Alexander Macleod, Free Settler "St George" 1838

‘A brief history of our McLeod Ancestors’ Rev. Neil McLeod & Elizabeth Campbell (McLeod) Isle of Skye & Jura

Reverend Neil McLeod was born on the Hebrides Island of Skye which was the traditional ‘home’ of the Mac-Leods from the 12th Century onward. Rev. Neil was called to the inner-Hebrides Island of Jura in 1759 to be the Minister there.

On Jura, Rev. Neil Married a Daughter of the Laird of Jura who was named Elizabeth Campbell. Neil & Elizabeth had one (1) Son named Archibald, born 1763 on Jura who was raised by the his Grandparents, the Campbell’s after the sudden Death of Rev. Neil in 1765. The Campbell’s had provided Archibald with an upbringing which was stable and secure. Archibald was not sent to University to be trained in the footsteps of his Father Neil, but was put to work farming on Jura where the Campbell’s owned vast tracks of the Island as one of the four (4) Families who owned the entire Island of Jura. Upon Archibald reaching maturity he married Miss Janet Buie who was the Daughter of one of the Island owners along with the Campbell’s. The Buie Family were very prominent on Jura along with the Campbell’s throughout the 1700’s.

The Marriage of Archibald & Janet produced three (3) children, Alexander – Born 1804 Jura, Neil – Born 1805/6 & Ellen – Born 1811. No records from Jura exist between the Years 1734 & 1810 as Poverty at this time was always present and reports indicate that no suitable person to keep records on the Island was ever sought. Thus, resulting in no official records existing for this period on Jura. Alexander McLeod, the eldest of the tree (3) children settled down to farming a reasonable acreage at Freolin, in the Craighouse area of Small Isles Bay on Jura. Alexander married a young lass from the neighbouring Island of Islay who was named Anne MacAllister. Alexander & Anne produced three (3) Children, Archibald – Born 1834, Donald – Born 1835 & Neil – Born 1837.

With the prospects of a larger and growing family looming along with the distressed state of the Island of Jura’s economy following the increase in population from 250 – 300 people to around 1200 in a very short period. The farms on the Island could not produce the necessary jobs in conjunction with volumes of food to sustain the 1200 + population at this time, so it was decided by Alexander & Anne along with the Children in early 1838 that they will migrate to Australia under the free immigration scheme.

Alexander, Anne & Children boarded the vessel named “St George” which was bound for Sydney from Oban on the Scottish mainland. The St George departed in July 1838 & arrived in Sydney on the 15th November 1838. Passenger lists from the St George which carried free migrants to Sydney clearly denote our Ancestors on this momentous voyage.

Upon arrival in Sydney as migrants, Alexander & Anne were first employed on a farm at Campbeltown owned by a Mr. Johnston. After working for around twelve months ( 1 Year ) for a Salary of £30 plus keep, Alexander took over one of the eighteen (18) farms which comprised Brownlow Hill, Farm 17, of 102 acres and located on Mt Hunter Rivulet, just South of Camden – Oaks Road.

Here is where Alexander farmed grains of differing types and various other crops. Alexander & Anne produced a further Eight (8) Children to add to the family. All to be raised in a small two roomed slab hut built on the 102 acre farm. While we can safely assume that Alexander had inherited the traits and characteristics of his Grandfather Rev. Neil, it would appear that Anne was the main influence in instilling knowledge, manners and discipline into their Children who all grew up to be a credit to their parents. The most successful of the McLeod Children was Dugald, who is highlighted further within this brief. With just one further exception being Unity, who was the first Born on Australian soil and sadly died at the very young age of 2 Years. Unity was buried in the Chruch yard of a small Church on the Greendale Road on the property of Shankamore, (or Shancomore) owned by J.T.Campbell, a Colonial Secretary.

Dugald McLeod was born on 19th August 1847 at farm 17, of the now historic state of Brownlow Hill, South West of Camden NSW, owned by George Macleay (later Sir George Macleay), who had inherited the vast estate under the Will of his Father, Alexander Macleay, previously Colonial Secretary to the Colony of New South Wales. George Macleay had managed the estate almost from the outset, as he had various other properties of his own and of which his Father owned.

Dugald was the only member of the Family to pursue a career of teaching. On 1st Agust 1872 he opened a small school in a tiny building on The Oaks – Picton Road, with the blessing of the Department of Instruction at that time, and on the very same date Dugald was ‘accepted’ as a teacher by that Department. The school was called “Werriberri” after a creek in the valley behind the school. Only five months later, Dugald relinquished his position at the school and married.

On 19th February 1873 an orphan girl of Irish parentage, who had been brought up since she was around twelve (12) by a well known widow of the District known as Mrs Ellen Foreman. Ellen Foreman owned a property named “Ellensville” a short mile or so West of the Mcleod farm and adjacent to the picturesque Glenmore Church where Dugald married Miss Ellen Bradley. Dugald and Ellen spent their ‘honeymoon’ at Millers Forest in the Raymond Terrace area, where they ended up staying and living for one (1) year, during which it seems likely that Dugald was a teacher at the local school.

Dugald and Ellen’s first Child was born at Raymond Terrace on 9th January 1875. The family returned to Sydney where Dugald was once again recognised as the full time teacher at ‘Werriberri’, where he stayed until the end of 1877, being awarded a Certificate 111B by examination on 1st December 1877. On January 1st 1878 Dugald was re-assigned to Upper Bankstown and was to ultimately spend the remainder of his teaching life, finally retiring in 1912 after being retained for an additional five (5) years after the retiring age of sixty (60) Years.

Dugald McLeod was not a brilliant scholar or academic. Three times he failed to achieve promotion by examination, although successful on other occasions. He was, however, a very remarkable man in that he was very strict with his pupils but retained at all times a wonderful aura of dignity along with a keen sense of humour. Following the practice of well-bred people of his day, he never appeared at a meal without collar, tie and coat.

All work for the Sunday had to be done on Saturday as a rule, for no work was permitted in his household on the Sabbath. Cleaning shoes, cooking, or any other type of work was permitted on any Sunday. Mrs McLeod (Ellen) could always be seen sitting under the shade of a tree and reading the Bible to the Children. It was frequently said that other teachers in the area, when faced with a recalcitrant child, had only to threaten to send him or her to Mr McLeod’s School in order to bring instant obedience.

During later years at Bankstown, Dugald’s Daughter Mabel also taught, possibly needlework or the like, and another Daughter, Myra, having qualified in music at the University, may have taught that subject for a while. This would have been very close to when Dugald was at retirement age.

Dugald & Ellen had a Family of Ten (10) Children. Herbert – Born 1873, went to Western Australia where he married and eventually dies, leaving four (4) Sons and one (1) Daughter.

The youngest of the Ten Children, Neil, came to Sydney during WW2 with his Wife and Two (2) Daughters, one of whom was Spastic. Neil and his Wife Audrey founded the famous Spastic Centre in Sydney. Another of the ten Children, Walter (alias: Peter) Irwin McLeod – Born 1875 Married Violet Gilliver. Walter & Violet had one (1) Son named Keith Vincent McLeod prior to the Death of Violet in 1915. Walter Irwin McLeod had left his Wife Violet and Son Keith sometime around 1913/14 for reasons which can only be assumed by each reader. Walter Irwin Mcleod had relocated to Ardlethan where he met and Married Annie (Lottie) Quigley in 1917 after learning of his Wife Violets Death when reading the obituaries in the newspaper of the day. Walter had re-named himself Peter McLeod when he left his Wife & Son for the Country so as to put off any attempts to trace him by his then Wife Violet. Make no mistake that Walter had left his Wife and young Son Neil with no intention of returning. Walter did not divorce his Wife but waited for her to pass away before he could legally re-marry his Second Wife, Annie (Lottie) Quigley.

Annie (Lottie) had one (1) Son named George Quigley – Born 1912 in Cooma NSW prior to meeting the man she married and knew as Peter Mcleod, who was actually Walter Irwin. Peter & Annie had Daughter whilst they were a couple, but un-married, who was named Morine Maude McLeod Quigley at Birth in 1915. Annie married Peter in 1917 in Ardlethan, two Years after the Birth of Morine (Maude). Peter McLeod was born Walter Irwin Mcleod, Married as Peter McLeod and died as Walter Irwin McLeod.

Walter (Peter) & Annie (Lottie) had five (5) Children of their own apart from George who was born a Quigley. The five McLeod Children to Annie & Peter were, Maureen (Maude), Elsie, Joan, Enid & Malcom McLeod. When Annie & Peter married, Annie changed her Son George’s surname to McLeod so he would be known as George Arthur McLeod throughout his life.

This somewhat interesting Lady that most knew as Lottie used many variants of the name which she was with no certainty Born as. She also used different ages throughout her life for which I know as fact. All avenues have been explored in order to ascertain what name Annie (Lottie) was actually born with. This thorough research has been to no avail as she was not born as any of the actual names which she used throughout her unmarried and married life. It appears most likely that Annie was told her last name was Quigley but never had a registered Birth as a Quigley. Her life somehow entailed using many differing variants of her name on different occasions as per below for whatever deceptive reasons which she may have had to use different names. Occasions below in timeline order where Annie used variants of her name/s:

Stated name at Birth of Morine Maude Macleod Quigley = (Lottie Quigley) Stated Age at Birth of Morine in 1915 = (24 Yrs) Stated Birth name on her Marriage (1917) to Peter Macleod = (Annie Quigley ) Stated Age at Marriage in 1917 = (24 Yrs) Stated Mother on Marriage in 1917 to Peter Macleod = (Fanny Miller) Not Quigley Stated Father on Marriage in June 1917 to Peter Macleod (Edward B Quigley) Stated Witness to Marriage in 1917 of Annie = Fanny Miller (Mother) Stated Mother on Marriage in 1936 of George Macleod = (Annie Quigley) Stated name on Death in 1961 of Walter (Peter) Macleod = (Anne Macleod) Stated name on Death in 1977 of George Macleod = Anna Macleod) Stated name at Death in Dec 1973 of Annie (Lottie) = Anna Macleod Stated age at Death on 27/12/1973 = 82 Yrs

All information above has been sourced from NSW Birth, Death & Marriage Certificates along with communications from Rookwood Cemetery which were obtained and archived by Rodney Weston.

Another of Dugald & Ellen’s Children, Frederick – Born 1877, died at the age of 17 in 1894 of Typhoid Fever, unmarried, and is buried alongside his Parents Dugald & Ellen at Rookwood Cemetery.

Arthur – Born 1879, went to Western Australia with his older Brother Herbert where he went into a partnership in a grocery business in Freemantle which led to his staying in that field all of his life. He met and married Ruby Shaw in Kalgoorlie, moved then to Victoria and raised a Family of five, losing the elsest, Jean at the age of twelve (12), from Pneumonia.

Amy – Born 1881 married a Minister of Religion, Charles Eden Riley, who proved to be an idle dreamer and a continuous financial burden to Dugald until the day that Dugald Died. Amy was a wonderful Woman but had no idea how her marriage was to turn out. On the day of the Wedding to Charles’ own Father said to Dugald “Well, Dugald, now you have another mouth to feed” – prophetic words indeed, especially after the marriage produced Four (4) Children.

After Amy, came Mabel – Born 1883 and dying unmarried in 1945 after a very useful and varied life helping many many others in need.

Bruce – Born 1885, Married a Vera Mutch and they had one Child named Iris. The Family lived mostly at Kogarah and Bruce was best remembered as the Manager of David Jones travelgoods department and whilst he died in 1955, his Wife Vera lived on until 1984.

Victor – Born 1886, Married Linda Sunderland and became a Station Master at Geelong with a Family of Three (3) Children. Linda worked ceaselessly on charitable and local affairs, and when died, Geelong saw one of the largest funerals ever attended.

Harold – Born 1888, was unmarried when he went overseas to fight in WW1 with the 4th Magine Gun Battalion of the AIF. Harold died in 1916 on the battlefield in France and is remembered with Honours in the Australian War Memorial at Canberra. Harold is buried in France and also remembered at his Parent’s gravesite at Rookwood Cemetery.

Myra – Born 1890, Married a Sergeant of Police and eventually died at Burwood in 1925 after the Birth of Twins. From Arthur onwards, the Children were all born at Bankstown. Such a large Family surely must have strained the space in the small house which they occupied.

In 1900 and 1903 Dugald purchased three (3) large blocks of land, one being of five (5) acres fronting on Brunker Road with the two adjacent blocks being a combined size of eleven (11) acres at the rear of the first five (5) acres and fronting what was known then as Central Road which linked Notting Hill Road (as it was then) and Cooper Road.

Within a few Years, Dugald sold this land, making 100% profit on the investment not knowing that later resume the land in 1911 and pay the then owners five times the value that Dugald had paid for the subject land. Today, these three blocks of land apart from a very small strip of Lot 19 which fronts Brunker Road, are all under water in the middle of Potts Hill No2 Reservoir. Central Road, Tewinga Road and portion of Notting Hill Road were all absorbed in the resumption and no longer exist.

For the same period of 34 Years that Dugald was a teacher and then Headmaster at Bankstown School, he was also Secretary to the Methodist Church Trust, the Church being in a small building between the School and Rookwood Road which appears to have been known as the ‘Sparrow’, before a larger brick Church was built facing Rookwood Road, closer to Bankstown.

On Dugald’s retirement from the school and from the Church he was presented with an illuminated address from each, a large framed one from friends and Old Scholars and an attractive one in a very well crafted padded folder, leather bound, from the ‘Congregation and from the Trust’. Dugald was also mentioned in a 1900 directory as Secretary to the ‘Bankstown Literary and Debating Society’.

On 4th July 1909, Dugald’s Wife, Ellen, Died of heart failure following and operation and was buried at Rookwood Cemetery alongside her husband and Children. With most of the Children scattered around Australia, Dugald carried on teaching until 1912 when he eventually retired. In his retirement he lived first at Edward Street Carlton with his single Children, Harold, Mabel & Myra, although Harold was often away in the Country building houses before he enlisted for WW1 where he died. When Myra married and died at Burwood in 1925, Dugald sold the Carlton home and he and Mabel moved to Burwood to rear the twin babies left behind after the Death of Myra. After around one (1) Year there relations had become vert strained with Myra’s widowed Husband so Mabel decided to leave to assist a Minister and His Family, nursing and playing the Church organ for many Years at his various postings whilst her Father Dugald went to stay with his Son Bruce at Kogarah.

Retirement for Dugald was a very pleasant period and his circle of friends was quite large. At both Bankstown and Carlton he had bred prize Orpingtons and took prizes at the R.A.S and Camden shows. Dugald had a wonderful name as a breeder and judge of poultry, so he continued this hobby in his retirement at Kogarah.

A strict teetotaller all his life, when he once developed a severe cold, Bruce (His Son) offered him a night cap of Brandy or Whiskey as medicine without explaining what it was and Dugald accepted it without question. Next night, with the cold no better, Dugald asked if he might have another dose of ‘that medicine’. Bruce always said that if his Father had known what it really was, he would have had a heart attack there and then.

On Dugald’s Eightieth Birthday, Bruce arranged for a Birthday call on what was then an entirely new invention, ‘the radio’. It was in the days of battery operated wireless with separate horn-shaped loudspeakers. Dugald had not come to terms with this new gadget so when the radio call came, Dugald turned with both surprise and politeness to the loudspeaker and said, quite sincerely, “thank you very much”.

Dugald was always attentive to his Grandchildren and they were a delight to his declining years so he took every opportunity to be with them. In his greying (or rather, White) George V beard he looked every bit the Gentlemen he was and the Children loved him for his smile, his love and his humour. He had learned some Gaelic from his Parents and it was not uncommon to hear him, as he tucked a Grandchild into bed, say “Oichde mhath, a’ graidh” – good night, my dear one.

Dugald McLeod passed away at 84 Years of age on the 15th March 1931 and was buried with his Wife and Children at Rookwood. Amongst his Children and Grandchildren no one would have left a better or more lasting impression than did this fine old Gentleman of the ‘old school’.

The old Bankstown school building was demolished in July 1976 and the site was converted to a community park. On the 13th June 1980 the park was officially named ‘McLeod Reserve’ by the Parks Committee in honour of Dugald McLeod who was a founding Father of what we now know as Bankstown.

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@R1551125460@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

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