Military Chat

Thanks Alviegal, very helpful! I knew the burial place for Alexander Macdonald Stationmaster(1920), but none of the other burial details. I am not sure who this Annie McDonald is though. Alexander & Annie did have a daughter Anne (1841) who was present at her father's death in 1920, so it can't be her: https://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/68005877 . Maybe a child that died at birth, because the date fits around when John Macdonald (1869) and his brother Alex (1866) were born.

Have been reading through tis thread and wondered if you had seen this. All Tomnahurich Cemetery.


NAME DOD DOB SPOUSE FATHER MOTHER CEMY NO

McDonald John 1919 * * McDonald Alexander Munro Annie TNH 22


McDonald Annie 1868 * * McDonald Alexander Munro Annie TNH 22


McDonald Alexander 1920 * Munro Annie * * TNH 22


Munro Annie 1910 McDonald Alexander

The Biography of of Charles Shirra Dougall, brother in law of John Macdonald is fascinating. I thought that by Rector of Dollar Academy it meant he was the pastor there, but in fact he was the headmaster from 1902-1923. That makes sense then why John Macdonald sent his son, my grandpa Alex to Dollar Academy boarding school from around 1908 to 1922.

Thanks Chris for sending this to me.

Oh my soul Erin, that is so exciting, thank you. I had a look at the picture from that book, and John Macdonald has a distinct resemblance to his son, my grandfather Alex. So he must be the right person. Chris sent me detail of another John Macdonald who was a possible match, do you think they may be the same person? Details below:-

Anglo-Boer War records 1899-1902 Transcription (Find My Past)

First name(s) J
Last name MacDonald
Service number 681
Rank Lieutenant
Regiment Southern Rhodesian Volunteers
Other regiments/units Unit: served with City Of London Imperial Volunteers, Rank: Lance-Sergeant, Number: 681
Rolls WO100/231 page 252 WO100/267 page 43
Notes QSA Clasps: J,DH,CC,OFS,R

Janet....

Download this Book ...(GoogleBooks) its Free....

https://archive.org/details/transvaalinwara00edwagoog





Scroll to page 376 0f 391 and you will be able to see John MacDonald in Full London Scottish Regalia (7th Middlesex VB Regt) Back row about 3 from the end.

Just in case link does not work book is

The Transvaal in war and peace

by Edwards, Neville

I have been ensuring that all my keepsakes have been uploaded and unlocked for public viewing since Kath explained it to me, so nobody should have any problem with viewing my uploads. If any of you want me to email attachments privately to you, please inbox me your email address and I will gladly do so.

I missed that quote from Genesis, Argyllgran. Very interesting, I wonder in what context he added it?

(loads of newspaper items relating to Charles Shirra Dougall, Dollar Academy)

Chris :)

http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/history/Biographies/Dougall_Charles.html

(probably more on google search)


1901 (Find My Past)
Charles Shirra Dougall Head Married Male 32 1869 Kippen, Stirlingshire, Scotland Head Master Of Secondary School
Jeanie Dougall Wife Married Female 32 1869 Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland -
Elizabeth Eglinton Dougall Daughter Single Female 5 1896 Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland -
Charles Robert Dougall Son Single Male 3 1898 Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland -
Alexander Cameron MacPherson Boarder Single Male 16 1885 Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland Scholar
Crozier Fullerton Tofts Boarder Single Male 16 1885 England Scholar
Charles Nelson Titchfield Boarder Single Male 16 1885 England Scholar
John Christie Hamilton Boarder Single Male 16 1885 Lanarkshire, Scotland Scholar
James Goerge Weir Boarder Single Male 13 1888 Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland Scholar
William Ure Boarder Single Male 13 1888 Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland Scholar
Agnes Herbert Servant Single Female 24 1877 Glenluce, Wigtownshire, Scotland Cook
Annie Brown Servant Single Female 22 1879 Wigtownshire, Scotland Housemaid
Ewart High School House, Penninghame, Wigtownshire,

All the links Janet has posted re the Will open first time for me - maybe she's edited them.

No mention of the house in the Will - must have been rented, not owned.

Interesting quote from Genesis on page 3 - "See that ye fall not out by the way."
I can imagine Dad wagging his finger at the kids - Annie, Alexander, and John.

(I'm not familiar with it, but had below yesterday, where we couldn't see it, below advice was given, seemed to solve it!)

Chris :)

https://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/ancestors/thread/1370924

Nyx Report 8 Mar 2018 19:32

Tanja, when you look at the picture in your keepsafe, left click on it and in the search bar you should see something like this

https://www.genesreunited.co.uk/keepsafe/asset/details/1016486

post that here Make your you have clicked on the 'privacy' menu ( look for the 'padlock' icon) and make it "shared with everyone"

Anyone any idea how I can view the documents...?
When I click on link I am being asked to Register with Genes...???

Thanks AG and Chris for the idea regarding Alex (Stationmaster) will. I have enjoyed reading and gleaning bits of info off it. If any of you are interested, I attach all 3 pages of his will here. Doesn't look like John's sister Annie ever got married if she was still living with her father when he died.

https://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/68220808

https://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/68220938

https://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/68220967

Wow, Erin, thank you for your insight and leads. I definitely know that my grandfather Alex went to Dollar Academy from 1909. His mother's brother Charles Dougall was Rector of Dollar Academy too. His father John (Town Clerk) and siblings show that they went to a school in Inverness according to the 1881 census, but I am not sure if it was Dollar Academy. I will most definitely get hold of the school archivist and say hello.

I am most excited about your lead for John in the Military. We seem to be pretty sure that John volunteered with the CIV under the London Scottish, and you link adds weight to that. Assuming those 4 nominal rolls were the entire list of volunteers for the CIV to go to war, it seems like there was only one John Macdonald listed under the London Scottish and in fact the only Macdonald listed in the entire CIV. Hopefully this makes it easier to trace him and finally locate confirmation of his soldier number and DOB.

Thanks for taking the time to help me.

Janet...I have been browsing through some bits and pieces and wonder if you had been in touch with the Archivist at Dollar Academy..they may have details relating to Alex' Registration ....

Our Archives

We hold an extensive archive collection of artifacts from Dollar Academy's 200-year history and we are always delighted to hear from former pupils and relatives. Mrs Janet Carolan, the School Archivist, can be contacted during term time by email at [email protected]


The Records for the CIV (John) are held at the London Met.Archives.

A John MacDonald volunteered in the CIV and was attached to the 7th Middlesex Reg. (London Scottish)...
Headquarters was Buckingham Palace Gate SW1
The CIV was made up of non professional soldiers.

https://www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/imperial-units/542-city-imperial-volunteers?start=3

Check out Nominal Roll 2

You guys are absolutely amazing.... just when I thought we had scraped the bottom of the barrel and reached a dead end, you seem to pull another rabbit out of the hat!! I so appreciate it. I am so excited to go and download Alex's will on SP - who knows, may be a castle that I could inherit :-D !! I love all things Scotland....

(...reached his 80th year, a native of Beauly...an old Volunteer, and when the late war broke out he at once joined the National Reserve although 74yrs, he became district recruiter under the Derby scheme...a life long Freemason, one who was instrumental in inaugurating the Lodge Lennox in Fochabers...)

Chris :)

Janet, search...

(first box) a (second box) macdonald (keywords box) stationmaster


A RAILWAY VETERAN.

“... RAILWAY VETERAN. THE LATE MR A. MACDONALD, FOCHABERS. ilr Alexander MaoDcmald, retired stationmaster, Highland Railway, died residence Springfield Cottage, Foohabers, on Saturday, after a few weeks' ilLness. Mr Mac Donald, who had reached his 80th year ...”

03 February 1920 - Aberdeen Press and Journal - Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derby_Scheme

(other items on google search relating to scheme)

(lol, thankyou AG, did wonder, in case of anything (scraping the barrel, I know!)

Chris :)

Alexander's Will can be viewed on SP, for a few credits:

MacDonald
Alexander
1/4/1920
retired stationmaster, Springfield Cottage, Fochabers, d. 31/01/1920 at Fochabers, testate.
Elgin Sheriff Court Wills
SC26/38/23

Was there a Will for Alexander 1920?...(they can throw up names relating to family sometimes, Brothers, Sisters, Nieces, Nephews, etc.)

Chris :)

Thanks for the info AG. It's a pity there are no marriages in Kiltarlity around that time which would have made things much simpler. Now I am going to spend some time going through all the fantastic leads and information shared with me. It has been particularly wonderful to read the newspaper articles that Chris sent through which added such richness to the person or event I am researching. Now I want to see if I can continue my search and find similar newspaper articles for Christy Sutherland/Alexander Macdonald in the 1840's and earlier.

Thank you all who have contributed to my research. I do so appreciate it.

Unless this is another couple with the same names, I suggest you discount Christyan as your Alexander's mother:

From FamilySearch:

Scotland Births and Baptisms
Name Alexander Mcdonald
Gender Male
Christening Date 15 Oct 1803
Christening Place KILTARLITY,INVERNESS,SCOTLAND
Birth Date 12 Oct 1803
Father's Name Alexander Mcdonald
Mother's Name Christyan Fraser