Clan Donald

Comment

Comment by Heather Higgins on August 18, 2009 at 5:59am

Greetings everyone, I was rapt to see a Clan Donald Group already formed. the more the merrier.
I am a MacDonald by birth & live in Auckland, NZ. My MacDonald connection with NZ came about when Nelson was established by the NZ Company having already settled Wellington.
My gggf John McDonald was one of the 'Preliminary Men' who sailed ahead of their wives & children to mark out & prepare the town for the new settlers. He sailed on the Whitby one of three boats which left Gravesend together with the men & supplies, etc in April 1841 & finally arrived in Nelson 5 Nov 1841. Also on the boat was George McDonald who we think is probably related but nothing proven as yet. John McDonald's wife Janet Grant & their 10yr old son William, plus George's wife Euphemia & baby Ronald followed on the 'Lloyds' along with the other wives & children sailing from Gravesend Sept 1841 & finally arrived in Nelson 15 Feb 1842, a tragic journey with the deaths of 65 children.
John & Janet had a further three children in Nelson, my ggf John McDonald Jnr being the middle child. He eventually married Fanny Primmer born in Nelson & the daughter of early Settlers who arrived on the Bolton from Hampshire, Eng.
My gf, Walter was born July 1886 & was 8th of 10 children all born in Nelson
Walter, in turn fathered fourteen children, my father also no. 8 in line, then there were my two brothers & myself & we were all born in Auckland. On the MacDonald side I am one of 51 1st cousins so we are a rather large group.
Is there anyone who might be a descendant of John McDonald & Janet Grant's children - William(Inverness), Mary Ann(Nelson), John(Nelson), George Duncan(Nelson)? John & Janet were born & married in Inverness according to Janet's death extract however, we dont know whether that is Inverness town or Inverness-shire. Cheers from Down Under....

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