Donald Nicholson

  Research Notes:

Jason Crosskey passed on a website by Tim Hill where it is noted:
Donald was born on 12 January 1812 at the parish of Assynt, Sutherland, Scotland. The parish of Assynt is on the remote north-western coast of Scotland. A few years before Donald's birth, the local Minister described it as "consisting of lofty mountains, high hills, stupendous rocks, threatening precipices and numerous objects of the like kind." The weather is cold and bleak, and "the rain continues not only for hours, but often for days; nay for weeks..."
In the early nineteenth century most of the county's 3,000 inhabitants lived on the coast, sustaining themselves with fishing and sheep farming. The main village in the parish was Loch Inver, with "a small harbour with a pier" as well as "several good houses and shops, and near it is a manufactory for preserving butcher's meat, fish, and vegetables, fresh, for the purposes of being carried out to sea". There was also a post-office and a preaching station by 1851. At this time, Loch Inver had a population of 75. He was the son of Donala Nicholson and Mary Margaret MacDougall. Donald Nicholson was baptised on 31 January 1812 at Asssynt, Sutherland, Scotland.
Nothing is known of Donald's early life except that he probably learnt his carpentry trade at the side of his father, a ship's carpenter & boat builder.
At the age of 26 Donald Nicholson emmigrated from Lochinver, the parish of Assynt, Sutherland, Scotland, on 21 October 1838 on the James Moran a 600 ton bark with his older sister Fanny, her husband Thomas and their children. The James Moran, largely carried those subject to the Highland clearances, and came via Rev. John Dunmore Lang's bounty scheme. After a voyage of 113 days (almost four months) Donald arrived at Port Jackson, on 11 February 1839. The vessel called at the Cape of Good Hope from late December to the 2nd of January 1839. Whilst there, some of the passengers wrote a letter to the Commissioner of Emigration in Scotland, complimenting the food, the Surgeon and the Master, and expressing a hope that their comments would relieve "a dread of the hardships they may be made to endure on the passage". At the Cape they picked up 20 survivors from the wreck of the Dunlop and conveyed them to Port Jackson. Unfortunately, his youngest nephew Malcolm died on the voyage.
Donald (and his sister's husband Thomas) were brought out by Mr. H. Scope of Liverpool and were to be paid 2 pounds and 2 shillings a week, without board. There was an undertaker named Henry Scope in Liverpool; were Donald and Thomas employed to make coffins for him? Henry Scope later described himself as a builder but was insolvent a few short years later in March 1842. Nothing certain is known of his first few years in the colony.
He lived in March 1841 at Parramatta, NSW. His wife-to-be Margaret also lived in Parramatta before they were married. She had arrived from Liverpool on the Heber a few months after Donald had arrived.
He marriedMargaret Brown, daughter of John Brown and Margaret Miller, in a Presbyterian ceremony at Scots Church, Pitt Street on Friday, 19 March 1841 at Sydney, NSW. He was 29 and his wife Margaret was 22. After their marriage Donald and Margaret lived in Parramatta at least until the start of the new year. Witnesses to the wedding were Thomas MacKenzie. He was a witness at John Chalmers and Jessie Brown's wedding on 7 June 1841 at St Andrew's Scots Presbyterian Church in Sydney. Donald, at age 29 and Margaret Brown, at age 23 became the parents of Malcolm Nicholson on 30 December 1841 at Parramatta, NSW. Malcolm, who died young, was to be the first of at least ten children born to Donald and Margaret between 1841 and 1859. Nine survived to adulthood. Donald's child Malcom received his baptism on 2 January 1842 at St Johns Parramatta, Sydney Presbyterian. This seems to be the first baptism of the year in the church.¹¹ Donald Nicholson was a carpenter, and was to remain at this trade (sometimes calling himself a joiner or house carpenter) for all of his working life.
Within two years of their marriage, Donald and Margaret's growing family had moved to Balmain. Also in Balmain were Margaret's family and their growing families. He and Margaret Brown lived in 1844 at Waterview Bay, Balmain. Waterview Bay (now called Mort Bay) is an area of Balmain where a few boat builders had established small businesses along the waterfront. There is a Nicholson Street, leading down to the edge of this bay in East Balmain that has been there since the 1880's at least.

Another four years found them in the Yass district at Archibald MacCallum's "Good-Hope" homestead where their fifth child, John, was baptised.¹⁵

Donald Nicholson and Margaret Brown lived in June 1850 at the NSW country town of Bowning, New South Wales <../pd1.htm>. Donald Nicholson and Margaret Brown lived in October 1852 at Yass, New South Wales <../pd4.htm>.

Donald provided information for the birth of Frances Nicholson <../g0/p288.htm>, on 30 November 1856 at Yass, New South Wales <../pd4.htm>, at the age of 44.¹⁶ Donald's child Frances received her baptism on 21 March 1857 at Yass, New South Wales <../pd4.htm>. It is unusual that she was baptised as Church of England - the other children of Donald & Margaret were baptised as Presbyterians.¹⁷ They remained in this district, later at Bowning.¹⁸ Donald Nicholson and Margaret Brown lived in January 1859 at Limestone Creek, in the district of Yass, New South Wales <../pd2.htm>.¹⁹ Donald Nicholson and Margaret Brown lived in October 1865 at South Lead, in Forbes, New South Wales <../pd2.htm>. Donald and Margaret were to remain residents of the town for at least three years.²⁰

Donald, as the father of the bride, hosted Margaret Nicholson <../g0/p456.htm> and Hugh Joseph Sutherland <../g0/p465.htm>'s wedding on 31 October 1865 at Forbes, New South Wales <../pd2.htm>.²¹

13 October 1870 Donald's unwed daughter Susannah gave birth to a son, Fredrick Hilton Nicholson. She was 19.²² By the middle of 1871, Donald and Margaret's son Donald had moved to Sydney, and had there married Annie Smyth in a Church of England ceremony. Two months later another son, James, married Lydia Hosnell in Bathurst in a Roman Catholic ceremony.^23,24 He and Margaret Brown lived in September 1872 at Bushman's Lead, New South Wales <../pd1.htm>.²⁵ Donald, as the father of the bride, attended Mary Jane Nicholson <../g0/p286.htm> and Henry Olliver <../g0/p340.htm>'s wedding on 8 September 1872 at her father's house, in Bushman's Lead, New South Wales <../pd1.htm>.²⁵

His wife Margaret died 22 May 1874, leaving him a widower at age 62. Margaret had been involved in a carriage accident some 3 weeks earlier, but had deteriorated rapidly inthe days before her death.^26,27 Margaret's death would have been about the time that their daughter Susannah found out she was pregnant again - and still unmarried. Donald Nicholson lived in December 1874 at Parkes, New South Wales <../pd3.htm>.²⁸ Donald hosted the wedding of his daughter Susannah on Boxing day, 1874. With the recent death of his wife, and the unwed Susannah's growing pregnancy, the later half of this year must have been difficult for Donald. The end of this long day saw the baby born and Susannah married to Michael Bourke, a miner..^29,28 He witnessed his grandson James John Bourke <../g0/p291.htm>'s burial on 19 May 1876 Goobang Creek cemetery at Parkes, New South Wales <../pd3.htm>. No Minister attended the burial..³⁰

The last of his daughters, Fanny, was married in Forbes in October 1876. Donald may well have attended the wedding..³¹ Donald, as the father of the bride, attended Frances Nicholson and John William Aplett <../g0/p368.htm>'s wedding on 18 November 1876 at Forbes, New South Wales <../pd2.htm>. The marriage took place at the home of Henry Clancy in Browne Street.^32,33 At this time his occupation was given as a carpenter.³⁴ Donald Nicholson lived in 1878 at Parkes, NSW <../pd3.htm>.³⁴ Donald's daughter Margaret died in childbirth at Cobar in 1883 at the age of 38.³⁵ Three months later his daughter Susannah's husband died of alcoholic poisoning at the age of 36.³⁶.

It isn't clear what happened to Donald in the next 16 years, but it is likely that his advancing lead him to greater dependency on his children, especially perhaps his youngest daughter Fanny.

Donald died on 3 November 1899 at Byrock, New South Wales <../pd1.htm>, at age 87 of senile decay. His daughter Fanny stated that he had been deteriorating over the last three years of his life.³⁷ His body was interred at Byrock Cemetery on 4 November 1899 at Byrock, New South Wales <../pd1.htm>. However, there is some confusion about where he is buried. A record exists in Cobar Shire cemetery's register for a 'Donald Nichollson'in 1899, but his death certificate indicates he was buried at 'Byerock cemetery' which is about 120km distant. However, his name does not seem to recorded on the registers for Byrock cemetery..^38,37,39

  Noted events in his life were:

• connection.

• fact. ¹¹⁰⁴

• connection.

Donald married Margaret Francis (Fanny) Brown, daughter of John Brown and Margaret Miller, on 19 Mar 1841 in Scots Presbyterian Church, Pitt St, Sydney, NSW Australia. (Margaret Francis (Fanny) Brown was born on 14 May 1818 in Inverness, Inverness-Shire Scotland,¹¹⁰⁴ died on 22 May 1874 in Parkes, NSW Australia and was buried on 24 May 1874 in Goobang Creek Cemetery, Parkes, NSW Australia.)