MCDONALD, Alexander

Birth Name MCDONALD, Alexander
Gender male
Age at Death 76 years, 11 months, 20 days

Narrative

Alexander McDonald, private marine 20th {Portsmouth} Company, wasembarked for NSW on Friendship, and served at Port Jackson in the companyof Captain James Campbell {qv} On 5th September 1789 a son James by MaryPhillips {qv} was baptized. On 3rd January McDonald received a 130 acregrant at Field of Mars, and on 18th March he married Mary Oliver, perMary Ann 1791, sentenced at the Lent assizes for Kent, 1787, totransportation for 14 yr. On 30th November 1792 a Mary McDonald was oneof the petitioners f a Roman Catholic priest to be sent to NSW.
McDonald had a mill on his property in December 1793, where he ground hisown wheat and sold it to a Sydney baker at 4 pence per pound. On 1January 1798, an 11 acre lease at Farm Cove is recorded to AlexanderMcDonald, and on 15th August 1804 he received a 75 acre grant aBankstown, another 100 acres on 15th June.
By mid 1800 McDonald had more than 16 acres sown in wheat and 12 readyfor planting maize. He was off stores, but his wife was publiclyrationed. They owned 32 hogs and two goats. Two years latter he owned 32hogs and the household comprising himself, his wife, a child and 3convicts, was self supporting, with 30 bushels of maize in hand.
On 14th June 1806, Mary McDonald wrote to Barbara Stiles {sic} ofMaidstone sending love and suggesting she come to NSW. They were livingat Field of Mars, she said: her husband had come free with GovernorPhillips and they had no children of their own. She claimed that herhusband had an estate in the highlands of Scotland.
Barbara Stiles was Mary Oliver {McDonald} daughter, who had been onlyseven when her mother was transported. The child was left to be cared forin the household of the Earl of Romney. By 1806 Barbara was married, with3 children; the family eventually came to NSW, arriving by "Mary Ann" inJanuary 1816.
In 1806 McDonald with his wife and one child, he was off stores, as wellas two convicts and three free men employed. On 21 December 1821,McDonald and his wife, with his son in-law Thomas Styles, were alldrowned off the Pulpit, about 4 miles from Sydney, when their boatoverturned. An inquest on the 24th found that they had been intoxicatedand quarrelling. Alexander and his wife were buried on that day, bothsaid to be aged 76, Their burials, and that of Styles, aged 53, wereregistered at St Phillip's, Sydney.
On 29th May 1821 McDonald had made Mary his heir, but cut Barbara out ofany inheritance, his property to go on his wife being deceased to my wellknown friend Quarter Master Sergeant George McDonald and other persons.
Barbara and Thomas Styles were charged with receiving stolen property on8th July 1821. Thomas was acquitted but Barbara was sentenced to lifetransportation to Newcastle on 7th August. Her child Lucy aged fourmonths had died on the 5th. Several petitions disputing the will andprotesting her innocence lodged by Barbara had little effect. She saidthat her step father had promised her a substantial inheritance as aninducement to come to the colonies

Events

Event Date Place Description Sources
Birth 1745    
Death 1821-12-21    

Families

Family of MCDONALD, Alexander and PHILLIPS, Mary

Unknown Partner PHILLIPS, Mary ( * 1765 + 1850-01-22 )
   
Event Date Place Description Sources
Status (Primary)     NOT_MARRIED  
  Attributes
Type Value Notes Sources
_UID DCD0A1FE8D9E4A449D05CD043218DDED8BF6
 

Attributes

Type Value Notes Sources
_UID 6C046753EF00144AA5EB6C9FB98C8DD4B819
 

Pedigree

    1. MCDONALD, Alexander
      1. PHILLIPS, Mary