the census index at Scotland's People. So did he die young, or did he just get missed off the census by mistake, or was he somewhere else and if so where?

[Tgapitbull]

Many thanks Forfarian for your posting and information.
By the time of the 1851 census Allan McDonald would have been 20/21 years of age if he was born c 1830.  It is possible that he could have left Scotland for Australia as gold was discovered at Ballarat in 1851?
From the NZ Electronic Text Collection - Historic Poverty Bay and East Coast there is a short bio on Percival Barker Snr.  He was born in England in 1824 and settled in Dunedin in the early 1860's.  [It is there that he met Allan McDonald].  In 1875 he moved to Poverty Bay and in conjunction with Allan McDonald took up various "runs".  Their partnership was dissolved several years later.

In the Kae Lewis Miners Database I have found an Allan McDonald and a James McDonald in Tuapeka, Otago in September 1861.  Whether these are the people I am searching for I don't know as I currently can't prove or disprove them from my search.

From several newspaper articles I have found a Donald McDonald [Bankrupt] in relation to an Allan McDonald but again can't rule him either in or out as I don't have sufficient further information to do so.

I have also now contacted the Whangarei District Council to see if they have a burial record for James McDonald for 1882, hoping to receive a reply before they close for Christmas.

I am hoping that the information you have provided from the 1851 census is the correct family?

I wonder if Allan was having "money problems" which could be a reason for leaving NZ in 1893 and going to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, an area he was probably familiar with if he was in Ballarat and related goldfields in the 1850's/1860's?

Thanks again.

TPB

[Forfarian]

By the time of the 1851 census Allan McDonald would have been 20/21 years of age if he was born c 1830.  It is possible that he could have left Scotland for Australia as gold was discovered at Ballarat in 1851?

Of course.

But if he was born in about 1830, then it looks if it's the wrong family.

Also, if he was born in 1830, where was he in the 1841 census?

I'm assuming that Donald McD and Ann Stuart named the Allan baptised in 1842 after his deceased older brother, but in that case where is he in 1851?

Or am I barking up the wrong tree altogether?

[Tgapitbull]

Thanks Forfarian.
This could be the correct family?
The Tarawhiti Museum, Gisborne has given his year of birth as c 1830.  I have sent them a FB message to ask how they know this and whether they have any further info on him.
I find it interesting that given that he was a Councillor, then Member of Parliament and then Mayor of Gisborne that there is so little information that can be found on him.  Further digging is required here before dismissing the Allan McDonaald info that you have found.
While I don't want to, I may have to resort to purchasing a copy of James McDonald's death registration.
Thanks again for your assistance.

TPB

[Forfarian]

Good luck and happy hunting - keep us posted!