RootsWeb is funded and supported by
Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community.
Learn more.
About Us | Contact Us | Copyright | Report Inappropriate Material
Corporate Information | Privacy | Terms and Conditions | CCPA Notice at Collection
Descendants of Malcolm Nicholson McKay
Malcolm Nicholson McKay, son
of Angus McKay (ca. 1796-1873) and Christina
Nicholson (ca.1800- before 1857) was born in May 1830 in
Snizort parish in the Isle of Skye in Inverness-shire in
Scotland and baptised there on 5 July 1835. He died aged
73 on 13 June 1903 at Mullumbimby in northern New South Wales
in Australia and was buried on 15 June 1903 in the Presbyterian
section of Mullumbimby Cemetery (no headstone) 1.
He was of Harwood Island in the Lower Clarence River
when at Palmers Island on 28 August 1862 he
married Christina McAulay
of Chatsworth Island, born early in 1832 in Duirinish
parish, Isle of Skye where her parents married on
14 March 1829 ; died on 20 June 1903 aged 71 at
Murwillumbah a week after her husband with likewise
her death registered at Murwillumbah, daughter of
John McAulay (ca. 1802-1887) and Margaret McDonald
(ca. 1808-1908) 2 ,
3.
Surname OrginsMalcolm McKay's second given name of Nicholson would have been bestowed because it was the maiden surname of both his mother and his father's mother. Possibly the earliest records with it as Nicholson would be the conditional purchase record for land at Palmers Island on the Lower Clarence River that on the parish land map had it as commencing with an "N".The Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. At the March 1851 taken Scotland census his father's household was at Skeabost in Snizort parish. The Skeabost Hotel at that locality is located where the River Snizort reaches the sea. Nearby in the river is St Columba’s Island that has on it the Chapel of St Columba (also known as Nicolson's Aisle). Tradition has it that in this mortuary chapel are buried 28 Nicolson clan chiefs. The Nicolson clan was historically centered on Skye. The Nicolsons' are of Norse descent and the surname means "son of Nicol". During the years of the English persecution and the highland clearances of tenants to enable landowners to convert their lands to sheep grazing it is said thirty thousand left Skye of whom ten thousand were Nicolsons'. The 1846 Lewis Topographical Dictionary gave the population of Skye as 23,082 so by then more than half had left. In respect of the McKay surname origins the territory of the ancient and once-powerful Scottish Clan Mackay consisted of the parishes of Farr, Tongue, Durness and Eddrachillis known as Strathnaver. From 1829 Strathnaver was incorporated into the highlands county of Sutherland. The infamous clearances (forced displacement - often of an entire glen) and persecution by the English extending for over a century resulted in the destruction of the clan system which was based on reciprocal obligations between the population and their clan leaders and resulted in a massive migration to Glasgow and the lowlands of Scotland and emigration to other parts of the world such as England, America, Canada and Australia. Ancestry & EmigrationNo baptism record for Malcolm McKay's father Angus has been identified with certainty. It has been said some brothers also came to Australia of whom one was Donald McKay (1803-1890) who was married to Flora Nicholson (1806-1896) who arrived from Tote located at head of Loch Snizort near Skaebost with his wife and eight children at Geelong in Victoria in 1852 on the Georgiana. At the 6 June 1841 taken Scotland census Malcolm's father Angus was listed as a contractor aged 45 calculating to an 1795-1796 birth year, with his household in Prinmore in Snizort parish in the Isle of Skye and in the March 1851 taken census as born in the Isle of Skye aged 57 calculating to ca. 1794 birth year. When he arrived in Sydney in August 1857 with the six children the immigration record had his age as 50 equating to a 1796 to 1797 birth. Basis the probability he was born ca. 1796 rather than later he was at death in April 1873 likely aged about 77 years rather than the 75 inscribed on his below pictured headstone in Grafton Cemetery. When he died he was of Woodford Island in the Lower Clarence River. His death was registered (#1873-4334) at Grafton with his parent names given in the registration record as Donald McKay and Flora Nicholson 12.Angus was a widower when he and the children departed Scotland for Australia in 1857. His wife Christina Nicholson would have died between 1851 and the departure. She was listed in the 1841 and 1851 census respectively aged 40 and 51 so born 1800. At the 6 June 1841 taken Scotland census, in accord with the May 1830 birth date recorded for him in the Snizort ecclesiastical parish baptism register, son Malcolm was listed aged eleven in his father's household in Prinmore in the civil Parish of Snizort with six other children - Flora 9, Marion 7, Donald 6, John 4, Alex 3 and Cath 1. Snizort was then one of the seven civil parishes in the Isle of Skye. At the following March 1851 taken census Malcolm was not listed in his father's household then at Skeabost in the same parish when his father Angus was listed as a farmer on 3 acres aged 57, mother Christina 51, and six children all born in Snizort parish as - Flora 18, Maria 16, Donald 14, Alexander 12, Catherine 10 and Peter 8. Also missing from the household at the 1851 census was son John who was listed in the household aged 4 at the 1841 census. By 1851 he may have been deceased, or as he was born in Sept 1836 so was aged 14½ when the 1851 census was taken, could have been absent for the reason he had commenced an apprenticeship. Such usually began at the age of 14 years with the apprentice residing with his master and bound to him for 7 years. If so that may also explain him not emigrating with the rest of the family in 1857. Because the handwriting is not at all clear in the registration record for the 1873 death of his father Angus, for which 1838 born son Alexander then of Woodford Island was the informant, it cannot be determined with certainty from the children of the marriage statistics in the record whether John was then still alive. In the record the age of Angus when he married was given in error as 35 - obviously calculated from Alexander's own 1838 birth year. The children of the marriage statistics in the 1873 Angus death registration appear to read there were three female children living and two males deceased. A dot in the original entry above the number of living males suggests the number would be five rather than four. If so it indicates John was known to be still alive in Scotland in 1873 or wherever he may have emigrated. As the marriage date of Angus and Christina has not been identified it is not completely surprising there were two otherwise unrecorded deceased male children who could have been born and died before the May 1835 first child baptisms or in the ten year gap between the 1841 and 1851 census but it does suggest there could have been non-surviving male children born between the parents unknown marriage date and when Malcolm was born in May 1830. It has been noted speculated that at the 1851 census Malcolm was likely the Malcolm McKay listed as born in Snizort aged 18 so purported born ca. 1832 who was a servant in the household of Dr Roderick Miller in the main town and civil parish of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis situated in Ross and Cromarty county north-west of the Isle of Skye, and that he emigrated to Australia two years later on a ship named the Ivanhoe that departed Glasgow on 16 June 1853 and arrived at Port Phillip Bay in Victoria with 361 passengers on 15 Sept 1853 7. However not supporting the contention he emigrated on this ship is that at embarkation the age of this Malcolm McKay was given in its passenger list as 18 years instead of a to be expected 23 years based on the May 1830 birth date recorded in the church baptism register and confirming 11 years of age in the June 1841 census. Nevertheless in disregard of a by record established age of 23 in 1853 it was noted in 2016 that several online published family trees at Ancestry.com purported as a fact he was the Malcolm who arrived in Australia on this vessel and based on the 18 years in its passenger list even had 1834 as his birth year! Why would a young man paying his own full fare to Australia understate his age by five years and why prefer a passenger list age over the batisimal register record and the earliest available clearly identifying census record? In respect of the year of his arrival his son John as informant for his June 1903 death registration had his father's period in the Australian colonies as 7 years in Victoria and 45 in NSW calculating to an about 1851 arrival year 12. The simple fact is that he was born in 1830 and his year of arrival in Australia is not known. Following the April 1851 announcement of the discovery of gold in Australia at the Ophir near Bathurst and, news of the continued discovery of very large nuggets and rich sources of alluvial gold in NSW and Victoria, many of all ages came to Australia in the 1850s so it is possible Malcolm was similarly attracted. However identification is often not possible as names in surviving passenger lists may only have a Mr or Mrs and the surname or an initial for a person's given name so cannot be identified with any certainty. What obviously happened is that in the past someone must have noted the name as a passenger on this ship and speculated it may have been him but instead of presenting it to others just as a speculation instead claimed it as a fact since much copied by others without regard to the contradictions and other possibilites. In respect of the ships arriving just in 1853 it is noted the Victorian unassisted arrivals have a Malcolm McKay of Scottish birth aged 26 arriving in Melbourne from Glasgow on 26 Mar 1853 on the Typhoon so why not him as he was closer in age to Malcolm's then 23 ?, and a Mr. Mckay arriving in Victoria on the Texas in August 1853 - so why not him. Another Mr arrived on the Fatima in April 1854 and others of the surname with no gender specified arrived in the Victoria in 1853 and 1854 on the Hopewell and the Delgany. Some who arrived in the crew of a ship deserted by swimming ashore in Port Phillip Bay so there is no record of their arrival unless the master advertised a reward for their apprehension before his ship departed. Many arrived in Sydney and went south to Geelong and Melbourne by coaster or via the overland routes trying their luck at prospective places along the way. Such was the the situation prevailing in the gold rush days with news of any new find causing a rush to that area. That Malcolm preceeded the rest of his family to Australia and, participated in the gold rushes, is established by a notation in the immigration record of his widowed father Angus when he arrived in Sydney as an assisted immigrant with the six surviving children on 18 August 1857 on the Monica that he had a "son Malcolm McKay at the diggings". The Monica immigration records had the parents of Angus as Donald McKay and Flora both deceased, his birth place as Inverness (an unreadable by the compiler locality was also given), and that his accompanying six children were all born at Snizort in Inverness. Of the eight Angus and Christina Nicholson identified children only the baptism records for the first six have been noted in the extractions from the films of the register. The first four were baptised together in Snizort on 5 July 1835 with birth dates recorded as - Malcolm May 1830, Flora Dec 1832, Marion Aug 1833 and Donald as May 1835. The next two were baptised there together in July 1838 with their birth dates recorded as Sept 1836 for John and May 1838 for Alexander. Of the six only three recorded any part of the mother's name. In Malcolm's it was transcribed as Christy Nicolon and in Flora's and Marion's it was Christy Nicolson 19. Christina McAulay - Ancestry & EmigrationIn respect to the clan ancestry of Malcolm McKay's wife Christina McAulay the surname orgin and history of the clan MacAulay is too complex and open to question for this article to attempt to cover. Suffice to say there are many different families of MacAulays from Scotland who are not related and considered to have no provable historical connection with clan MacAulay that was centered near Loch Lomond. Relevantly in this case they include those of the Western Isles of Lewis and possibly the Uists MacAulays. In terms of geographical proximity those on Skye were most likely related to the Uist MacAulays who at some time may have had a genealogical link to the Isle of Lewis MacAulays. But other possibilities have been postulated - one being the Macaulays of the Uists originated on the Inner Hebridean island of Coll and another that Uists progenitor may have originated on Rum, Eigg and Canna (aka the Small Isles).1837 EmigrationChristina McAulay's parents married in Durinish parish on the Isle of Skye on 14 March 1829 25. She arrived with them and two siblings and two of her father's brothers and their families from the Skye in Sydney in Australia in 1837 on the third of the bounty ships the Midlothian. An article in the Sydney Monitor of 6 Jan 1837 headed "Distress in the Isle of Skye", quoting from a letter written by the incumbent Duirinish parish minister Rev. M. Glass, recounted the terrible conditions prevailing in that parish at about the time of their 1837 departure as - "The population of the parish is upwards of 5000 souls ... Whole familes are in a state of complete destitution ... Men are fainting when employed at their daily labour, and the miserable appearance of the children evinces the utter poverty of their parents ... ".The Midlothian of 410 tons departed Loch Snizort in the Isle of Skye on 8 Aug 1837 and arrived at Port Jackson on 12 Dec 1837 with 256 emigrants after 24 deaths during the voyage due to fever, dysentery, and scurvy - all being of women and young children with the last occurring as the ship made its way up the harbour 26. In accounts by those who survived and in their obituaries when they passed on the number of those consigned to deep during the voyage grew to 36 and the duration of the voyage from four to a full six months. It was said the ship was to call at South Africa for fresh water and supplies but due to the fever aboard made no stop there and the water was foul and the rations bad and in insufficent quantity. The Midlothian immigration records did not disclose that the three McAulays' aboard were brothers. That was established by the "relations in the colony" columns of the immigration records of later emigrating siblings and their children who emigrated to Australia under the Highlands and Islands Emigration Society (HIES) scheme in 1852 on the Ontario 22. The 1837 arrival record had the equal eldest of the three brothers as John McAulay, a stockman aged 35, who was accompanied by wife Margaret McDonald 29, a dairy maid from Duirinish parish on the Isle of Skye in Inverness-shire, and children Roderick aged 8, John 6, and Christina 5 (who married Malcolm Nichoson McKay). According to an Ancestry.com posted tree John McAulay died on 17 Nov 1887 at the Richmond River locality of Kilgin near Evans Head. No cemetery headstone, newspaper notice, or death certificate has been sighted so the age given for him at death is not known although an indication has been noted that it may have been 88 calculating to a ca. 1799 birth year. If so his records based birth year range is from ca. 1799 to 1802. Also aboard the ship was Alexander McAulay with his age also given as 35. His first wife Catherine McKay whom he had married at Snizort on 1 Nov 1826 died on the voyage. He arrived with five children - Donald 11 (later killed & cannibalized by aboriginals in 1884 at Mulgrave River near Cairns in Queensland), Anne 9, Flora 7, Mary 3 (said to have died at Parramatta soon after arrival) and Roderick 1 (likewise said to have died at Paramatta soon after arrival). When Alexander died in April 1882 his age was given as 84 calculating to a ca. 1797 birth year. His death registration record named his parents as John McAulay and Ann Mcleod. Also aboard the Midlothian was a widow Anne McLeod aged 50 with a 24 yr. old daughter named Janet. 13. Eighten months after arrival Alexander married Janet on 10 June 1839 at "Dunmore" and it is said they had six children 20. According to the below pictured cemetery headstone Janet was aged 71 when she died compared to 69 based on the 24 given in the immigration record. When Alexander died in April 1882 his age was given as 84 calculating to a ca. 1797 birth year compared to 1802 based on the 35 years in his immigration record. The third brother aboard from Skye was Donald McAulay with his age given as 34 and his wife Euphemia 33, a McRae widow who when they married in Duirinish parish on 16 Mar 1829 25 was named in the parish register as Effy Macrae and as Ave in the immigration arrival record (Effy or Effie is a diminutive for Euphemina), with three children - John 15 (stepson), Alexander 7 (died 29 January 1875 - headstone Maclean Cemetery) and Roderick 5. When Donald died early in 1886 his age was given as 89 calculating to a 1796 birth year. In the records the character of Donald and his brother John was attested to by Rev. J. R. Glass a Church of Scotland minister then of Duirinish parish where brother John McAulay and Margaret McDonald had married in 1829. Alexander McAulay headstone in Maclean Cemetery 1852 EmigrationCatherine McKayA sister of the three McAulay brothers who arrived in 1837 was named Catherine. With her husband Alexander McKay and four children and, two siblings and their families she left Skye for Australia in 1852 on the Ontario. The ship departed from Liverpool in England on 3 Aug 1852 and arrived in Sydney on 25 Nov 1852 whereupon it was immediately placed in quarantine where it remained for three weeks. During the voyage 41 adults and children died from fever who were - the Captain, four crew members, and 36 immigrants. Among those who died were Catherine and husband Alexander.An extraction of the data in the online Highlands and Islands Emigration Society (HIES) passenger departure lists and, from an online unofficial version that has some not always correct author added notes one being that Catherine's siblings Neil McAulay and Mary McFarlane were twins, has both Catherine and her husband Alexander as aged 53 at embarkation. In that respect there was a notation in the HIES passenger lists that the "man appeared heathy but his wife looks old and seems to have suffered from want". They were nominally listed as the oldest couple aboard the Ontario but other records establish their ages were much higher. By departure time the ages recorded for them at the 1851 Scotland census would have made Catherine 11 years and Alexander 9 years older than their declared 53. Based on her age in that census Catherine would have been born ca. 1788 which equates with the arrival at Port Jackson of the First Fleet but not with an 1802 birth year noted in 2016 purported for her in some online genealogies ! As with many older emigrants to be eligible for emigration financial assistance they would have adjusted their age down to fit into the 60 years and under age classification acceptable for assistance by the 1851 formed Skye Emigration Society that became HIES that covered the fare and the purchase of the requisite clothing items etc. In the departure lists the Alexander McKay residence was extracted as Keistle (i.e. Kistle) in Snizort parish and that he had been a tenant of Lord McDonald. A notation had they were classed by the Society as a "good family" for emigration. The four McKay children listed in the Ontario immigration records as arriving in Sydney were Flora 26, Anne 24, Flora 21, and Angus 16. However in the official departure passenger list only three were listed, the omission being one of the two Floras'. At the 1841 Scotland census the Alexander McKay household was in Kistle (unlike Keistle a real place) in Snizort parish. Unlike in 1851 ages at that census for adults were rounded up to the nearest five. Both the ages of Catherine and husband Angus were given as 50 so the age given to the census taker could have been upwards from 46. If she had been say actually 52 then that would give her a birth year of 1789. Their children were listed as - Murdo 20, Ann 15, Flora 17, Flora 12, Donald 8 and Angus 6 23. The 1851 census had the occupation of Catherine's husband Alexander as a farmer on 7 acres in Kistle. Catherine's age was given as 63 (so born ca. 1788) and husband Alexander's as 61. The children were listed as - Murdo 27, Ann 23, Flora 22 and Angus 16. There was also a nephew Donald in the household aged 7 born at Herd in Inverness. Neil McAulayIn addition to Catherine two other siblings of the 1837 arriving in Australia three McAulay brothers were aboard the Ontario of whom one was Neil McAuley. In the ships list part of immigration records Neil was listed as aged 49 with wife Ann aged 47, and children Ann 21, Effy 16, John 14, Ann 10 and Donald 6, and that he was born in Dunvegan in Durinish parish. In the HIES passenger departure lists his address was given as Bernisdale in Skaebost in Snizort parish which equates with his address being that Glen at the 1851 census. A notation in the unofficial HEIS version (source otherwise is not known so not verified) was that the maiden surname of Neil's wife Ann was McDonald and, his first wife was Ann Matherson, and the Ann in the family group aged 21 was a daughter from his first marriage. Also noted was that a married son and two daughters of first wife Ann Matherson had emigrated on the Georgiana that left Glasgow for Geelong on 13 July 1852 where it arrived on 16 October after a non-stop 91 day voyage where 17 crew members deserted the ship to head for the gold diggings with all the Scottish immigrants aboard refusing to join them. The married son who arrived on this ship was Samuel 24 and his wife Christy 20 and his two sisters were Ann 20 and Chisty 22 and their departure address was also Glen Bernisdale in Skaebost in Snitzort parish.Where a baptism certification was not required a person was whatever age they said they were. That Neil McAulay's age was greater than the 49 recorded at arrival in Australia is established by his entry in the June 1841 Scotland census when his household was in Edinbain in Durinish parish (Edinbain village overlooked Coisletter village where sister Mary McFarlane's children were born) with his birth place given as Inverness, status as a tenant, and age as 47 calculating to a ca. 1794 birth that would have made him about 58 upon arrival in Australia in 1852. Others in the household in 1841 were wife Ann 36, and children Catherine 19, Christian 10, Effy 4 and John 2 23. At the March 1851 taken Scotland census he was recorded as Neil McAuley aged 55, so born ca. 1796, with wife Anne 51, a tenant farmer on 2½ acres in Glen Bearnisdale (it would be the "Bernisdale" recorded as his prior address in the HIES departure lists) in Snizort parish in Inverness-shire, with children listed as John 11, Anne 8, and Donald 5. Whilst 1½ years later the parents ages had been considerably adjusted downwards to get them into the under 50 years bracket where the emigrant's financial contribution repayable to the Society after arrival in Australia was half that applicable to those over 50s (i.e. for a married agricultural worker and for his wife £5 each compared to £11 for those in the 50 to 60 age bracket), the ages of the three children at respectively 14, 10 and 6 were basically in line with the ages recorded in the 1851 census adjusted upward for the interlude. At his death at Clarence River in 1866 (#1866-4354 reg. at Grafton) Neil's age was given by the informant as 69 equating to an about 1797 birth year and that he was buried at Rocky Mouth (Maclean) 22. His newspaper death notice also gave his age as 69 and that he died on 8 Dec 1866 at his residence on Warregah Island. His wife Ann died on 15 Feb 1900 with her age stated in the newspaper notice as 101 years so born ca. 1798. Her age at the 1841 census calculates to an 1805 birth year and that at the 1851 census to an 1799 birth year. Seemingly contradictory as to Warregah Island being his place of residence at death is that when daughter Euphemia (Effy) married Charles Gruer in August 1869 the newspaper notice stated her late father Neil had been of Chatsworth Island. Ignoring the unreliable emigration record 49 age and, based on his age at the two census and that given for him at death, those records indicate a bith year from 1794 to 1797. Same as was the case for brothers John and Alexander at death his parents names are indexed as John McAulay and Ann. An aberration in the records is that at the 1851 census (the findmypast.com transcription version - at compilation in 2016 the actual census images for the 1841 and 1851 census were only available from the ScotlandsPeople government web site) is that whilst wife Ann's birth place was given as Bracadale parish Neil's was recorded as Duirinish in Rossshire in Inverness. Durinish in Rossshire was a settlement on the mainland in Lochalsh near Plockton not to be confused with the peninsula Duirinish civil parish in the north west of the Isle of Skye. Mary McFarlaneThe third sibling aboard the Ontario in 1852 was Mary McFarlane. An Isle of Skye marriage record has not been identified. In the immigration records her deceased parents names were given as John and Anne. At her death in 18 April 1884 (#1884-7684 reg. Maclean) the informant gave her age as 91 - so born ca. 1793. Her mother's name was recorded as "not known" and father's given in error as Malcolm McAulay instead of John. A transcript of the registration has that she died at Harrowgate Island in Maclean which appears to have been a non-existent place. Maclean was originally named Rocky Mouth and is not an island but a town on the mainland. Whilst it will never be known for certain it has been suggested the handwritten record may have been difficult to read and perhaps was actually written down as Warregah Island. An article in the Daily Examiner (Grafton) of 16 July 1943 stated - "Among the Octarians who died on the Clarence River" were: Mrs Ann McAulay (aged 101 years) relict of Neil McAuley (she died on 15 Feb 1906 at her daughter's residence Chatsworth Island) ; Mrs Mary McFarlane, aged 91 years who died at her residence on Warregah Island on April 15, 1884". Mary McFarlane was buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery at Maclean. 22.Mary's husband Malcolm McFarlane was deceased before she emigrated. Her death record had 29 as her age when they married. If that age was arrived at by a subtraction of a known year from 1884 the marriage year would have been ca. 1822 (i.e. 1884 - 1822 = 62 when subtracted from 91 = 29). Contradictory to 1822 is that in the same record the ages for the two eldest surviving children Donald and Anne were respectively given as 71 and 69 calculating to an about 10 years earlier ca. 1812 marriage. At arrival in Sydney in 1852 son Donald's age was recorded as 32 indicating a 1820 birth. His age was given as 82 when died in 1902 also giving him a birth year of ca. 1820 so likely his mother's marriage was about 1819. Thus disregarding Donald's seemingly about 10 years too high 71 years in 1884 the records suggest a marriage year range for Mary of 1819 to 1822. Mary was listed in the Ontario immigration records as a widow at embarkation, born in Inverness, and aged 49 with the occupation of house keeper. No doubt as for brother Neil there was a downward age adjustment to place her in the under 50 years of age classification. The immigration record has her accompanied by six children - Anne 28, Annie 26, Mary 24, Murdock 21, Catherine 17 and Flora 14 all born in "Coshladder" village - spelt correctly as Coishletter and located in Durinish parish at the head of Loch Greshornish overlooked by Edinbane where her brother Neil resided at the 1841 census. Mary's eldest and married son Donald McFarlane, a shepherd aged 37 (was aged 32 in the departure record so gained 5 years on the voyage) and his wife Anne (née Ferguson) aged 23 and a step-daughter Anne aged 3 were also aboard the Ontario and he was also recorded as born in Coshletter 22. That Anne aged 3 years was descibed as a step-daughter indicates she was not Donald's daughter but his wife's from an earlier marriage which it is understood was nominally to Martin McInnes but could not in fact have occurred as when she married Donald in 1852 it was as Anne Ferguson. The official HIES passenger departure lists, with all Mary's unmarried children's ages except one differing from those in the immigration arrival record, had their ages as - Anne 30, Anne 28, Mary 26, Murdo 24, Catherine 22 and Flora 14 plus the married son Donald as 32 and wife Anne 23 and step-daughter Anne 3. The unofficial version of the HIES passenger list has a compiler inserted notation in it that a son Roderick went to the USA and, for a reason known only to its compliler and contrary to no less than seven records, instead of Anne (or Ann) has the given name of the eldest daughter as Sarah 24. In respect of Isle of Skye records it appears at the 1841 Scotland census Mary was the Mary McPharlane (sic) aged 43, so born ca. 1798, with her household in Kildonan in Durinish parish in Inverness-shire with children Donald 20, Murdoch 10 and Flora 5 and at the 1851 census the Mary Mac Farlane (sic), aged 50 by occupation a cotter who on census night with a daughter Flora aged 12 were visitors in the household of a Kenneth Murchison aged 70 and family in Lowergill in Durinish parish who employed Mary's daughter Anne aged 25 as a servant and son Murdock aged 19 as a cowherd. If Mary's age of 43 at the 1841 census correct, which is more likely than the 50 given in 1851 when she was a visitor in someone else's household who employed two of her children, she would have been born ca. 1798 23. When she died in 1884 the informant for the registration gave her age as 91 years calculating to a ca. 1793 birth year. Disregarding the unacceptable 49 given at the time of her emigration the other records give her a birth date range of from 1793 to 1798. 1853 EmigrationAngus McAulayAdvice is that records indicate another sibling who came to Australia was Angus McAulay who died in December 1858 at South Grafton (Ulmarra). He is listed in the Victorian Assisted Pasenger indexes as arriving at Port Phillip Bay in Victoria aged 55 with 267 government emigrants on 24 Feb 1853 on the Priscilla that left Liverpool in England on 15 Oct 1852. Also aboard was Ann McAuley aged 47 who was likely his wife and two Donlald McAuley's aged 1 and 20. A copy of his death certificate named his parents as John McAulay and Ann McLeod. His age at death was given by the informant as 68 calculating to a ca. 1890 birth year. The witnesses at his burial were recorded as Donald and John McAulay 27.Questionable AncestryCaution should be exercised in respect of an acceptance or repetition of the below claimed McAulay family ancestry noted online at the time of this compilation. There is no way of knowing that the progenitor of the seven who emigrated from 1837 to 1853, who was listed in five of their death records as John McAulay, was not dead before the June 1841 taken census. In respect of parentage no checkable sources have been ascertained, so purported genealogy that has the progenitor as a John McAulay still alive in 1842 at an advanced age and able to be identified as such seemingly falls into the category of mere assertion. Specific birth years claimed for the seven emigrants listed here as siblings pre-date the surviving Church of Scotland parish baptism registers as do those of their purported parents. Claims they were born in a specific year that is not even within the date ranges identified by the available census and death records is in the same category. As the birth dates noted in web postings are not supported by baptism records they are not repeated here and can only be classed as not factually based. The available baptism and marriage registers for Duirinish parish commence from 1817, for Snizort Parish for baptisms from 1807 and marriages from 1809. For Bracadale in Snizort the baptisms are from 1802-1854 and marriages from 1802 to 1854. In North Uist parish baptisms commence from 1801 and marriages from 1821. There are no burial registers for any of these places. The absence of a day and month specific date for any of the six within a year indicates the genealogy was not sourced to a surviving family bible. That in one posting it was purported a child was born in 1786 out of wedlock itself raises a question as to how could that be known? It appears to this compiler that someone noted a John McAulay was listed in Trumpan at the 1841 census aged 88, which could be years out from his actual age, and adopted him as progenitor with thereafter such being endlessly copied by others as if it was an established fact and not just one person's speculation. Then a specific death date has been added and two marriages etc.The genealogy referred to was first noted online in messages in 2000 and 2001 to Rootsweb Chat and the Rootsweb Inverness mail list. It had the father of the six McAulay siblings who emigrated to Australia in 1837 and 1852 as John McAulay born in 1753 in Waternish in the Isle of Skye (once a separate parish until incorporated into Duirinish parish) who it was said had first married in 1787 Ann McLeod and had two sons - Roderick born out of wedlock in 1786 and in 1790 an Angus who came to Australia via Victoria in 1853, and secondly had married in 1797 Ann McLean and had the six children who emigrated in 1837 and 1852 for whom specific birth dates were given that do not accord with the available records 20. The poster when queried advised the source had been a person who whilst on holiday in the Isle of Skye had "looked up" the genealogy. In less specific detail and with some variations an earlier posted message to the Rootsweb Message Board for Inverness by another in Dec 1999 gave the Skye ancestry as - John McAulay born ca. 1753 in Waternish, Isle of Skye and died in 1842 at Trumpan Isle of Skye, married (1) Ann McLeod in 1787 and (2) Ann McLean in 1795 (i.e. 2 years earlier than given in the other posting). In 2016 about twenty-five family trees in the public tree section of Ancestry.com also claim a 1753 born John McAulay as the family progenitor (some even have his father as Malcolm). One noted had the parent names of the six who came to Australia as John McAulay (1753-1842) who died at North Uist Island in Inverness-shire and Anne McLeod (abt. 1765-1840) as also dying at the same place. The only source cited was other "Ancestry Family Trees" which is not a real source - just a copy and paste of what someone else had posted. Some had the mother of the six as Ann McLeod and others as Ann McLean. One in the tree section at the LDS Church FamilySearch web site had all six children who emigrated in 1837 and 1852 as born in Durinish parish so obviously not in accord with what some of the six said themselves as to their birth place so it follows was just that posters assumption. As parent names in the NSW death registrations for brothers Angus, Alexander and Neil were recorded as John McAuay and Ann McLeod those records can be cited in genealogy compilations as a source for their names if not for the years they flourished which likely forever will remain unknown. McAulay Family History in NSWAfter their arrival in Sydney in 1837 the three McAulay brothers were engaged by Andrew Lang at Paterson near Maitland. The entries in the immigration records had John and Donald as tenants of W A Lang of Paterson at Hunter River and Alexander as a tenant of W A Lang at Hunter River. The Midlothian immigrants were brought to Australia under Rev. John Dunmore Lang's Government Assisted Migrant Scheme under which between 1837 and 1840 twenty ships brought about four thousand Scots to Australia. After their arrival the Sydney press recorded the immigrants had refused to be split up claiming the government had promised to settle them as a community with their own minister. The government denied making that promise but decided if a landholder was willing to take them as a group they would be given six months rations and free passage to the landowner's estate at public expense. John Dunmore Lang's brother Andrew was the only one willing to take them and several of the families settled initially at "Dunmore" near Paterson.After being initially employed by W. A. Lang on "Dunmore" at Paterson the locations of Christina McAulay's father John and his two brothers are not all known with certainty prior to their late 1850s move north to the Clarence River. The death record of another brother Angus who arrived in Victoria in 1853 and died at Clarence River in Dec 1858 establishes the brothers Donald and John by then were at the Clarence where it is recorded brother Alexander purchased land in 1858. The 1852 immigration arrival records of two siblings Neil and Mary and their families had that when last heard from before departure from Skye the brothers were employed by Hunter River landowner "Mr. Hickey" on his Hunter River property named "Osterley". Located 4 miles up-river from Raymond Terrace, with an over one mile frontage to the Hunter River, it was located on the north bank in the Parish of Seaham near Hinton mid-way between Morpeth and Raymond Terrace and today marked on maps as the locality of Osterley. It was owned by farmer and entrepreneur Edwin Augustus Hickey. Edwin Hickey was associated in business ventures with the McAulay brothers initial employer in the colony Andrew Lang of "Dunmore". Both were among the six founding directors of the Hunter River New Steamship Company when formed in 1852 and were present at the inaugural meeting of the Hunter River Vineyard Association after its formation in 1847 of which Hickey was elected the President in 1850. Both were also cotton growers with Hickey having established a cotton mill. At "Osterly" Hickey had a 14 acre vineyard and at his other Hunter property "Oaklands" one of 13 acres. In 1853 he successfully applied to import six German vinedresser families pursuant to the 1847 introduced employment of skilled foreign workers bounty scheme. Twenty-one family members arrived in Sydney in 1852 on the "Ontario" and of them the records have that eighteen could neither read nor write. Only one Flora McKay the younger could both read and write. Two of her sisters could read only and of them only Flora the eldest had an entry in the relations in the colony column of the immigration records. Unlike her aunt and uncle, whose record named the three brothers as employed by Mr. Hickey, hers only named an uncle John McAulay as in his service without mentioning the other two. As she could have read the prior to departure letter that mentioned the Hickey employment there can be no doubt that at least John was then employed by Hickey. In respect of Alexander there is a small doubt he was then with Hickey as his ca. 1853 born son Roderick Alexander who drowned in 1927 was born ca. 1853 at Williams River where it is known Alexander leased land and got his nickname as "King" before moving north to the Clarence River in 1857-58. In any event it is likely from some time in 1855 all the brothers were no longer employed by Edwin Hickey as "Osterly" and his other Hunter River property "Oaklands" were subdivided in 1854 and auctioned on 18 Jan 1855 with the expressed intent of the proprietor to return to England. John McAulayNo baptism has been identified for John McAulay's daughter Christina. She was born in Duirinish parish in Inverness-shire in the north-west of the Isle of Skye early in 1832 and in 1837 at embarkation on the Midlothian was aged 5½. Claims noted in 2016 in over 20 family trees in the publically viewable category at the Ancestry.com web site that Christina was born in Dunbartonshire in the south of Scotland have no basis. Her mother Margaret née McDonald lived to the great age of 100 years and her obituary confirmed an approximate 1837 Isle of Skye departure with her husband, two sons, and daughter Christina. According to the obituary she was the "mother of" twelve children - ten sons and two daughters. Because at embarkation in 1837 the youngest child Christina was aged 5½ it seems likely at least two other children were born in Skye after her and died in the period of great distress on the island mentioned earlier. That suggests about seven more children would have been born in the colony none of whose births are indexed in the NSW indexes. The other daughter mentioned in the obituary has not been identified. Seven of ten sons were - Roderick (1829-1876), John (1831-1923), Farquhar (1841-1929), Neil (1843-1893) death indexed with unknown parents was reg. at Nowra, Alexander (1849-1925) whose death is indexed as Mc Aulay, Angus (1852-1909) and Malcolm (1854-1922).As mentioned above by 1852 John McAulay was in the employ of Edwin Hickey but that would have ceased at the latest in 1855 following the subdivision and sale of "Osterley" although he could have remained there in the employ of a portion purchaser. The 1908 obituary of John's wife Margaret had it that after arrival land was acquired by her husband at Hunter River that was sold about 1858 and they moved to the Upper Clarence (i.e. above Grafton) where they remained for about 10 years (i.e until to about 1868) before moving to the Lower Clarence where they settled at Chatsworth Island. There was no mention of any period at Carr's Creek that as it is above Grafton technically could be classed as the Upper Clarence where John's brother Alexander McAulay purchased land in 1858 or of any interlude at Woodford Island. However just months later in the April 1909 the obituary of Margaret's 1845 born in Australia son Angus, who had ten surviving children, stated the move from the Hunter River was to Carr's Creek. As John McAulay selected land on Chatswood Island in June 1863 it would not have been correct that the move to that Island was not until 1868. The Angus obituary stated he was born at Hunter River and came to Carr's Creek in 1857 (i.e. when aged about 13) and five years later (i.e. in 1862) moved to Chatsworth Island. The obituary also stated brothers Farquahar, Alexander (Chatsworth) and Malcolm Macauley (Murwillumbah) survived him but made no mention of his brother John whose 1923 death was registered at Granville who if correctly identified would have then been aged about 92 21. Seemingly confirming the Angus obituary was the approximately correct version of the arrival and initial settlement at Clarence River was the 1927 obituary of the wife of John and Margaret McAulay's oldest born in Skye son Roderick (ca. 1829-1876) who at Clarence River settled on a farm at Goodwood Island after initially being at Carr's Crek. His was the only other Macauley name appearing on the Great Marlow parish land map at Carr's Creek where it appears on portion 153 of 35 acres that was sold by the crown at an auction of it and 11 adjoining portions held on 19 Nov 1857 and was located further up the creek from his uncle Alexander's 30 Sep 1858 purchased 71 acres. The Clarence and Richond River Examiner on 6 May 1862 carried a Free Selection notice stating Roderick was of Carr's Creek and had selected portions 48 and 49 of 95 acres on Goodwood Island. His wife's obituary had the history of her father-in-law John McAulay as that in the early 1850s he had purchased land at Carr's Creek and after the 1862 commencement of the Robinson Land Acts and survey into portions of Chatsworth Island had purchased land on that island. The obituary stated in the early days John McAulay was familiarly known as "Bloroba" McAulay and after moving to Chatsworth Island had built a sugar mill there he named the "Bloroba" mill that he operated for some years until he faced with the same disaster that befell many of private mill owners on the Clarence when the price of sugar fell and the C.S.R. Company with advanced scientific methods of treatment established itself on the Clarence. 21. By 1870 the C.S.R. company mill on Chatsworth Island was in full operation processing cane. John McAulay Sr. died in 1887 (#1887-12558 reg. Lismore) with his parent's names indexed as John and Ann. He is presumed to have been the John McAulay who on 4 June 1863 was reported as having selected portion 57 of 78 acres on Chatsworth Island at its extreme north-east point that was said in the report to have been named Rocky Mouth. At that time there must have been two Rocky Mouth's as there was one further down river with that name that later was named the village of Maclean ? On the Parish of Harwood land map, with the name of the grantee on the portion as John McAulay Sen., adjoining portion 57 it on its western boundary was by far the largest land portion on the Island No. 58 of 250 acres. In respect of sugar growing and milling in 1870 a Sydney newspaper, under the heading SUGAR-GROWING ON THE CLARENCE, reported a correspondent for the Grafton Observer had visited some Lower Clarence islands and, at the residence of Mr. R. McAulay (Ed. i.e. John Sr.'s eldest son Roderick who married Ann Buchanan and died in 1876) at the south-west point of Goodwood Island had inspected several acres of very fine sugar-cane of various sorts of which the best was dark purple. Next call was on Mr. John McAulay's (i.e. his father John Sr.) and his neighbour at the extreme N.E. point of Chatsworth Island where he found the McAuley farm to be - "a well regulated farm with about seven acres of nice cane, clean, and in good order". On the Parish of Harwood map on Warregah Island, located to the west of Chatsworth on the other side of Clarence River with Back Creek on its western side, a John McAulay had portion 132 of 104 acres who was seemingly the other brother who arrived in the colony with Christina and Roderick and their parents in 1837 18 The first auction of crown land on Woodford Island was held on 4 Sept 1861. At the auction Christina's husband Malcolm McKay and his father Angus both purchased river front farming portions there as covered in the History and Descendants section below. A John Macaulay of Carrs Creek located on the western side of Grafton purchased portion #14 of 41 acres for £131 4s and portion #13 of 42 acres was purchased by an Alexander Macaulay also of Carrs Creek for £105. On the parish land map the name of Alexander Macaulay appears on both portions 13 and 14 suggesting a transfer of #14 to him by John Macaulay. As the history at Clarence River of Donald McAulay, whose newspaper death notice spelt his surname as Macaulay, has not been discerned he may have also been initially at Carr's Creek so the two purchasers at the auction could have been his children with those names who arrived with him and wife Euphemia in 1837? Perhaps John was the son of John although it is not likely Alexander was his son of that name who was born in the colony ca. 1849 as in 1861 he would have been far too young. Alexander McAulay's ca. 1845 born in the colony son John is another candidate for the purchaser of portion #14 although he was also seemingly too young. He did have land on Woodford Island, as in a newspaper article on the early history of the Lower Clarence he recounted after the passage of the 1862 Robertson Lands Acts he was successful (even implied he was the first in NSW to obtain a conditional purchase pursuant to the new Lands Acts) in the first conditional purchase ballot held for land on the Island. However that seemingly would have been in reference not to a portion at Woodford Dale but further north on the Island fronting the Clarence at Woodford Leigh where he later had his sugar mill. Alexander McAulayAlexander who arrived on the Midlothian in 1837 from the time he arrived at the Clarence River owned land at Carr's Creek. His death notice had his name spelt as McAulay. The Evening Journal (Adelaide) of Tuesday 25 April 1882 reported on his passing as - An old resident named Alexander McAulay died at the Lower Clarence on Saturday suddenly, aged eighty-four years. A notice in the Sydney Morning Herald of 18 Nov 1882 in connection with his will and estate had him as of Harwood Island and named his executor as William McLeod of Clear View, Wyrallah, once a northern rivers of NSW village near Lismore, so a relative of his second wife Janet McLeod whom he married after arrival and it is said had six more children who included another Roderick (the Rodrick from his first marriage is said to have died at Parramatta after arrival). He had poor eyesight and in 1927 when single and aged 74 fell in the river at Lower Chatsworth Island and drowned. The newspaper report named him as Roderick Alexander, born at Williams River, and his only surviving sibling as William (Sydney) and those deceased as Lachlan (late of Warregah Island), John (who carried on extensive sugar milling operations with Mr McLeod at Woodford Island - i.e. John Alexander 1841-1922), Mrs D Cameron of the Woodford Leigh locality on Woodford Island, and Mrs Duncan McFarlane (i.e. Catherine 1844-1908) of Carr's Creek.Carrs Creek is located in the Parish of Great Marlow on the north eastern side of the city of Grafton. The parish land map had Alexander Macauley (sic) with the largest of the twelve portions on Carr's Island situated at the mouth of the creek where it enters the Clarence River being portion 4 of 21 acres. Further up the creek Alexander also had 71 acres (portion 166) with both Carr's Creek and Clarence River frontages that he purchased at a crown lands auction held at the Police Office in Grafton on 30 September 1858. A 202 page book titled - Life and Times of the Carr's Creek Area 1839-2013 (2013) by Nola Mackey (copies held by Grafton & Maclean Libaries and available in 2016 for online purchase from the author) would have mentions. It is said to span the time from the original settlers through to the pioneering families etc. Alexander's son John Alexander McAulay who died in Kingaroy in Queensland in 1922 was one of most prominent business persons on the Lower Clarence in the 19th century. In 1865 in partnership with John McLeod he setup as a butcher on a half a square mile (320 acres) property on the North Arm of the Clarence River in the Parish of Ashby (portions 13, 14, 16, 18, 40) opposite Maclean and adjoining the village of Ashby they named "Snizort" after their respective parents homeland parish of Snizort on the Isle of Skye. They also later became one of the main sugar mill owners with their mill situated on 110 acres on Woodford Island fronting the river and a road. It was reported at one time the butchering business was slaughtering 36 head a week. Published in the Northern Star (Lismore) on 17 Nov 1923 was an article compiled from detailed notes John A. wrote of his memories of the Lower Clarence as it was when he and his older brother Donald (who was murdered in 1884 by aborigines in Queensland) first arrived there by steamer from where the family had settled at Williams River. It recounted that after passing Yamba there was no sign of habitation along the river until they reached Rocky Mouth (later Maclean). After their arival in May 1857 they started clearing a farm that had been purchased at "The Sandpit" later named Ulmarra and, about three months later following the purchase by his father Alexander "King" McAulay of a farm at Carr's Creek, John had returned with his father to the Williams River to assist with the removal of the family to there where they arrived on 18 Jan 1858. (Ed. the year should have been 1859 as the Carr's Creek farm was puchased on 30 Sep 1858). Mentioned was that after the passing of the Robertson Lands Acts and, from 1 Jan 1862 surveyed land becoming available for selection at the Lower Clarence, on the first selection day John had applied for a block on Woodford Island sought after by several others and was successful in the ballot. The article mentioned that John McAulay's father Alexander after being at Carr's Creek was a pioneer settler on Serpentine Creek at Harwood Island where he died. From his days at the Williams River he was always known as "King" McAulay. Over 40 years after his death a short article in a Dungog in NSW newspaper recounted how he first became known as "King" after being chosen by his fellow Scottish immigrants, who had settled on a large area of land the goverment had set apart from sale designated as "Church and School Lands" with the revenue from rentals of portions to settlers to be applied to the providing of education by church run schools, to be the collector of their rents for the government and to act generally as a crown agent. An article in the Grafton Daily Examiner of 9 Dec 1918 expanded somewhat by quoting from an earlier published article in the Maclean Advovate that had said the area of land set aside at Williams River was about 1000 acres and there were eight or ten Scottish immigrants who took up land on it of whom Alexander, thereafter known as "King" due his roll as the choosen rent collector, was one and that as the settlers had to clear and fence their land it had been let to them at a nominal rent for 21 years. Thus it follows it was likely the upcoming end of the 21-year lease at Williams River entered into after the 1837 arrival and a desire to land own his own land that was the catalyst for the move north to the Clarence River in 1857-58. Another factor would have been the disastrous flood on the Hunter and other rivers in 1857 that caused many farmers to move north. Donald McAulayAlexander's brother Donald McAulay/Macaulay died in 1886 (#1886-8052) reg. at Maclean a year before his brother John McAulay Sr. He may have been the Donald McAulay whose name was on portion 3 of 140 acres and the adjoining it portion 16 of 61 acres on Harwwod Island in Harwood parish. The Australian Town and Country Journal of 6 Feb 1886 reported on his passing as: GONE - Donald Macaulay, age 89 years, and a colonist for the past 50 years, died a few days ago, on the Lower Clarence. His faculties were unimpared to the last. He was a native of the Isle of Skye, Scotland.Malcolm McKay History and DescendantsMalcolm McKay's ca. 1896 born father Angus McKay died at an indicated age of 77 years on 15 April 1873 at Woodford Island in the Clarence River 12. The island stretches from Brushgrove at its southern end north to Maclean. In the 1872 Greville's Post Office Directory Angus and son Donald were listed under Brushgrove. The 1910 newspaper obituary of Angus's 1835 born son Donald stated he came to NSW with his family about 58 years ago (i.e. about 1852 - the actual year was 1857) and, after a brief sojurn at the Hunter River the family came to the Clarence River where they initially occupied a farm at Swan Creek (it joins the Clarence River not far north of Grafton), with Donald later acquiring his own farm at Woodford Dale on Woodford Island where he remained until his death 11.To meet the demand for small farms the pastoral leases covering Woodford Island were cancelled in 1860 and in the second half of that year or first of 1861 a survey was carried out cutting it up into lots to be sold. Not mentioned in the Donald McKay 1910 obituary was that his move to the island would have followed the purchase by his father Angus and brother Malcolm of Clarence River frontage farms on the island at the first auction of crown land on the island that was held at the Grafton Police Station on 4 September 1861 when 17 farm lots (termed country lots) ranging in size from 40 to 55 acres were offered for sale of which the first 16 were sold on the day and only the last passed in. The first lot offered that day, portion No. 4 of 40 acres, was purchased for £128 by Malcolm's father Angus whose then address was given as Swan Creek. Malcolm purchased the fourth of 43 acres (portion 7) for £129. 19s. His address was given as Southampton which was the name of the parish in which South Grafton was then situated. Two further auctions by the crown of land on the island were held later that year - on 2 October and 9 December. Following the 1861 and 1862 passage of the Robertson Lands Acts free selection with conditional purchase began in the colony in 1862. Selectors selected one or more land portions at a Court House and had to pay only 25% as deposit of the usual set price for rural land of £1 per acre with 5% PA interest payable on the remainder for as long as the balance remained outstanding. On the 27 May 1862 it was reported Peter McKay had selected 55 acres on Woodford Island - being portion "No. 20 at the back of land purchased at auction by Angus McKay". In respect of that portion it will be noted on the below pictured land map of the Parish of Woodford it ended up having the name of his father Angus on it as grantee. He became the grantee of the 55 acres when it was auctioned by the crown on 6 March 1866 described as a "lapsed conditional purchase by Peter Mackay" and was purchased by Angus as a conditional purchase for the standard £1 per acre on a 25% deposit 14. Angus added another 60 acres to his by then 95 acres in 1869 when he conditionally purchased an adjoining unsurveyed portion. Conditional purchases by other brothers of Malcolm - Donald and Alexander, and by Alexander and Peter in partnership, on Woodford Island also appear on the land map in the Woodford Dale locality where ca. 1867 a Public School was established situated on the river front about ¾ of a mile down river from Malcolm's portion No. 7. Perhaps Donald acquired Malcolm's portion when Malcolm moved to Palmers Island as on the Google satellite maps of today the once Malcolm owned farm shows up as far superior land for cultivation than the two more swampy portions back from the river with Donald's name on them? Why Malcolm McKay apparently gave up the good river frontage farm land on Woodford Island that he purchased at auction in the Sept. 1861 and at some time before or after his August 1862 marriage at Palmers Island selected a similar size portion on that island is unknown. Perhaps the mid-Feb 1863 record flood of the Clarence River since white settlement, that left hundreds of families on the river above and below Grafton houseless and homeless and caused huge losses of crops ready for harvest and the loss of nine lives, followed the next year by months of rain causing big river rises in March and in August and several inundations of the lower lands and more crop losses, was the catalyst for the move to Palmers Island near the river mouth where floods and major river rises had less impact or maybe it was just to be closer to his wife's parents of whom it was noted her mother acted as a nurse so would be available for children's births ? Parish of Woodford land map The 1872 Greville's Post Office Directory listed Malcolm at Palmers Island in the Lower Clarence River where it is said the first settlers arrived in 1862. The farm portion he selected there was situated at the northern most point of the island on a bend in the Clarence about 4.5 kilometers up the river from where it flows into the sea at Yamba as shown in the below pictured part of a civil Parish of Taloumbi land map. According to his and Christina's newpaper OBITUARY they moved from Palmers Island to Murwillumbah in 1881 15. The 1891 census for the Lismore enumeration district listed Malcolm's place of residence as Murwillumbah Road and the 1901 census at the locality of Brunswick River in the sub-district of West Billinudgel located to the west of Murwillumbah, with the household in 1891 comprising 3 males and 3 females and in 1901 4 males and one female 12. The marriages from 1893 of the last born three daughters and the 1903 deaths of Malcolm and Christina were all registered at Murwillumbah about 38 kilometers south-east of Mullumbimby where the Court House would have been. In the year preceding their deaths their names appeared in the Northern Star newspaper of 27 August 1902 in a list of those whose age pension (£13 each) was renewed during the preceding month 4. Apart from one advising the 1861 Woodford Island land purchase and, another mentioning an 80 acre land grant at Mullumbimbi as having been recommended for provisional approval on 2 July 1885 12, the only other newspaper mention identified was the marriage notice published nine days after the event. No cemetery headstone has been identified in the available cemetery headstone transcription indexes. It is noted the 1903 Malcolm McKay death registration had the number of his and Christina's children as eleven of whom one male and two females were stated to be deceased. Laura listed in the record would have been a phonetic spelling of Flora. Of the children then deceased a male child for whom no birth or death was noted cannot be identified. The 1908 obituary of Christina's mother Margaret gave the number of Christina's children as two sons and eight daughters. So there is a contradiction between the two records as to whether there was an 11th child. Bearing in mind no indexed birth or death registration has been identified perhaps the unaccounted for deceased before 1903 child was stillborn and no registration was required? Christina's 1903 death registration record has not been sighted. The children statistics given in may differ and clarify. As the facts are not discernable the purported deceased male child has been omitted from this compilation that lists only the identified ten children. There were at least the below identified fifty-three grandchildren. Malcolm N Mackay farm on Palmers Island Children of Malcolm Nicholson McKay and Christina McAulay were:
1. Christina Nicholson McKay, b.
1863 (#1863-8105) reg. Grafton, NSW, Australia ;
d. 19 Oct 1911 (#1912-6506) reg. Macksville, NSW. She
married in 1885 (#1885-5001) reg. Grafton - given name
indexed as Christine N, Angus McKay born 25 Feb
1846 Williams River, Dungog, NSW, Australia ; d. 19 Nov 1939
Burrapine, NSW, son of Angus McKay (1816-1869) and
Jane McMillan (1828-1888) and a grandson of Angus McKay
(1795-1896) and Christina McKay (-1895).
After arrival from Scotland in 1839 on the James Moran and, an initial period at Dungog, the grandparents of Christina's husband Angus settled in the Bowraville district where a McKay / Mackay family reunion was held in October 1988 attended by about 2500 descendants from Australia and overseas. At that time a plaque in memory of the pioneering role of the family in the district was unveilled in Mackay Park. A 600 page family history was published in 1991 10.
2. Margaret Ann McKay, b. ca. 1865 Palmers
Island, NSW. Australia (birth not identified
in the birth indexes); d. 12 Jan 1939 (#1939-3869) reg. Tweed
River, at Main Arm, Brunswick River, buried Mullumbimby
cemetery, NSW. She married 1884 (#1884-7025) reg. Tweed Heads,
Angus Gillies, d. 1927 (#1927-19890) reg. Byron Bay,
NSW, son of Angus and Marion Gillies.
Her OBITUARY stated she was believed to be the first white woman to settle in the Brunswick River district coming there when the Brunswick was practically all virgin scrub land and settling at Main Arm where she and her husband were dairy farmers.3. Alexander Angus McKay would be "Angus" b. 1866 (#1866-8908) reg. Grafton, NSW, Australia with Alexander added later it being the name of his uncle who was the informant for his grandfather's 1873 death registration. He died in February 1946 (#1946-C675) at Charters Towers, Queensland with parents names indexed as Malcolm Mackay (sic) and Christina McAuley (sic). No evidence was noted in the QLD or NSW indexes that he married. The Malcolm McKay June 1903 death registration did not list an Alex or Alexander as a surviving child only "Angus" aged 37. When he died he was a resident of the Queensland government's Eventide Home for aged persons that opened in Charters Towers in 1929. His funeral notice in the Northern Miner (Charters Towers) of 16 Feb 1946 read - MACKAY The funeral of the late Mr. Alexander Angus Mackay (Ayr) will leave Eventide Home at 10 a.m. this day Saturday, February 16th.4. John McKay, b. 1867 (#1867-9820) reg Grafton, NSW, Australia ; d. 1932 (#1932-C2655) in Queensland, Australia. He married on 18 June 1907 at the Presbyterian manse in Gympie, Sarah Watson, born 1876 on Chatsworth Island, NSW, daughter of Edward Watson (1832-1897) and Mary Campbell (1849-1932) 12. The marriage registration record had his address as Cooroy, age 39, and birthplace as Palmers Island, with Sarah as age 30 and born at Chatsworth Island with the above parents. The father's occupation of both parties was farmer 12.5. Marion McKay, b. 1869 (#1869-11389) reg. Grafton, NSW, Australia ; d. 1872 reg. Grafton. 6. Janet Kate McKay, b. 1871 (#1871-10618) reg Grafton, NSW, Australia. She died in 15 Dec 1961 (#1961-33749) registered Rockdale, NSW - mothers name indexed as Christine, buried Presbyterian Section E, plot 381 Field of Mars Cemetery, East Ryde. She married in 1893 (#1893-6351) registered Redfern, NSW (given names indexed as "Janet R"), David Richmond Hart, b. ca. 1869 ; d. 2 Aug 1942 (#1942-15769) reg. Balmain, buried same plot as wife in Field of Mars Cemetery, son of Chadrick Hart and Hannah. At birth her given name was registered as "Catherine" and in accord with the 1871 Catherine birth registration she was listed as a surviving child aged 32 in her father's 1903 death registration by the diminutive of "Kate". So a similar situation to that of her brother Alexander who was listed in the same record as Angus so seemingly known in the family by his birth registration name of "Angus". In Janet's case her "Janet" was similarly later added by her as an additional given name. A death notice for husband David appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald on 3 Aug 1942 and in same paper for Janet on 16 Dec 1961 with her being late of Cronulla. There were 11 children registered between 1894 and 1911 as follows ;-7. Mary McKay, b. 1872 (#1872-10793) reg Maclean, NSW, Australia ; d. 1872 reg. Maclean. 8. Marion McKay, b. 1873 (#1873-11456) reg Maclean, NSW, Australia. She married in 1897 (#1897-3606) reg. Murwillumbah, Joseph Dunn. Children of Marion McKay and Joseph Dunn were:9. Mary Ann, b. 1876 (#1876-12400) reg Maclean, NSW, Australia ; died 30 June 1919 (#1919-20619) reg. Murwillumbah, NSW, buried Murwillumbah General Cemetery. She married in 1893 William Mulvena (#1893-5025) reg. Murwillumbah, NSW. Children of Mary Ann McKay and William Mulvena were:10. Flora Nicholson McKay, b. 1877 (#1877-12772) reg Maclean, NSW, Australia ; d. 20 Aug 1950 (1950-18800) at Hurstville, NSW, Australia, buried 22 Aug 1950 Woronora Cemetery 6. She married William Christopher Linz in 1899 (#1899-3828) reg. Murwillumbah, b. ca. 1872 ; d. 18 Aug 1929, son of Joseph Johann Linz and Catherine Hoffman. William C headstone Children of Flora Nicholson McKay and William Christopher Linz were:11. Malcolm McKay, b. Dec 1886 (#1886-22966) reg. Taree ; d. 20 May 1943 (#1943-10504) reg. Macksville (accidently). He did not marry. The earliest available Parish of Medlow land map has Malcolm as with 200 acres (portions 100 & 101) situated on the opposite side of Taylors Arm creek to the above pictured farm of his father Angus adjoining 300 acres of his brother Neil. 12. Angus McKay, b. 1889 (#1889-25372) in Macksville, NSW, reg. Kempsey ; d. 22 Aug 1918 in France. He enlisted in the 1st A.I.F (33rd battalion) on 10 April 1916. His attestation form had his occupation as painter and age as two months short of 26 years. He embarked for Plymouth in England in October 1916 and arrived at Estaples in France in April 1917. He was wounded in action in the chest on 29 Dec 1917 and after a period in hospital and on furlough in England rejoined his unit in France in April 1918 and was killed in action on the Somme on 22 August 1918 and buried in Bray Hill British Cemetery located 3 miles SSE of Albert.13. Neil McKay, b: 1891 (#1891-23817) reg. Nambucca, NSW d. 29 Dec 1916 in Cape Town in South Africa, buried Woltemade Cemetery. headstone in Woltemade Cemetery Neil's name appeared on the Parish of Medlow land map with 300 acres (portions 90, 98 & 99) situated on the other side of the creek to his father's farm and adjoining the 200 acres of his brother Malcolm.14. Jennetta McKay "Janet", b. 1894 (#1894-19430) reg. as Jennetta at Macksville, NSW ; d. 19 Jul 1986 Macksville, NSW. She married (1) 1910 (#1911-8667) reg. Bowraville, Richard Stanley Daley d. 1943 (#1943-29295) reg. Newtown, NSW, parents Irwin and Mary Ann. She married (2) 1945 (#1945-23616) reg. Petersham, NSW, Harry Douglas Walters, d. 25 Aug 1975 Petersham, parents James Edward and Isabell 9. When Janet was recorded in August 1947 in the military service record of her brother Neil as his next of kin her address was given as Kings Point in Macksville. The probate notice in the Nambucca and Bellinger News of 27 Dec 1943 for her first husband Richard Daley had him as - "late of Burrapine near Macksville".15. Martha McKay, "Mossy" 28 July 1896 (#1896-20124) reg. Bowraville. She married 1921 reg. Bowraville (#1921-15589) Robert Arnold Lawrence, d. April 1962 (1962-17114) reg. Macksville, NSW, son of William John and Amelia 8. It is said they had four children and one was named Leonie (1932-1962) 5. She was possibly the Leonie Lawrence who married John Patrick Hayes in Sydney in 1954 (#1954-14134).16. Christina McKay "Christy", b. 6 Jan 1898 (#1899-4381) reg Macksville ; d. 23 Feb 1973 reg. Kempsey, NSW, buried in East Kempsey Cemetery. She married 1920 (#1920-12056) reg. Kempsey, NSW, Leslie L Fuller b. 1891 (#1891-17889) ; d. 8 May 1980, son of William Albert Fuller and Grace Elizabeth Lainey. headstone in East Kempsey Cemetery Children of Christina McKay and Leslie L Fuller were:17. Margaret Elizabeth McKay "Maggi", b. 29 Jan 1902 (#1903-12834) reg. Kempsey ; d. 20 Aug 1960 (#1960-27471) reg. Macksville, NSW. She married 1921 (#1921-15594) reg. Bowraville, NSW, Clifford M Fuller b. 1901 ; died 15 Dec 1971 reg. Macksville, NSW, son of William Albert Fuller and Grace Elizabeth Lainey. They had two children. 18. Sarah Gillies, b. 1885 (#1885-31936) reg. Lismore. The 1939 obituary of her mother Mary Ann Gillies named a surviving chid as Mrs G. Cocks of Sydney. However no Gilies - Cocks marriage has been noted indexed in NSW or QLD or a death with parent names Angus and Mary Ann. Perhaps the married name was phonetically spelt and should have been spelt COX ? In 1910 (#1910-6199) a Sarah Gillies married Charles G Cox at Quirindi who may have been her if in preference he used the "G" of his second given name instead first of "C" ? A Sarah Alice Cox d. 1945 (#1945-26981) reg. North Sydney, NSW with parent names Angus and Margaret Ann. A Sydney Morning Herald death notice had the death date as 17 Mar 1945 at Burwood and burial in St. Thomas' Cemetery at Enfield. However her husband's name was given as James in the 1943 death reg. of a son David Cox and in that of a Frank Cox which seems to rule out the Charles G Cox marriage ? 19. Christina McAulay Gillies, b. 1886 (#1886-33548) reg. Tweed River ; m. (#1907-1945) reg. Murwillumbah, NSW, William T Tree. Likely the Christina McAuley Tree whose death was registered at Murwillumbah in 1957 (#1957-14325) with mothers given names of Christina McAuley instead of Margaret Anne. 20. Jessie Campbell Gillies, b. 1888 (#1888-35295) reg. Tweed River, NSW ; d. 1968 (#1968-23645) reg. Byron Bay, NSW. 21. Alexander Angus Gillies, b. 1889 (#1889-133908) reg. Tweed River ; d. 1961 (#1961-C1687) Queensland, Australia. 22. Margaret A Gillies, b. 1890 (#1890-23417) reg. Murwillumbah ; d. 1973 (#1973-56694) reg. Lismore, NSW ; m. (#1920-9482) Roderick D McLeod reg. Murwillumbah, NSW. 23. Marion Gillies, b. 1893 (#1893-24286) reg. Murwillumbah, NSW ; d. 1978 (#1978-103516) NSW. 24. Eleanor Gillies, b. 1894 (#1894-22899) reg. Murwillumbah, NSW (not further traced). 25. Janet Kay Gillies, b. ? (no birth registration noted in the indexes); d. 1979 (#1979-10754) NSW ; m. Alexander Smith in 1917 (#1917-12960) at Murwillimbah, NSW. Was she the child named Eleanor whose birth was registered in 1894 for whom no indexed birth or death has been noted? 26. Malcolm Nicholson Gillies, b. 1896 (#1896-5460) reg. Murwillumbah, NSW ; d. 20 May 1976 (#1976-103232) NSW. He would have been the "Mark of Alstonville" listed in his mother's 1939 obituary. He is buried in Alstonville Cemetery with a heasdtone that has on it that his wife was Mabel and there were two sons Angus and Donald. 27. Donald Angus Gilles, b. 1897 (#1897-33426) reg. Murwillumbah, NSW ; d. 1974 (#1974-59007) NSW. 28. Isabel Shearer Gillies, b (1899-23094) reg. Murwillumbah, NSW ; d. 17 Jan 1969 (#1969) reg Byron Bay, NSW ; m. (#1921-13842), Charles Christopher Doncaster, reg. Murwillumbah ; d. 30 nov 1965 (#1965-34754), parents John and Alice. 29. Victoria Gillies, b. 1901 (#1901-14809) reg. Murwillumbah, NSW ; d. 1966 (#1966-13594) reg. Byron Bay. 30. William J Gillies, b. 1902 (#1902-33811) reg. Murwillumbah, NSW ; d. 1903 (#1903-10881) reg. Murwillumbah, NSW. 31. Gladys Heather Jean Gillies, b. 1910 (#1910-2366) reg. Byron Bay, NSW ; d. 1980 (#1980-108327) NSW. 32. Malcolm John McKay, (known as Jack) b. 3 Jan 1908 ; (#1908-C3884) ; d. 1982, buried Gympie Cemetery. He married on 1 nov 1933, Saima Lily Dankskanan. They had 2 sons - John Anthony and Eden. By occupation Malcolm John was a police officer 12. 33. Edward Archibald McKay, b. 14 June 1909 (#1909-C4304) ; d. 6 May 1982, buried Gympie Cemetery with headstone. He married in 1940, Ethel Irene Rendell, b. 4 oct 1916 ; d. 20 Aug 1997. They had 2 sons - Robert Edward McKay and Stanley Malcolm McKay. It is said in retirement he resided at Tin Can Bay, QLD 12. 34. Donald McKay, b. 18 Dec 1910 (#1911-C4355) ; d. 4 May 1988. He married, Gladys Emily Baille, b. 24 Aug 1916 ; d. 22 Aug 1991, buried Gympie Cemetery with headstone. They had two sons - Gregory Edward McKay and Ian Donald McKay. It is said in retirement he resided at Tin Can Bay 12. 35. Mary Margaret McKay, b. 24 Jul 1912 (#1912-C5100) ; d. 16 Feb 2010. She married 1 Aug 1934, John Francis Byrne, b. 26 Nov 1902 ; d. 8 Oct 1948 (accidently by falling through a plate glass window). They had had 5 children. 12 36. Christina Jean McKay, b. 11 Aug 1914 (#1914-C5411) ; d. Boronia Heights, Queensland. She married in Gympie, Queensland on 24 Aug 1932, August Schultz, b. 28 Aug 1905 Blenheim QLD ; d. 16 Aug 1984. They 7 children plus at least 2 still births 12. 37. Kathleen Mary McKay, b. 1916 (#1916-C1380) birth registered as Kathleen Flora) ; d. 2007 Maroochydore, QLD. She married abt. 1937 in Blackall QLD, Henry Smith Percival Bartlett 12. 38. Jane Marion McKay, b. 1918 ; d. Holland Park, Queensland. She married in Blackall QLD between 1937 & 1943, Vivian Lancelard Clifford, b. 1918 ; d. 12 Mar 1982 in Holland Park in Brisbane, Queensland 12. 39. Claud W Hart, b. 1894 (#1894-5056) reg. Balmain South, NSW, Australia ; perhaps the Claude R Hart who in 1915 (#1915-9810) married Irene Grunchy (or De Grunchy) reg. Balmain South and perhaps the Claude Raymond Hart who died in 1965 (#1965-24560) reg. Balmain, NSW. 40. Ivy B Hart, b. 1896 (#1896-10756) reg. Balmain South, NSW, Australia. 41. Cyril R Hart, b. 1898 (#1898-1279) reg. Balmain South, NSW, Australia ; d. 1968 (#1968-14988) reg. Newtown, NSW. 42. Ethel M Hart, b. 1899 (#1899-31474) reg. Leichhardt, NSW, Australia. 43. John Stanley Hart, b. 1901 (#1901-32754) reg. Leichhardt, NSW, Australia ; d. 1979 (#1979-7502). 44. David Hector Hart, b. 1904 (#1904-4020) reg. Leichhardt, NSW, Australia ; d. 1976 (#1976-20274). 45. Albert L Hart, b.1905 (#1905-24301) reg. Leichhardt, NSW, Australia. 46. Irene D Hart, b. 1908 (#1908-17691) reg. Petersham, NSW, Australia. 47. Grace W Hart, b. 1909 (#1909-40625) reg. Petersham, NSW, Australia. 48. Doris A Hart, b. 1911 (#1911-44550) reg. Petersham, NSW, Australia. 49. Arthur W Hart, b. 1915 (#1915-45419) reg. Petersham, NSW, Australia. 50. Daphne M Dunn, b. 1898 (#1898-23531) reg. Mulwillumbah, NSW. 51. George R D Dunn, b. 1900 (#1900-33481) reg. Mulwillumbah, NSW. 52. Iris L Dunn, b. 1906 (#1906-5733) reg. Mulwillumbah, NSW. 53. Mabel Mulvena, b. 1893 (#1893-24378) reg. Murwillumba, NSW ; d. 1894 (#1894-8901) reg. Murwillumba, NSW 54. George Edward Mulvena, b. 1895 (#1895-11892) reg. Casino, NSW ; d. 1982 (#1982-214). 55. Walter H Mulvena, b. 1897 ($1897-33404) reg. Murwillumbah, NSW 56. Ellen Mulvena, b. 1899 (#1899-32678). 57. Annie Mulvena, b. 1902 (#1902-5032) ; d. 1906 (#1906-13361) reg. Murwillumbah, NSW 58. Edith Mulvena, b. 1903 (#1903- 32290) reg. Murwillumbah, NSW. 59. Jessie Mulvena, b. 1905 (#1905-35625) reg. Murwillumbah, NSW. 60. Richard J Mulvena, b. 1909 (#1909-27637) reg. Murwillumbah, NSW. 61. Phyllis C Linz, b. 1900 (#1900-16877) reg. Stockton, NSW Australia. 62. Clive C Linz, b. 11 Oct 1901 (#1901-29494) reg. Ballina, NSW, Australia, d. 3 Jul 1975, St Ives, NSW, buried Lane Cove. 63. Thelma M Linz, b. 1909 (#1909-6129) m. 1935 (#1935-11804) reg. Sydney, Arthur A Adam. 64. Eileen Grace Fuller. She married 1940 (#1940-22250) Charles Edward Rossiter reg. Kempsey, NSW. A child was Fay Rossiter d. 2014 of Nulla Nulla Creek, Upper Macleay. 66. Francis Neil Fuller b. ca. 1926 ; d. 7 Sep 1970 (#1970-32889), buried East Kempsey Cemetery. He married 1952 (#1952-27921) Jean Doris Wallis reg. Kempsey, NSW. SOURCES: 1 For the period before the commencement in 1855 of official registration in Scotland the LDS Church have microfilm of the births and marriages for Snizort parish from 1823-1854. Seemingly by 2016 all the baptism registers had been extracted to the church's online database that in 2016 was titled Scotland Births and Baptisms 1564-1950. As extracted to this database Malcolm's baptism listed him as born in May 1830 and as baptised on 5 July 1835 with parents Angus McKay and Christy Nicolon (sic). Christina Nicholson birth year probabilty of ca. 1800 calcuated from 40 given at the 6 June 1841 Scotland census and 51 at the March 1851 census. Malcolm McKay NSW death registration certificate provided courtesy of Lesley Cairns (as as acknowledged at citation 12 below). Details are - Malcolm Nicholson Mackay, born Isle of Skye, Scotland, farmer, father Angus Mackay, farmer, mother Christina Nicholson, married aged 36 at Palmers Island, Christina McAulay, died Mullumbimby 13 June 1903, age 77 years, cause pneumonia reg. Murwillumbah, NSW, buried 15 June Presbyterian section Mullumbimby Cemetery, NSW. The living children were listed as - Christina 40, Margaret 38, Angus 37, John 36, Kate 32, Marian 28, Mary Ann 26, Laura 24. The deceased children statistics were given as - 1 male and 2 females. (Note: the children names given have Flora as Laura and include two not identified in birth indexes - Margaret b. 1864 or 1865 and a by 1903 deceased unknown male b.? Clearly his age and the marriage year as given by the informant son John were 4 years more than was the case. In 2016 of the 43 family trees at Ancestry.com with Malcolm Nicholson McKay in them those in the public section had birth dates ranging from 1826 (no doubt based on the erroneous 77 years at death) to 1834 with the majority for unknown reason having 1834. Only two of the public trees had Inverness-shire as his birth place with the rest only Scotland. None had the actual day and month of the 1862 marriage. 2 Empire (Sydney) of 9 Sept. 1862 - MACKAY- McAULEY On the 28th August, by special license, by the Rev. John H. Garven, A.M., at his residence, Palmer Island, Clarence River, Malcolm Mackay, of Harwood Island, to Christina McAuley, of Chatsworth Island, both natives of Inverness-shire, Scotland. The 28 Aug 1862 marriage is NSW registry indexed as #1862-2026 under Malcolm Mackay (sic) or alternatively under Christina McAulay (reg. record not sighted by the compiler). Parent names are as in the death registrations etc. The birth years of Christina McAulay's parents are as per the ages recorded at embarkation on the Midlothian in 1837 being the earliest sighted record of such. Christina's parents John McAulay (spelt as Macaulay) and Margaret McDonald 14 March 1829 marriage in Duirinish parish as in the LDS Church database in 2016 titled - Scotland Marriages 1561-1910. 3 NSW Death Indexes - #1903-10873 Christina McKay, father John & mother Margaret reg. Murwillumbah, NSW. 4 Old-aged pensions were first introduced in Australia before Federation in 1900, when the New South Wales parliament passed the Old-aged Pensions Act 1900, recognising the financial circumstances of many had declined during the 1890s depression and the aging population was too great a responsibility for families and charities alone to bear and should be in part met by the government. It provided a non-contributory, means-tested payment of £26 ($52) per year for eligible residents 65 years of age or over. 5 Online family tree of Edward Patrick Dwyer. The name of its compiler is not shown. 6 Sydney Morning Herald, 25 AUG 1950. Death Notice: LINZ Flora Nicholson August 20, 1950, at her home, 153 Laycock Road, Hurstville, widow of late William Christopher Linz and loved mother of Phyllis, Clive, Thelma (Mrs. A. A. Adam, Leeton). Privately cremated, August 22, Woronora. 7 The Argus (Melbourne) 16 Sep 1853 precis - Ivanhoe of 1063 tons arrived Port Phillip bay 15th Sept sailed 16 June from Glasgow. In addition to cabin passengers there were 340 in intermediate and steerage. No fatal casualty during the voyage. Sydney Morning Herald 19 August 1857 precis - the Monica arrived Sydney 18 Aug 1857. For the family arrival records see: NSW State Records microfilms - Immigrants on Bounty Ships to Sydney and Newcastle - reels 2138 and 2476. 8 Ryerson newspaper notices index - Robert Lawrence 28 Apr 1962 death age 72 late of Burrapine Guardian Gazette (Macksville) of 3 May 1962. Robert Arnold Lawrence obituary 20 Apr 1962 death age 72 late of Taylors Arm Guardian Gazette (Macksville) of 24 May 1962. The second of 24 may 1962 is likely to be an actual obituary with the death date more likely 28 April as given in first notice inserted on 3 may. 9 Ryerson newspaper notices index - Sydney Morning Herald of 27 Aug 1975 - Death Notice - Harry Douglas Walters died 25 Aug 1975 formerly of Macksville. 10 References for the family of Angus McKay are: Mackay Family Association, The Mackay-McKay Family History (1991) of approx. 600 pages with over 500 photographs - two copies held by the Bowraville Folk Museum. Also Nancy Mackay Edge, Our highland heritage (Angus Mackay of Sutherland) (1988). A copy is held by the Macksville Library. 11 Grafton Examiner Saturday 29 January 1910, page 4, Mr. Donald McKay, an old and respected resident of Woodford Dale, died on Thursday, at the age of 75. He had been ailing for a few days, and death was due to the decay of nature. Deceased was a native of the Isle of Skye, Scotland, and came to the Clarence about 58 years ago. After a brief sojourn on the Hunter, Mr. McKay, with his parents and brothers, came to the Clarence, and were amongst the early settlers. They occupied a farm a little above Swan Creek, in Clarence, but after a few years Mr. McKay acquired a property at Woodford Island, and went to reside there, where he remained to the day of his death. He was married to a daughter of Mr. Donald Campbell, of the North Arm, and had a family of eight daughters - Mrs. C. Clark, Woodford Dale ; Mrs. V. Clark, Coldstream ; Mrs . H. Kearns, Brushgrove ; while five are unmarried. The only surviving brother is Mr. Peter McKay of Pound-street, Grafton, and the only sister is Mrs. J. McDonald, of Annandale, Sydney. His wife predeceased him by a few years. Mr. McKay will be remembered as taking a great interest in the eradication of nut grass, and claimed to have discovered a method of feeing the land from this pest. His remains were brought to Grafton by the Lady Beatrice yesterday and interred in the Presbyterian cemetery, Mr. Ramsay of Maclean, conducting the burial service. 12 The death certificates for Malcolm Nicholson McKay and his father Angus were provided courtesy of Lesley Cairns. Provided by same were also the marriage and death certificate registrations for Malcolm's son John McKay (1867-1932) and the genealogy and history of his children, the 1891 Lismore district census page listing the Malcolm McKay household and statistics of the members, the Northern Star of 8 Aug 1885 newspaper notice of a July 1885 provisional land grant at Mullumbimby, and the Donald McKay newspaper obituary. 13 State Records of NSW - Index to Miscellaneous Immigrants The records of immigrants who arrived on the Midlothian in December 1837 are on reels #2654 and #1287. Whilst Alexander McAulay's surname was clearly spelt McAulay in original filmed record the online index lists him under the McAuley surname spelling. The extraction of children's names and ages etc. is from the immigration microfilm images online in 2016 at Ancestry.com. The marriage date 14 March 1829 is as in the LDS Church's database - Scotland Marriages 1561-1910. In 2016 a web page listed an extraction of the Immigrants on the Midlothian with book sources cited such as the National Library held 87 page booklet Caithness to the Clarence by Allan Angus Munro. Re Donald McKay death - Queensland State Archives Item ID 847161 85/5200 - a petition requesting that Donald McAulay’s widow receive the land selected by her husband without any further cost. The petition states that Donald McAulay was killed by the Aborigines of the Mulgrave River in December 1884. The first selections on the Mulgrave were taken up in 1881 and 1882. Those on the north side by the McPherson Brothers and Donald McAulay and Adams and Lattreille on the south side. Also re Donald - “Donald McAulay (1827-1884)”, Mulgrave Shire Historical Society, Bulletin 194, November 1996. 14 Sydney morning Herald Wednesday, 18 Sept.1861 - report of the sales and prices realised for the 2 Sept 1861 auctioned crown land Woodford Island country lots. The Peter McKay 20 May 1862 free selection conditional purchase of portion 20 on Woodford Island was reported in Clarence and Richmond Examiner and New England Advertiser of 27 May 1862. The sale at auction was advertised in the Clarence and Richmond Examiner and New England Advertiser of 20 Feb 1866. Clarence and Richmond Examiner and New England Advertiser (Grafton), 24 August 1869 - Free Selection 19 August - Angus McKay, Brushgrove, 60 acres county of Clarence, parish of Woodford, on Woodford Island unsurveyed land adjoining Angus McKay's conditional purchase. (ed. i.e. portion 2). 15 The Clarence River Advocate Friday 3 July 1903 - Late Mr. and Mrs. McKay - In our last issue we briefly mentioned the death of Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm McKay at Mullumbimby. Mr. McKay had been ailing for some time, but an attack of pneumonia, supervening on influenza, proved fatal in less than three days. His funeral took place on Monday, 15th June, at Mulliumbimby. His widow attended the funeral, but on returning home took to bed, and Dr McLeod being called in, pronounced it a case of pneumonia and gave no hope of recovery. She bore her pain and suffering with Christian fortitude, and passed away on Saturday about midnight. They were well and favourably known for their integrity and for the simple and ernest Christian lives which they led. The surviving children who mourn their double loss are - Mrs. Mackay (Nambucca) ; Mrs Gillies, Main Arm, Mullumbimby ; Mrs Hart, Sydney ; Mrs Linz, Tweed Heads ; and Angus and John McKay who resided with their parents at Main Arm, Mullumbimby. The deceased were amongst the early settlers at Palmer's Island, living for some years on the north-west point of the Island. They removed to the Brunswick in 1881. Both were over 70 years of age. 16 The Free Presbyterian Magazine, Vol 3 No. 1 Dec. 1908, page 101 & 102. OBITUARY A number of friends of the Free Church have been removed by death during the last few months, the eldest being Mrs. John McAulay, who was also probably the oldest member of the Free Church in Australia. She took the keenest interest in the Gospel from her youth, and delighted to be with the Lord's people. The following notice concerning this aged and venerable lady, which appeared in a local paper, will be of interest to many of our readers:- DEATH OF A CENTENARIAN At Chatsworth Island, on Saturday last, there passed away a remarkable old lady in the person of Mrs. John McAulay. The deceased lady had attained to the great age of 103 years, and was invariably known on the Island by the loving appellation of “Granny” McAulay. Mrs. McAulay was a native of the Island of Skye, Scotland, and arrived in this State with her husband and three children about 72 years ago. On arrival, Mrs. McAulay and family settled on the Upper Hunter River, and acquiring property, realised on the same, and migrated to the Clarence River about 50 years ago. Residing on the upper part of the river for 10 years, the family then moved to the Lower Clarence, and set up their home on the lower end of Chatsworth Island, called at that time the “Bolorobo Estate.” Here Mrs. McAulay and her husband went through all the vicissitudes of the pioneers' life, and the grand old lady, whose death is the subject of this sketch, endeared herself to everyone she came in contact with. Following the profession of a nurse, she unselfishly placed at the disposal of her sick neighbours the benefit of her skill, and many families living today have reason to bless the name of the dear old Scotch lady. Mrs. McAulay was the mother of ten sons and two daughters, and her descendants are scattered all over the rivers. She was the grandmother of the McAulays of Church Hill, Murwillumbah, of Mrs. J. Dunn, Murwillumbah, Mrs. Gillies, Mullumbimby, and Mrs. Linz, Tweed Heads. Her grandchildren on the Tweed and Brunswick number 16, and great grandchildren number upwards of 20. One of her great grandchildren is Mrs. Willie Tree, who is the mother of a great-great-grandchild, as is also a daughter of Mrs. Gillies, Mullumbimby, but, unfortunately, both of these latest additions to the McAulay descendants died. There are still the descendants of married sons to add to this list, but we regret being unable to give particulars. The grand old lady never departed from her mother tongue, and invariably spoke in Gaelic. The following is a list of the married sons and daughters: – Roderick McAulay (deceased), Goodwood island, four daughters; Angus McAulay, Chatsworth island, six sons and four daughters living, two dead; John McAulay, Sydney, two sons and three daughters; Malcolm McAulay, Murwillumbah, two sons and six daughters; Mrs. Malcolm Mackay, Mullumbimby, two sons and eight daughters. The deceased lady was a staunch adherent of the Free Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia, and although not able to attend service for some years prior to her decease, there was Church service held weekly in her home. It is pleasing to note that up to the last Mrs. McAulay possessed her faculties, though sight and memory were beginning to show signs of her great age. At her death-bed she was surrounded by all the members of her family that could be present, including two bachelor sons that had always made their home with their mother. Mr. Angus McAulay, a son of the above lady, also passed away after suffering for a number of years, leaving a widow and a large family of sons and daughters. Mr. Angus Kennedy, of the Richmond River, another loyal member of the Free Church, was called away, as was also Miss McAulay, an aged lady, who has resided on the Clarence for many years. The removal of these and other friends is a solemn call to old and young to prepare for death by an immediate and entire surrender to Christ. 17 Northern Star (Lismore), Friday 13 Jan 1939, p.10. - MULLUMBIMBY, Thursday. OBITUARY - MARGARET ANN GILLIES Mrs. Margaret Ann Gillies (73) died at her residence at Main Arm early this morning after a long illness. The funeral moved to the Presbyterian portion of the Mullumbimby cemetery this afternoon after a service conducted at the Presbyterian Church by the Rev. C. M. Moulton. The deceased, who was born at Palmer's Island, Clarence River, and married Mr. Angus Gillies, was predeceased by her husband about 11 years ago. There are 12 surviving children. She is believed to be the first white woman to settle in the Brunswick River district. She came from the Clarence when the Brunswick was practically all virgin scrub land. Settling at Main Arm, she and her late husband had to overcome many difficulties associated with the pioneering days. To obtain supplies they had to row down the river to Brunswick Heads to meet the boats. The late Mrs. Gillies was often known to row down and back by herself, the boat on the return journey being particularly heavy. They followed the occupation of dairy farming. Surviving members of the family are Mesdames G. Cocks (Sydney), A. Smith (Sydney), W. Tree (Tweed), R. D. McLeod (The Pocket), C. Doncaster (Grafton), Misses Jessie, Marion and Heather Gillies (Main Arm), Miss Victoria Gillies (MurwiUumbah), and Messrs. Alec, and Donald (Main Arm), and Mark (Alstonville). 18 Clarence and Richmond Examiner and New England Advertiser (Grafton), 9 June 1863, page 2. By notice dated 20 April 1863 the NSW Government announced the revocation of the temporary reservation from sale by conditional purcase of 2900 acres on Chatsworth Island , Parish of Harwood, County of Clarence that had been reserved from sale by notification in the Government Gazette on 17 Apr 1862 and similary of Harwood Island on 6635 acres and Ashby Isalnd of 432 acres. The same paper on 9 June 1863 notified that on 4 June John McAuley selected portion 57 of 78 acres at Rock Mouth on Chatsworth Island. This portion is located at the extreme north-east point of the Island and the 20th century land maps have on it the name of P. R. Donaldson with adjoining it on the western side portion 58 of 250 acres the name of John McAulay Sen. On 1 Jul 1870 the Empire (Sydney), under a heading SUGAR-GROWING ON THE CLARENCE, reported a correspondent for the Grafton Observer visited the islands and, at at the residence of Mr. R. McAulay (Ed. i.e. John Sr's son) at the south-west point of Goodwood Island inspected several acres of very fine sugar-cane of various sorts of which the best was dark purple. His next call was on Mr. John McAulay's (i.e. John Sr.) and his neigbour at the extreme N.E. point of Chatsworth Island where the McAuley farm was found to be - "a well regulated farm with about seven acres of nice cane, clean, and in good order". On the Parish of Harwood map on Waregah Island, located to the west of Chatsworth on the other side of Clarence River with and Back Creek on its western side, a John McAulay had portion 132 of 104 acres. 19 LDS Church database Scotland Births and Baptisms 1564-1950. The reason why Malcolm's baptism was delayed until five years after his birth and why there is no record of a baptism for 1841 born Catherine and ca. 1843 born Peter may well be that at the relevant times the family's religious status, or status as they perceived it to be, in respect of acceptance of either moderate or evangelical theological views did not accord with that of the incumbent Snizort parish minister and the church elders. In the early 19th century the most renowned of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland ministers on Skye was the Rev. Roderick MacLeod. In the Church of Scotland the "Moderates" were the prevailing influence until the 19th century, when those termed "Evangelists" possessed of an evangelical fervor for God's word as written in the bible and interpreted on Skye by preachers such as the Rev. Roderick MacLeod (Maighstir Ruaridh (1794-1868), strongly challenged resulting in the Free Church of Scotland emerging as a separate entity following a split in 1843 known as the "Disruption of 1843" when a very large number of ministers of the evangelical persuasion resigned from the Church of Scotland and formed the Free Church with doctrines more in keeping with primitive Presbyterianism. On Skye Roderick McLeod, who was generally referred to as "Mr. Roderick", was first ordained at age 29 in 1823 as the minister at Bracadale parish which was contiguous with the parishes of Kilmur, Duirinish and Snizort. Noted in several places it said that when he took over at Bracadale from a minister of a more moderate persuasion there were 250 communicants whom he quickly reduced to just 10 who met his exacting standards of devotion to God and the "word" etc., and that in his first 2½ years there he only baptised seven children refusing baptism to many he considered did not qualify. These refusals resulted in legal action that by the time he transferred in 1838 to be the minister at Snizort parish, where he remained the minister until the Disruption of 1843 and his resignation, had not been finally resolved but of which nothing further was heard after 1838. If Angus McKay had not fully embraced the Rev. Roderick's Calvinistic doctrine hammered out from the pulpit and lectern with great evangelical fervour and, was had not been prepared to exhibit sufficient devotion and acceptance of ecclesiastical authoritarianism, he would likely not have even been prepared to approach the minister to request him to baptise the last two children. It seems there was also a condition requiring a person presenting children for baptism to have prior to demonstrated sufficient devotion and acceptance of the "word" for a period of three years but exactly when that was applicable is not clear. The upshot is that in 1847 the New Statistical Account stated there were approximately 400 to 500 unbaptised in Snizort parish and 300 in Bracadale. The 1846 published Lewis A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland had the Snizort civil parish area as 37,000 acres and population as 3220. When Rev. Roderick travelled from Snizort to Fairy Bridge to address revival meetings there in 1843 it was said up to 9,000 attended to hear him with women even with babes in arms travelling all night to be there such was his mass appeal as a preacher. 20 Provided courtesy of Jan Grant - a copy of the newspaper obituary of Mrs. Marion McLeod (wife of William McLeod the brother of Janet) from the Grafton and Richmond Examiner of 10 Mar 1900 that identified Alexander's wife Janet as the Janet McLeod on the Midlothian in 1837. Also a quote provided by same re the Alexander and Janet McLeod marriage taken from a book that deals with the government assisted emmigrants from the highlands and islands of Scotland to NSW during the period 1837 to 1840 with background material on Skye titled: Farewell to the Heather by James Donaldson that - "The Rev Robert Blain conducted the marriage of Alexander McAuley (whose wife died the passage) with Janet McLeod at “Dunmore” on the 10th June 1839. The bridal party, together with the main witnesses, William McLeod, the bride’s brother and Findlay Nicholson all came out on the “Midlothian”. William McLeod and his wife Marion, his mother Anne and his older sister Janet from the parish of Duirnish originally did not go to the Hunter, but had initially contracted to work in the Liverpool district, west of Sydney. They definitely did not sign the contract agreement in January 1838, with Andrew Lang to move to Dunmore." That Alexander and Janet had six children was advised by Judy Rogers who also from 2 Feb 2000 to 20 Oct 2001 posted messages (archived) to the Rootsweb genealogy mail list SCT-INVERNESS re her McAulay research interests that claimed the family progenitor was a 1753 born John McAulay who married twice in specific years and from the two marriages had eight children also born in specific years of whom the second was born out of wedlock. The second quoted genealogy was posted in December 1999 to the Rootsweb Inverness Message Board by Judy Wiles. 21 Clarence & Richmond Examiner Sat. 24 Apr 1909 - OBITUARY - We have to record the death of an old and esteemed resident of Chatsworth and district in the person of Mr. Angus Macauley, at the age of 63 years, which sad event took place at his residence at 6 o'clock on Thursday evening last. The late Mr. Angus Macauley was born on the Hunter River, and first came to this river in 1857, and settled at Carr's Creek. Five years later he came to Chatsworth and entered into farming pursuits, and where he resided up to the time of his death. The deceased gentleman leaves a widow and ten children to mourn their loss. Messrs. Farquahar, Alexander (Chatsworth), and Malcolm Macauley (Murwillumbah) are brothers. The funeral takes place to-day (Saturday). Daily Examiner (Grafton) 1 Aug 1927 - OBITUARY of Anne McAulay née Buchanan who died 13 Aug 1827 aged 94 years. The obituary stated she arrived in Sydney from the Isle of Skye with her family on the Ontario in 1852 and was the daughter of Malcolm Buchanan and in 1866 married Roderick McAulay who died in 1876. Four daughters survived her - Mrs W J Unwin (Goodwood), Mrs W Watson (Queensland), Mrs H Oakes (Maclean) and Miss Annie McAulay (Chatsworth). 22 The Ontario immigration record details with deaths during the voyage are on AONSW Assisted Immigration reel #2463 (not sighted by the compiler) and the ship list part viewable online in 2016 at the NSW State Records web site is on reel #2136. Details of entries for the McAulay, McKay and McFarlane family members who emigrated to Australia on the ship are as per an extract taken from the Archives of NSW microfilm reel #2136 and provided courtesy of Jan Grant a long-time McAulay/McFarlane family researcher. Courtesy of same were also provided - a Mary McFarlane death registration transcript and advice that Neil Mcaulay's age in his death registration record was given by the informant as 69 and also 69 in his death notice in the Sydney Morning Herald of 31 Dec 1866 that gave his date of death as 8 Dec 1866 and that he died at his residence on Warregah Island. Also advised was that a notice of wife Ann's death appeared in the Clarence and Richmond River Examiner of 17 Feb 1900 giving her age at death as 101 years and that she had died on 15 Dec 1900 at her daughter's residence on Chatsworth Island. In the cited extract the "relations in the colony" column for Neil McAulay had his relations as - "3 brothers, John, Alex & Donald McAuley residing at Maitland, NSW". That for Mary McFarlane's married eldest son Donald had - "Three uncles, Alexander, Donald and John McAulay, Farmers, Maitland". The entry for the eldest McKay niece Flora had that the surname of the employer of the three brothers was Hickey. It stated she had an - "Uncle John McAulay in the service of Mr Hickey, Maitland". More specifically still Mary McFarlane's record had - "3 brothers, John, Donald & Alexander in the employ of Mr. Hickey, "Osterley", Hunter River. 23 Transcript copies of the 1841 and 1851 Scotland census for the McKay family, the Neil McAuly family, and the Mary McFarlane family together with relevant comments on same etc. provided courtesy of Jan Grant. 24 Presumably in the unofficial HIES list the eldest daughter's given name was converted from Anne to Sarah because someone must have advised the unofficial HIES list compiler Bill Clarke that in Australia she was known as Sarah and similarly re the notation that a son Roderick emigrated to the USA. Also noted in 2016 was a submitted family tree at the LDS Church web site listing the Mary McFarlane children that also had the eldest daughter's given name as Sarah - in that case with Anne also as a second given name seemingly a case as the saying goes of the tree poster having two-bob each way in case one did not apply. Also claimed was a specific 1825 birth date. The 30 for her in the earliest available record the HIES departure list calculates to a 1822 birth year. The facts according to SEVEN records are that Ann (or Anne) McFarlane was always Ann. She married Thomas Parsons at Raymond Terrace in 1857 (#1857-2575). In 1852 the McAulay brothers were 4 miles down river on the Hickey property "Osterley" so it was likely the area Mary McFarlane and her children went to after their arival from Skye and where they perhaps remained until at least the time of the 1857 marriage and subsequent move to the Lower Clarence River. Ann Parsons's death in 1869 (#1869-5803) was also registered at Raymond Terrace with parent names given as Malcolm and Mary. She had three children whose births are indexed as - (1) Sarah in 1860 who married John Thomas Ronan in 1879 and moved north to New Italy in 1892 and in 1903 settled at the Blue Knob locality 2 klm north of Nimbin. When Sarah died on 1 Aug 1949 with age given as 89 there were 5 surviving sons and 4 daughters. (2) Markham in 1862. Mark Parsons moved north to Clarence about 1884 and when he died at Waratah aged 81 on 30 Sep 1944 four daughters survived him and one son was deceased. (3) John in 1864. A batchelor who moved to the Clarence when still a youth and was employed by second cousin Alexander McAulay's son John at his Woodwood Leigh sugar mill on Woodford Island. He went on to be Master of his Masonic Lodge, a Harwood Shire councilor for 23 years and Shire President from 1918 to 1920 and again in 1934, and died aged 80 on 31 May 1844 at Maclean hospital. All three Ann Parsons children's death registrations have their mother's name indexed as Ann (Mark's had his father incorrectly named as Malcolm instead of Thomas). There can be no doubt their mother was Mary McFarlane's eldest daughter Anne although contradictory is that Mary McFarlane's 1884 death registration had her eldest daughter Anne as then still alive. It follows that as the seven records herein cited have her name as Ann the family trees that have her as Sarah are most certainly astray. Contrary to the identified Ann Parsons 1869 death Mary's two eldest daughters were named in her 1884 death registration record as Annie 69 and Annie 67 both living. That record listed her three surviving sons as Donald 71, Roderick 65, and Murdock 62. Apart from the ages in the registration being way out one must question the accuracy of everything in that death record as Murdock actually died 20 years earlier in 1864 (#1864-3871) and was buried at Lawrence with his parent names indexed as Malcolm and Mary. The other three surviving daughters were listed as Mary 61, Catherine 59 and Flora 47 whose husband William McPherson of Warregah Island on the Lower Clarence was the informant. The deceased children were recorded as one male and one female. Seemingly Murdock McFarlane and Annie Parsons were the 1 male and 1 female deceased children also listed in error as still living. The above death dates, history, and children names of the three Ann Parsons children are as per - (1) Sarah Ronan obituary & funeral report in Northern Star (Lismore) 2 Aug 1949 & 4 Aug 1949 ; (2) John Parsons obituary in Northern Star 1 June 1944 ; (3) Mark Parsons obituary in Daily Examiner (Grafton) of 26 Sep 1944. 25 LDS Church database on-line in 2016 - Scotland, Select Marriages 1561-1910. 26 Sydney Monitor 13 Dec 1837 re arrival of the Midlothian - "Passengers, Robert Stewart, Esq., Surgeon, Rev. W. M'Intyre, A. Murray, Esq., and 259 Emigrants." As the immigration record listed the number of immigrants aboard the ship as 256 it presumed in error the newspaper reporter added the named three non-emigrants aboard to get the number as being 259. Sydney Morning Herald 18 Dec 1837 quoted from a statement by the ship's doctor directed at correcting erroneous accounts re the sickness and deaths during the voyage as follows- "No male adult died; and of twenty-four deaths which happened, eighteen were very young and delicate children, the remainder sickly females. All that have landed are nearly all well and refreshed; and although they did not call at any intermediate port had no other symptom of scurvy than pained limbs; and those so affected were those debilitated previously by the fever and dysentery." It is said 1839 British Parliamentary Papers gave the deaths during the voyage as 7 adults and 17 children. 27 Angus McAulay death registration details provided courtesy of long-time family researcher Jan Grant. His arrival on the Priscilla in Feb 1853 is Victoria PRO indexed under Angus McAuley (sic) as - book 9 page 46. The Argus (Melbourne) of 25 Feb 1853 reported there had been 41 deaths during the voyage principally from general causes being - 12 adults, 24 children, and 5 infants. The compiler who researched this family history as a volunteer is not a Mackay or McAulay descendant or collaterally related. He can be contacted via the HOME button below. |