#52Ancestors - Week 38 - Unusual sources

For many years I had a brick wall in my family history research.

I could find information about my great x3 grandfather, George Mackillop (1790-1860) in a variety of sources including documents. Often the name, James Mackillop, also appeared in the same documents. I was certain that they were brothers but I needed proof. I also wanted to know the names of George's parents.

One day I decided to do some lateral research and instead of searching for information about George I decided to research James. I knew that, like George, he was a merchant in India in the 1800s so I decided to search British Newspaper Archive available online via some library websites for any references to James. Apart from references to where he lived and that he had made a great deal of money as a merchant I found articles mentioning that he was, at one time, a member of parliament.

A search in Google for "James Mackillop" member of parliament took me to the following post on the History of Parliament website. I had hit the jackpot.

The first information provided was that James Mackillop was the first son of John Mackillop and Mary who was the daughter of Robert Downie of Kilmadock, Perth. James was unmarried and died on 27 January 1870. In the following biography it was stated that George Mackillop was almost certainly his younger brother and that they both worked in India for a time in the firm where their uncle, also Robert Downie, was a partner. I knew from other sources about their association with the Downie family but it was only when I discovered their mother's connection to that family that it all made sense. Both James and George had travelled to India when young to work, initially, in the family business. They then made their own way as merchants.

This is an example of the benefits of researching other family members, not just the direct family line, and also looking at a wide range of sources that may provide a missing clue.

At the time I was unable to locate additional information about George's family in Ancestry.com but when I checked My Heritage I found the records that I needed about his parents and brothers and sisters plus information about earlier generations. This is an example of the need to check a range of family history databases. Ancestry..com now has some of the Scottish records and Scotland's People is another obvious choice to search for information about Scottish ancestors. Family Search and Find My Past are other useful sources of family history information.

#52Ancestors - Week 28 - Travel

As I pack my suitcase to travel to England at the end of the week for five weeks, there is time to reflect on what it must have been like make a similar journey in the nineteenth century. I have written a to-do list, started packing the suitcase but I have the luxury of knowing that if I forget anything I will be able to buy it in England in a few days. The trip will take me less than 24 hours. By contrast it was not so easy for my great, great grandmother who travelled between England and Australia or England and India, by ship, many times.

In week 22 of this challenge - So Far Away - I wrote a post about how members of two branches of my family, the Mackillops and the Huttons, regularly travelled to India or to Australia. Another travel related post was written for one of my assignments for the Diploma of Family History where I wrote about George Hutton's voyage to Australia aboard the SS Somersetshire in 1869. George travelled to Australia on his own but what would it have been like to travel with a family aboard a ship on a voyage that could take months?

Eleanora Mackillop was born in Edinburgh in 1830. In 1832 her father, George Mackillop, and mother, Jean Eleonora Hutton, decided to take the family to India. George was a merchant in India and the decision was made to relocate to that country for a time to keep an eye on his business interests there. Both George and Jean had travelled between England and India previously. They had married in Calcutta in 1820 and their first three sons were born in India.They then returned with the boys to Edinburgh.

Five children accompanied their parents on the voyage in 1832. Eleonora was around two while her brother George was eleven, Charles was eight, John was six and James was a month or two old.

Example of a trunk used to transport clothes etc on ship voyages

As the whole family travelled to India, this was not planned as a short stay in that country. The family would therefore have packed trunks full of clothes and other possessions required for when they arrived. The Mackillop family was well off and staff would have accompanied them to assist on the journey, however it would still be quite an undertaking.

The family settled down to life in Calcutta. The British had been trading in India for more than eighty years and accommodation for British merchants in Calcutta could be described as comfortable with many staff.  However in July1833 James, now ten months old, died. This would have been devastating for the family and several months later they were once again on the move. This time the destination was Hobart Town in Van Diemens Land.

Of course, maybe the long term plan had always been to travel to and settle in Van Diemens Land where many families with ties to India had already settled. We will never know. However George obviously decided that this was the time to move again.

While the British had been in India since the mid 1750s, Hobart Town had been established as a penal colony only since 1804. However by early 1834 there were many opportunities for merchants, especially with ties to India, so George and his family moved into a large house in Davey Street.

In July 1834, a second daughter, Mary Rose, was born in Hobart Town followed by her sister, Georgina in April 1837. However tragedy had struck again in November 1836 when George and Jean's eldest son, also George died, aged 15.

St David's Cemetery

It was shortly after this that George first put the Davey Street house on the market with the intention of returning to Edinburgh. However this trip did not take place until about 1840. Once again George, Jean and their family boarded the ship for the long voyage back to Scotland.

While in Australia, George boarded a ship to Sydney in January 1835 before travelling to Monaro in southern New South Wales. From there he led a party of men to look for good land for pasture over the Victorian border. During the next few years he made a number of trips across Bass Strait and was one of the pioneers of the new settlement of Melbourne, though his home base remained Hobart.

Back in Scotland the family remained in Edinburgh for a number of years before moving to Bath in southern England.

In June 1849, Eleonora Mackillop married William Forbes Hutton, an officer in the British Army in India so the travelling began again.Their first son was born in England then Eleonora travelled to India with William. A daughter was born in India and when Eleanora returned to England in 1853 a second daughter was born. These three children remained in Bath with Jean and George when Eleonora returned, once more, to India. Another daughter and then a son were born in India before Eleonora and William returned to Bath. Two daughters and another four sons were born in England between 1859 and 1869.

In 1869, Eleonora's's eldest son travelled to Australia, followed by his father in May 1871. Eleonora made her final long distance voyage arriving in Melbourne with her younger children in May 1874.

There were many dangers travelling by sea in the nineteenth century as Eleonora knew. In November 1808 her grandfather, William Charles Hutton, a ship's captain, died at sea. Then, shortly after Eleonora and William settled in Victoria, a ship carrying their furniture was shipwrecked off the Victorian coast.

Tale of Two Georges

This was the second of six short pieces of writing, with a reflective statement, which was part of the first assessment for Writing the Family Saga.

The small band of explorers walked out of the shade of the trees into the sunshine to encounter a lake and large expanses of open land. Was this what they had been looking for?

Years later, back in England, George Mackillop recounted stories of his part in the expedition to his young grandson who lived with him while his parents were in India.

Additional land was required for grazing sheep and cattle as the colony of Van Diemen’s Land grew. George told his grandson how in 1834 he travelled from New South Wales following the course of the Snowy River to explore land south of the present Omeo. Stories of this expedition encouraged further exploration and two years later settlers from Tasmania, including George, had established sheep and cattle properties in Victoria. However George lost faith in the new colony and returned to England.

By the time he was 19 George Hutton decided to try his luck in the new land described by his grandfather.

Initially George worked on sheep stations in southern New South Wales and western Victoria before helping his family establish their property at Lilydale. Then it was time to explore more of the country so George joined a droving party, travelling north until he decided to settle down.

Parkes was chosen by George as the place to purchase his own sheep station. Initially this was a successful venture but nature intervened and drought forced George to sell his land. Broken but not defeated George became a rabbit inspector in the Parkes region.

Reflection:
Much of my family story revolves around family members owing properties in various parts of Australia and the challenges of living on the land. In writing The Tale of Two Georges I became aware of the parallels, as well as the differences, between the stories of these two men who were explorers as well as landowners in a new and challenging environment.

References:
Sketch of Mr Mackillop’s route in Australia [copies of the map available in State Library of Victoria and National Library of Australia via Trove]

George Mackillop wrote two articles entitled ‘On Australia’ and On Port Phillip in Australia’ published in the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture in June 1839 and March 1940.

In the 1930s George Hutton made notes about his early years in Australia and also some of the family stories including his grandfather’s expedition to the Omeo region.

No. 11 Ainslie Place

University of Tasmania Family History course - Writing family history

Week four e-tivity - Googling places past
Using Google Maps and or Google Street View, and cross-referencing with our own research into local and family history, we were asked to write a description of a place where one of our ancestors lived or may have visited.

11 Ainslie Place

Arriving in Edinburgh on a cold, wet August day our first destination was Ainslie Place in New Town. This block of Georgian stone townhouses was built towards the end of the 1820s on part of the old Moray Estate. 

Before leaving Melbourne I found the location on Google Maps so we knew how to find the street. Google Earth had shown that the two semi-circles of townhouses were still there and that the communal park for residents in the middle still existed.

When standing near the park we ignored the few cars parked in the street and were transported to another time.

It was easy to imagine a horse and carriage pulling up in front of number 11. George, Jean and their children alight from the carriage and climb the short flight of steps to the front door of their home which is opened by a servant. The carriage then travels to the stables at the back of the property.

Tall windows frame either side of the front door. Similar sized sets of three windows are on the two other floors. Decorative black ironwork features on the first floor windows while iron fencing protects the stairs leading to rooms below the main living area. 

There have been changes over time. Another storey has been added to the building and some of the townhouses have been subdivided into flats. However, from the street, it is easy to imagine the Ainslie Place of the 1830s where my great, great grandmother was born. 

 Once again, 250 words was the limit for this writing exercise.

George Mackillop - Davey Street, Hobart

When searching for articles in Trove there are a number of references to George Mackillop, Davey Street in Hobart. When I was visiting Hobart earlier this year I spent some time walking along Davey Street to try and imagine what the area may have been like when George and his family lived in South Hobart.

The book, The story of South Hobart street by street by Donald Howatson (2012) provides some information about the streets in this area. Davey Street was named after the Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land from 1812-1816 - Thomas Davey (p19). A section of Davey Street, west of Elboden Street, was originally known as Holebrook Place but was also referred to as Upper Davey Street or Davey Street (p26). This section of South Hobart contained many impressive houses on large blocks of land. The mansion, Holebrook, was situated on four acres of land (approximately 330 Davey Street today) while a house just down the road in the location of 328 Davey Street was built on three acres of land. This house was built by Hugh Ross, possibly in 1834, and one of the features of the property was the view of the harbour and Sandy Bay (p12). The house was set back on the block and approached via a driveway for carriages through an impressive garden. Additional information about the history of this house can be found on the blog, On the Convict Trail.

Map of section of Davey Street (Google Maps)

George Mackillop (1790-1865) and his family arrived in Hobart Town from Scotland via India, possibly early 1834. Entries in Trove show that the firm, Cruttenden, Mackillop and Company, had been shipping goods to Hobart from India for some years. George appears to have decided to check out the possibilities in the new colony further south. References to Davey Street with George's name appear soon after he arrived so he appears to have established his home there soon after arrival.

As well as his main occupation as a merchant George looked for further opportunities and was involved in initial exploration and acquisition of land in Port Phillip (Victoria) from 1835. He wrote articles about the new colonies which were published in the UK. Articles in Trove show that he was actively involved in the life of Hobart Town. However towards the end of the 1830s George decided to return to Scotland and on 4 April 1837 the first advertisement appeared in the Hobart Town Courier that the Mackillop house in Davey street was on the market as the family was returning to the UK. George and his family did not return home until the early 1840s and over the years a series of advertisements appeared in the paper about the property and its contents. It is from these advertisements that we learn what the house was like.

An advertisement in the Hobart Town Courier 7 April 1837 provides the following description.:

THAT splendid family mansion, situate in the most delightful part of Davey street, and bounded by the Sandy bay rivulet, the property of George Mackillop, esq. comprising every accommodation that can possibly be required.

The first floor consists of a drawing room 29 feet by 16, dining room and parlour, a bed room, butler's pantry and sleeping room, kitchen, scullery, &c. under which are spacious cellars.

On the second story are six large bed rooms, fitted with cupboards, three dressing rooms, and store closets.

The attics comprise two servants bed rooms and a store.

The whole is fitted up in the most complete manner, with water closets, &c without regard to expense, and elegantly finished.

The out offices consist of a stable, loft and servant's sleeping room, large store, coach houses, oven, wood and fowl house, pig sties, and sundry other buildings in the yard, which is securely fenced.

The advertisement then goes on to describe the property:

The premises stand on 2 acres, 1 rood, 27 perches of excellent ground; the garden has been trenched 15 inches deep, well manured, and stocked with trees, all of which were loaded this season with the choicest fruit (the pears and apples still remain); strawberries and raspberries were in the greatest abundance  the never-failing stream at the bottom affords a constant supply of water, and the neighbourhood is truly respectable, having the residences of Thomas Learmonth, esq. on one side, and Hugh Ross, esq. on the other.

The beauty of the surrounding scenery is too well known and admired to require comment.

The title is a new grant.

Obviously this was an impressive house in a great location.

One of the key sentences in the above description was that the residence of Thomas Learmonth was on one side of the property and the residence of Hugh Ross was on the other side. Family stories mentioned the Learmonth connection with the Mackillop family and articles in Trove show that George and Thomas Learmonth had a business partnership and were involved in other activities in the community. I knew therefore that the Mackillop property was near the Learmonth property but not exactly where those properties were.

On 9 August 1839 the Hobart Town Courier and Van Diemen's Land Gazette contained the following information:

COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE

George Mackillop, 2a. 1r. 37p., suburbs of Hobart Town, originally Matthew Forster, Esq., who sold to Thomas Learmonth, who transferred to the applicant; claim renewed 4th June, 1839-Bounded on the north west by 217 links along Holebrook-place, on the south west by 12 chains and 10 links along an allotment granted to Hugh Ross to the Sandy-bay rivulet, on the south east by that rivulet, and on the north cast by 12 chains 82 links along an allotment occupied by or belonging to Thomas Learmonth to Holebrook-place aforesaid.

George's land would have bordered on Davey Street and continued down to the Sandy Bay Rivulet. Hugh Ross' property would have been in the vicinity where Davey Place now is so George's property would have bordered on the town side of the Ross property and continued in the direction of  Elboden Street.

As well as confirming the size of the block of land and providing additional information as to its location, the above paragraph from the newspaper also provides history as to previous ownership. Matthew Forster (1796-1846), a former soldier, arrived in the colony in 1831 where he became chief police magistrate. Thomas Learmonth (1783-1869), like George Mackillop, was from Stirlingshire in Scotland and was a merchant in India before arriving in Hobart Town in the early 1830s to continue his trade as a merchant there. The Australian Dictionary of Biography includes an article on the Learmonth family. Thomas had obviously had obtained land in Davey Street and later  transferred part of this land to George when George arrived in the colony.

The other clue that I had to the location of the property was in article in Trove when land that had belonged to another great (x 3) grandfather, Thomas William Birch (1767-1821) was sold in 1839. The Hobart Town Courier 2 November 1838 contained a detailed description of the land to be sold, including mentioning some of the neighbours -

... in the immediate vicinage of the mansions and residences of J. H. Moore, W. Proctor, Hugh Ross, G. M'Killop, T. Learmonth, E. Hodgson, and J. Hackett, Esquires; also, the lands of Messrs. Harris, Dunkley, and Hurst ; the Glebe and Salvator Rosa Glen.

When exploring Hobart on foot in November I took a number of photographs of the area where George's property would have been located.

Intersection of Davey Place and Davey Street

View indicating partial depth of the property

View of the River

Mountain View

A driveway in Davey Street leading to a house

Sandy Bay Rivulet

The photos above provide an indication of the area where the property was situated. The area now consists of houses on smaller blocks and flats but I was able to catch a glimpse of the view George and his family would have had of the river when I explored a side street. Mount Wellington and other mountains would have dominated the view in the other direction, especially as the land on Birch's farm was not subdivided until the late 1830s. The house would have been set back from Davey Street and, like the house on the Ross property, would have had a driveway from the street for carriages to take pasengers to the front door. Sandy Bay Rivulet would have been a much more impressive waterway in the 1830s but is now only a small stream.

Unlocking family stories - Trove part 2

When preparing notes for a session in the library on Using Trove for Family History Research I checked Trove for references to George Mackillop / George Mckillop who was living in Australia in the 1830s.

A search for George Mackillop in a General Search, the name in inverted commas, provided the following results:

• two books - was an article written by George about Australia published in 1839 (NLA) while the other was a book - Pastoral Pioneers of Port Phillip - containing information about him (this book has been digitised and can be downloaded from the State Library of Victoria.
• correspondence - a series of letters between George Mackillop and John Clark which have been digitised and are available from University of Tasmania
• correspondence to Colonial Office in London including mention of George Mackillop (RHSV)
• map - sketch of Mr Mackillop's route in Australia - copies at NLA and SLV - also available online
• articles in newspapers

Copy of map held at NLA

Because names can be spelt in different ways a search for George Mckillop in a General Search, the name in inverted commas, provided the following results:

• three books with reference to George Mackillop (NLA, SLV & Sale Library) - one has been digitised
• a photo of a memorial cairn in Omeo in recognition of George Mackillop, James McFarlane and George Prendergast (Pendergast) - Monument Australia 
• archived websites - some mentioning George Mackillop
• journal articles about other George Mckillops
• newspaper articles

A search in Pictures, photos, objects section of Trove for "Mackillops bridge" or "Mckillops Bridge" produced a number of images of the bridge.

Part of Frank Hurley Collection NLA

A search in the digitised newspapers provided detailed description of the Mackillop home which was advertised for sale in 1836 and in 1840 a detailed list of furniture for sale. Details are listed in another section of this blog.

The searches showed the variety of material available on Trove collected from many institutions and resources as well as the need to check different spelling and forms of names to locate material. They also demonstrated the need to repeat searches from time to time as new material is constantly being added.

Letter from Jean MacKillop to Eleonora Hutton

Part of a letter from Jean Eleonora MacKillop to her daughter, Eleonora Hutton, who was at the time in India with her husband, William Forbes Hutton. George and Jean MacKillop were looking after three of Eleonora and William’s children in England while Eleonora and William were overseas. George MacKillop was a merchant who had spent time in India and built up interests there – hence the references to the tea. William was also probably involved in the tea trade. Part of the letter (indicated by …) appears to be missing.

The letter provides an insight into the social history of the time and in part reads like an episode in a Jane Austen novel with references to the social circle of the time. It also provides interesting observations on the development of children as well as the style of life British wives were expected to follow when accompanying their husbands in India.

Jean MacKillop would have been 55 when this letter was written. She died in 1859. Her son, John MacKillop, died at the massacre at Cawnpore (India) in 1857.

                                                                                   

26 Grosvenor Place

                                                                                    Bath

                                                                                    23^rd and 25^th October 1855

My dearest Ellie,

We all rejoiced to receive your nice letter from Madras on the 1^st of this month, giving such good accounts of William’s health and endurance of heat – they were early days certainly – but gave good promise, and I hope and trust it may be God’s pleasure to bless you both with health even in the Indian climate. Pray do not, from the fear of falling into indolent habits, run into the opposite extreme and overtax your strength in any way; what would be slothful indulgence at home – is only necessary rest in India, and I hope you will take a sufficiency of it.

Now for the bairns. According to my rule; they are all well and happy – I thank God – I often wish you could both see them.

George is greatly improved and is reasonable and obedient – he speaks more intelligibly, and does not lose himself so often in a maze of words and thoughts – I hope that when he can read he will learn to express himself well and clearly; he had his first lesson this morning and was very attentive – but I have to begin with BA again – humanly speaking there will be no more interruptions and I expect to have to give you a good report of his progress in my next. Bessie tells me he was most anxious to do everything “as Grandmama would like” during our 11 days absence. He does not know the Lord’s Prayer quite perfect but almost so. I do not think he is quick in learning by heart, at present – but his technical memory will probably improve when he acquires the habit of giving his mind to his occupation. He is to write to you next, if he is a good boy – this goes via Marseilles and must therefore be brief and light.

Jeannie is not so obedient as Georgie and has rather a fancy occasionally for doing what she is told not to do – because it is forbidden – but she is an affectionate little body and they are all three very good children.

Last, but not least in any way, comes Baby – soon after I last wrote to you her cough became very severe, attended with light fever and great dearrangement of the stomach and bowels; the two upper eye teeth appeared, and she got slowly better – but she still had a shake and is not so fat and firm as formerly. Looks black under the eyes and still coughs a little, i.e; a night and day perhaps, she will be quite free from the enemy – then she will cough twice or three times in the 24 hours – and I have no doubt this will last to all her teeth are through; the worst (the upper eye teeth) is however over – I have told you quite the worst of her case and now to cheer you up with the good; her flesh is mottled, though a little soft for her – and we all think she is better for not being so (she still makes nearly two of Jeannie) she eats and digest well, sleeps well, plays and runs about, scrambles up on Jeanie’s bed whenever she can find the opportunity and trys <tries> to say everything. “Down dere” is a favourite expression – she insists on calling your father “Papa” – then asked where Papa is she points to Wm’s picture. Mr Brace (he attended while Mr B was away and Mr Ormond both say it is not an unusual way of cutting teeth and only requires care in avoiding exposure to cold at such times; I give them dresses up to the neck – Jeannie’s brown pelisse is made into a frock for baby – and baby’s red one into a frock for Jeannie – Nurse has made a high body to Baby’s pink frock and Jeannie has a new pink muslin-de-laine those are for their evening dresses; when the cold weather sets in they will take to their merinos but I do not mean to give them any but high dresses during the winter – prevention is better than cure of coughs and colds.

George and Jeannie were delighted with your letter to them, and George of his own accord, prayed for the conversion of the heathen and still continues to do so in his evening prayers.

When I last wrote to you I had no expectation of making out our proposed visit to Paris; - and when dear Baby became so unwell, though sorry for the cause, I felt very thankful that we had been detained at home; and hoped; selfishly perhaps, that it wd be given up altogether; however; when my poor Aunt became convalescent, and she wished it, and Bessie volunteered to take my place here, and baby was then well again (except looking hollow under the eyes), I gave in to your father’s and Georgie’s desire to go to Paris – I’m not going into details of all that we did and saw during the 11 days for Georgie will do it much better than I can – I think the change and the rest from household affairs has as usual done me good, and I always enjoy home comforts more after I have been deprived of them for a time.

We saw and dined with the Learmonths in Wimpole St the day we left home; they are both looking well and Mrs L has grown stout – they were very friendly and pressing for us to spend some days with them on our way back from Paris – but it is late in the season and as my poor Aunt is extremely nervous I could not have conscientiously have asked Bessie to have remained any longer – besides I am glad to be home again. The Caltons were in treaty for a house in Reading – Bessie is growing tall, but still delicate and under a doctor’s care. Mrs Reilly’s boy has been ill and was still delicate. Tom Learmonth was expected in a few days from Sebastapol – he has been travelling through Switzerland and other parts of the Continent during the summer and arrived at Sebastapol a few days after its fall.

24^th Papa and I went yesterday to pay a wedding visit to Mrs Frederick Inman and left Georgie to keep guard outside, fortunately as it turned out, for we found the bride supported by her mother, Mrs R Bridges and Emily Inman in a small room, and we were scarcely seated when Mr and Mrs G Baker entered, soon followed by Dr and Mrs Stone, so we took our leave after partaking of cake and wine. It wd not be fair to form an opinion of Mrs Fred on such a short visit and in such awkward circumstances. I did not like her mother’s manner, and I think R Bridges by far the best looking and most agreeable of the party at present. On our way there we met Miss Nash, who had been paying her a visit – she’s looking out of spirits and told me her mother was very poorly but not from the …

Papa desires me to say – “He has recd William’s letter from Madras –

            The net proceeds of the tea of 1854 – paid in July “56) will be about £50,000

            Deduct all expenses                                                                                 24,000

            Leaves to be divided on a capital of £180,000                                      £26,000

or nearly 14½ p. ct. He does not, however, expect the Div. Will divide over 10 p. ct. – They will probably give a profit of upwards of £30,000, and most of that will likely be divided in 1857. He doesn’t care whether you contribute or not to the paying for the shares. – You will see from the above they will in a few years be paid for entirely by the dividends …. his family, which is likely to be increased in a few months hence. Mr Magee will have the Octagon to himself, I believe, but this too is not quite settled.

I do not know how we are to manage if Kensington is shut up. George goes now and then to afternoon service and he behaved very well last time.

It is time I concluded this letter – for you will be puzzled to make it out. I would have entered more into details if I had been aware we cd exceed the ½ oz. Mrs Learmonth strongly recommends The End by Dr Cumming – I intend to read it when I get time. God bless you and with best love to Wm – I am ever

                                                My dearest Ellie

                                                Yr affectionate Mother

                                                J E MacKillop

Mackillop house in Hobart

Two advertisements for the sale of house and contents of the Mackillop home in Hobart

Elegant Mansion, Garden, AND EXTENSIVE PREMISES.

BY MR. T. Y. LOWES,

At his Mart in Elizabeth-street on Saturday, 15th April next, at one o'clock, positively without re- serve, the proprietor (G. Mackillop, Esq..) being about to leave the Colony,

THAT splendid Family Mansion, situate in the most delightful part of Davey-street, and   bounded by the Sandy Bay Rivulet, the property of George Mackillop, Esq. comprising every accommodation that can possibly be required.

The first floor consists of a drawing room 29 feet by 16, dining room and parlour, a bed room, butler's pantry and sleeping room, kitchen, scullery, &c, under which are spacious cellars.

On the second story are six large bed rooms, fitted with cupboards, three dressing rooms, and store closets.

The attics comprise two servants bed rooms and a store.

The whole is fitted up in the most complete manner, with water closets, &c, without regard to expense, and elegantly finished.

The out offices consist of a stable, loft and servants sleeping room, large store, coach houses, oven, wood and fowl house, pig sties, and sundry other buildings in the yard, which is securely fenced.

The premises stand on 2 acres, 1 rood, 27 perches of excellent ground; the garden has been trenched   15 inches deep, well manured, and stocked with trees, all of which were loaded this season with the choicest fruit (the pears and apples still remain;)   strawberries and raspberries were in the greatest abundance; the never-failing stream at the bottom   affords a constant supply of water, and the neighbourhood is truly respectable, having the residences of Thomas Learmonth, Esq. on one side, and Hugh Ross, Esq. on the other.

The beauty of the surrounding scenery is too well known and admired to require comment.

The title is a new grant,

Terms-Ten per cent, deposit on the day of sale one-third by bill at six months, bearing eight per cent. interest; the balance may remain secured on the premises for ten years at eight per cent,

For tickets, to view, and further particulars, apply to the Auctioneer  

Colonial Times Tuesday 4 April 1837 page 2

ELEGANT HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, LANDULET, CHINA, GLASS,

CHOICE Cellar of OLD WINES, BOOKS etc

BY MR. T Y. LOWES,      

At the Residence of George Mackillop, Esq. upper end of Davey-street, TO-MORROW, the 12th instant, commencing at 12 o'clock precisely,

THE whole of the costly and truly elegant

Household Furniture, and other effects, the property of George Mackillop, Esq., proceeding to England, which will be sold without

the least reserve

Comprising in part,

Solid Spanish mahogany rosewood dining  

and drawing room tables and chairs, elegantly carved and highly polished.

Two splendid drawing-room lamps, of exquisite workmanship

A semi grand Piano, by Broadwood, Two easy chairs, beautifully carved Elegant mahogany sideboard Celleret

Tea caddies

Dumb waiter on handsome brass castors, Cheffioneers and card tables

Very superior Brussels and other carpets, one made to order, 29 x 15 9 (exceedingly good)

Chimney, pier, and dressing glasses

Extremely rich and costly dinner, dessert, tea and breakfast services   China

Cut glass

Ivory handled balanced knives and forks Crockery &c.

Four-post and other solid mahogany bed-steads, richly carved

Hair mattresses, English feather beds

Ladies' wardrobes, bidets, bed-steps, cheval glasses Children's bedsteads, and every requisite article of Household Furniture in excellent order, and of the best possible description

ALSO,

A cellar of the choicest old wines, sent expressly to order, comprising every variety A handsome landaulet, with Collins' patent axles, carriage, harness, horse cart, &c.

AND

An extensive library, of the best selected works, amongst which is Brewster's Encyclopedia, in 22 vols.

A more particular description will be given in the Catalogues to be issued previous to the Sale, as it is impossible to particularize them satisfactorily in an advertisement.  

Terms,-From £25 to £100 three months, above £100 four months' credit

N.B. The elegant Service of Plate, being of considerable value, is for sale privately, if applied for previous to the 10th proximo, the Proprietor wishing it not to be separated, as the whole bears the same crest.    

Since the above was advertised, Mr. Mackillop has determined to sell all his splendid plated ware, the articles of which will appear in the catalogue. These and the other goods will be on view the day previous to the sale.  

Colonial Times Tuesday 11 February 1840

52 Ancestors #30 Jean Eleanora Hutton

Jean Hutton, born in London, England, probably in 1800, was the eldest daughter of William Charles Hutton and Eleanora Read who were married in Calcutta, India, on 3 October 1799. Captain William Charles Hutton was in charge of the ship, the Lord Nelson, that disappeared during a storm in November 1808. When William wrote his will on 31 March 1806 he left his effects to his wife and daughters, Jean Eleanora and Mary, and any other subsequent children.

William and Eleanora had four other children - Margaret Mary Hutton who was born and baptised in 1803 and possibly died when a young child as she is not mentioned in her father's will, Mary Hutton who was born and baptised in 1805, Thomas Hutton (1806-1824) and Charles Hutton (1809-1879). The two boys enlisted in the East India Company Army. Thomas, an ensign in the Bengal Infantry, was 17 when he died in India on 3 December 1824. In 1825, Charles applied for a cadetship in the East India Company Army and spent time in India before leaving the army to settle in Victoria. He was involved in the early settlement of the colony and owned a number of properties including the Campaspie Plains Run near Heathcote. He went back to England in the 1860s and then returned to Victoria to live in Brighton in 1872.

On 21 November 1800, Jean Eleanora Hutton was baptised at St George the Martyr Church, Queen Square, London. The next we hear of her was when she married George Mackillop on 8 September 1820 at St John's Church, Calcutta (Kolkata), India. The church was one of the first buildings constructed by the East India Company in Calcutta and for many years served as the cathedral.

George Mackillop was a merchant trading in India. Like many other families involved in India in the nineteenth century it was not unusual for family members to regularly travel between the United Kingdom and India. Jean and George had seven children. The first three sons - George Downie Mackillop (1821-1836), Charles William Mackillop (1824-1909) and John Robert Mackillop (1826-1857) were born in Calcutta. Eleanora Mackillop (1830-1900) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. James Mackillop was also born in Edinburgh on 17 September 1832 but died ten months later on 16 July 1833 in Calcutta. Shortly after this the family moved to Van Diemen's Land. Mary Rose Mackillop was born in Hobart on 8 July 1834 and died ten years later in Edinburgh when the family returned to Scotland. Georgina Mackillop was born in Hobart on 5 April 1837 and died in Dandenong,Victoria, on 18 November 1928.

In Hobart the family owned a large house in Davey Street. The advertisement  in the Hobart Town Courier 3 February 1837 p 1 for the sale of the house provided the following description:

The first story consists of a drawing room 29 by 16 feet, a parlour, with store closets attached, a dining room, bed room, a butler's sleeping room, pantry and kitchen. The second floor consists of 6 large bed rooms, a dressing room, store room and water closet; and over these are three attics for servants, &c. In the out offices are a scullery, attached to the kitchen, a store room, hay loft, stable, coach, pig and hen houses &c.

The garden is of excellent soil, and is well stocked with fruit trees, now in full bearing.

The premises have been fitted up with every attention to the comfort of a large family, and are now only to be sold on account of the proprietor being about to leave the island.

The property took several years to sell as it was advertised for sale again in 1839 and advertisements for the contents of the house appeared in February 1840. The delay in selling the property may substantiate the view that George later related to family members that he returned to the United Kingdom as he believed there was no future in the colony.

The death of Jean and George's eldest son, fifteen year old George Downie Mackillop, in Hobart two months before the property was first put on the market may also been a consideration on the family's decision to leave the colony.

Initially the family returned to their home in Edinburgh, Scotland where their names are recorded on the 1841 Scottish census. The 1851 English census has the family living in Bath at 26 Grosvenor Place. The townhouse comprised of three storeys plus a cellar and would have had facilities for a carriage at the rear of the property. The census showed that the family employed a cook, parlour maid and a hand-maid. Georgina was the only child living with their parents when the census was taken.

In the mid 1850s Jean and George were looking after three of the children of their daughter, Eleanora Hutton, who was in India with her husband who was serving in the East India Company Army. It was normal procedure for British families India to send the children back to England to be cared for and educated.  In October 1855 Jean wrote a letter to Eleanora providing information about the children - George who was five and who had stared his lessons that morning, Jeannie who was almost four and who had a 'fancy occasionally for doing what she is told not to do' and Baby (Eleanora) who was one and was teething. The letter mentions Nurse who looks after the children and who had sewn new dresses for the two girls. Jean and George had recently returned from visiting Paris for eleven days and Jean commented that 'I think the change and rest from household affairs has as usual done me good'. While they were away Bessie came and helped to look after the children. The letter also provides an insight into the social niceties of the time as Jean also described a 'wedding visit' that she and George made to newly married couple.

In 1857 Jean and George received the news that their son, John Robert Mackillop, had been killed during the Siege of Cawnpore during the Indian Mutiny. He was working in the Bengal India Civil Service and was Joint Magistrate of Cawnpore at the time of the siege.

Jean Eleanora Mackillop died at Bath on 5 August 1859. She was 59.

Jean Eleanora Mackillop was my (x3) great grandmother.

52 Ancestors #29 George Mackillop

George Mackillop was born in Stirlingshire, Scotland in 1790. His father was John Mackillop, a farmer, possibly a sheep farmer, at St Ninians, south of Stirling in Scotland. In 1781 John married Mary Downie, the daughter of Robert Downie 1735-1805, a farmer and a distiller. In 1786 James, the eldest son of John and Mary Mackillop, was born.

In1807 George had completed his matriculation for the Glasgow University. It is unlikely that he actually attended the university as his name is not included in the list of graduates to 1911.

We do know that George went to India to join his brother, James, who was working with their uncle, Robert Downie, at the firm, Downie, Cruttenden and Company. When Robert Downie left India in 1811 the name of the firm changed to Cruttenden and Mackillop and Company with the two brothers taking over the role of their uncle in the company. Both men proceeded to make money as merchants buying and selling goods between India and England. Looking at newspaper advertisements the Mackillop name appears in the name of a number of companies over the years.

On 8 January 1820 George Mackillop married Jean Eleanora Hutton (1800-1859) at St John’s Church, Calcutta, Bengal, India.

Their first three sons were born in Calcutta - George Downie Mackillop on 21 October 1821, Charles William born in 1824 and John Robert Mackillop born 1 November 1826.

The family returned to Scotland. The next two children were born in Edinburgh - Eleanora Mackillop born 11 December 1830 and James Mackillop born 17 September 1832. At this time the family was living at 11 Ainslie Place in Edinburgh.
George then decided to take his family to Van Diemen’s Land via India where no doubt he would have checked his investments. They left Scotland at the end of 1832 or early 1833. Unfortunately while they were in Calcutta ten month old James died and was buried at the South Park Burial Ground.

The family probably settled in Hobart in 1834 where Mary Rose Mackillop was born on 8 July 1834 and Georgina was born on 5 April 1837.

On 22 January 1835 George Mackillop arrived in Sydney on the brig, Siren, to travel to Monaro where, accompanied by James MacFarlane and Thomas Livingstone plus some other men, they made their way into Victoria, crossed the Snowy River and explored country a few miles south of Lake Omeo. He named the area Strathdownie. George and his party were the first Europeans to explore this area of Victoria. The reason for the expedition was to locate grazing land for sheep and cattle which they planned to bring across from Van Diemen’s Land. Many years later George Hutton wrote the following account of his grandfather’s adventures.

George Mackillop led the expedition into East Gippsland that discovered Lake Omeo. Strictly speaking he did not lead the expedition (I doubt he being much of a bushman). I fancy a man named MacFarlane did that, but I have no doubt he found the money for the enterprise. Returning to N.S.W. after finding Lake Omeo, the party missed the water. It was a very hot day and all were very thirsty. Mackillop especially, so he sucked pebbles and at last sat down on a log unable to go any further telling the rest of the party to go on and leave him. Two of the convict servants however stuck to him and at last persuaded him to take a few puffs from a pipe (Mackillop was not a smoker) which put some moisture in his mouth and he was then able to go on and join the rest of the party. Mackillop had never smoked until this time but from then on became a heavy smoker, so much so that a doctor he consulted when he was 70 years of age told him he had knocked ten years off his life. He died when 74.

George returned to Hobart from Sydney in April. He continued to live with his family in Hobart for the next few years though he was actively involved in the early settlement of Victoria. He joined Mr Dobson’s Port Phillip Company with the plan to acquire land in the new settlement.  In May 1836 he arranged for 750 sheep to be taken to Port Phillip aboard Captain Tregurtha’s brig, Henty.  The ship ran into mudflats in Port Phillip Bay but eventually arrived at Hobson’s Bay, Williamstown and on the 20 May the sheep were safely landed. In August 1836 Captain Tregurtha took a party, including George Mackillop, aboard a small boat exploring the Barwon River near Geelong.

George Mackillop purchased a number of properties often in partnership with James Smith. A survey of dwellings, stock and cultivation at Port Phillip taken on 9 November 1836 listed a property, belonging to George Mackillop and James Smith, on the east bank of the Salt Water River, seven miles from Captain Lonsdale’s headquarters. The residence consisted of a tent and there were 2240 sheep and one horse on the property. There were five men on the property.George had also been a member of a party exploring land near Geelong.

In 1839 George Mackillop and James Smith established the property Strathdownie in south west Victoria near Mt Noorat. The property was later renamed Glenormiston when they sold it the following year. George may also have had a property in the Omeo region. Macfarlane and Livingstone certainly established properties in this area.

In 8 January 1847, after George and his family had returned to England, properties owned by George Mackillop were auctioned. An advertisement in The Argus 8 January 1847 described the land for sale. This included a property on the Merri Creek consisting of 146 acres, ‘a very substantial stone built and elegant house on the cottage style with verandah, and commanding an extensive view of the surrounding country’, a three stall stable and a coach house. Three parcels of land in St Kilda were also for sale. One consisted of three acres of cleared land with a three rail fence, the second had a 60 foot frontage on to Promenade Street fronting on to the bay and leading on to Ackland Street while the third had one hundred foot frontage on to Ackland Street. These parcels of land had been purchased on 6 September 1842 after George had left the colony so he was still looking out for investment opportunities in Port Phillip when he was in England. Land purchased in Collins Street, Melbourne was also for sale. As well as buying and selling property George was also selling stock and merchandise.

On 23 November 1836 George’s eldest son, George Downie Mackillop, died and was buried at St David’s Church Cemetery in Hobart.

Issues of the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture published in Edinburgh in June 1839 and March 1840 contained two articles by George Mackillop from Hobart Town providing British readers with his views on the new colony. One article was entitled ‘On Australia’ while the second had the title, ‘On Port Phillip in Australia’.

26 Grosvenor Place, Bath

George first put advertisements in the newspapers for the sale of his Hobart house in 1837 but it was several years before he sold the property. George and his family returned to Scotland in the early1840s. They then moved to Bath in England where they lived in a townhouse at 26 Grosvenor Place. Although George and his family returned to the United Kingdom to live, some years later two of his daughters, with their husbands, made their homes in Australia.

George Mackillop died at Torquay in Devon on 10 July 1865. He was 75.

George Mackillop was my great (x3) grandfather.

George Mackillop Notes continued

George Mackillop 22 Jan 1835 reached and now known as Omeo
Mr George McKillop arrived March 1836, on 9 Nov 1836 has 2240 sheep, 1 horse, in partnership with Mr James Smith
Mr McKillop in Jan 1839 employed Bridget Carthy aged 15, Children's maid, who came on the Westminster

George McKillop, one of 469 voters who qualified by Freehold in Barabool Hills Geelong Electors List District of Bourke. Source - Melbourne Courier 8 Aug 1845
George McKillop Owned Property Barrabool Hills Geelong - Freehold Property

The above are from the website - Victoria before 1848 - http://www.oocities.org/vic1847/mc/mc16.html

Massacre on a property Gleorminston owned by George Mackillop and James Smith. The manager of the property - Frederick Taylor - who was responsible for the raids was also involved in a massacre at Barrabool Hills.

'A Djargurd wurrung clan that particularly suffered during the late 1830s was the Tarnbeere gundidj. This clan's name literally means belonging to Tarnbeere, or flowing water, a reference to nearby Mount Emu Creek. This clan was effectively exterminated in a massacre in early 1839 by a group of Europeans led by Frederick Taylor, the manager at George McKillop and James Smith's station at Glenorminston, adjoining Lake Terang. Glenorminston was also known as Weeraweeroit, after the Aboriginal name for the camping place and waterhole on the rivulet near the home station. Before his involvement in this massacre, Taylor had earned some notoriety through his involvement in the murder of a Watha wurrung Aborigine in October 1836. At that time, John Whitehead, a convict shepherd working for Taylor murdered Woolmudgin, the clan head of the Watha wurrung balug clan based in the Barrabool Hills near Geelong, apparently with Taylor's encouragement.'

From a chapter written by Ian D Clark, Scars in the landscape.Djargund Wurrung pages 103-119. 
 

Information on the history of the Barrabool Hills is provided at Barrabool Hills heritage listing

'Many of the European settlers who came to Victoria in the 1830s entered via the Port of Geelong, and the Barrabool Hills, visible from the port area, were regarded as potentially valuable pastoral country. As a result most of the area was selected for squatting runs by the late 1830s, and then surveyed in the 1840s for some of the earliest land sales in Victoria (Appendix 1G: Three parish maps). Ownership of the land encouraged the development of longer term crops such as vineyards: the area was the main source of wine grapes in Victoria until the industry was wiped out by Phylloxera in the 1880s.'

George Mackillop - Notes

January 22 (1835) George Mackillop, of Hobart Town, arrived in Sydney in the brig Siren and sailed for Hobart Town in April. He went first to the district known as the Cowpastures, Nepean River and then to the Maneroo country. From there, accompanied by a party, two of whom were James MacFarlane and Thomas Livingstone, he made his way a few miles to the south of Lake Omeo, and gave the name Strath Downie to the locality he reached and now known as Omeo.

Jardine Matheson Archive at Cambridge University Library contains correspondence from Robert Taylor and James Matheson to a variety of people including George Mackillop and the company Cruttenden, Mackillop & Co., Calcutta
http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/db/node.xsp?id=EAD%2FGBR%2F0012%2FMS%20JM%2FC1

NSW Colonial Secretary Index 1788-1825
http://colsec.records.nsw.gov.au/

SUTHERLAND, James Charles Colebrook. Of the firm Alexander and Co, Calcutta
1822 Nov 19; 1823 Apr 25	Re opinion sought by Crittenden, Mackillop & Company of Calcutta, as to rate of exchange applying to a bill of exchange drawn by Frederick Goulburn on the Governor General of India, the subject of a Declaration & Protest by George Mackillop of that firm (Reel 6063; 4/1785 pp.18, 20)

MACKILLOP, G. Of Calcutta
1823 Feb 26	Re importations of wool and spirits (Reel 6056; 4/1764 pp.24-24a)

A break through
During my regular Google search for additional material about George Mackillop I located the British website - History of Parliament - which contained information about James Mackillop, George's brother who was a member of parliament for two years. - http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/member/mackillop-james-1786-1870.
This website provided information that I had been searching for for many years - information about the parents of James and George.

Their father, John Mackillop, was a farmer at St Ninians. The Gazetteer for Scotland entry for St Ninians - http://www.scottish-places.info/towns/townhistory836.html - mentions that the area is involved in the woollen industry so he was probably a sheep farmer.

In 1781 John married Mary Downie, the daughter of Robert Downie 1735-1805. Robert was a farmer and a distiller. He married Margaret Morison (Morrison) in 1758 and they had a number of children including George (1762 - 1808) and Robert (1771-1841). Mary's brothers, Robert and George both went to India - George served in the East India Company army while Robert became a merchant initially working with Daniel Maitland but eventually at the company Downie, Cruttenden and Company. When he left India in 1811 the company became Cruttenden and Mackillop and Company with his two nephews taking over his role.  Robert Downie also became a member of parliament and much of the above information can be found on his page on the History of Parliament website -  http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/member/downie-robert-1771-1841.

The above information not only allocates parents to George and James but also explains how they became involved in India as merchants through family connections.

Mention in the last online resource was also made of Robert Downie's uncle, John Downie of Authentie, which led to information about his son Sir John Downie (1777-1826) who served in the British Army in the West Indies and in the Peninsular Wars in Spain fought against the French.

Quarterly Journal of Agriculture articles

Two articles by George Mackillop were published in the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture volume 10 June 1839 – March1840 published in Edinburgh.

I have previously found excerpts of these articles but have now found digitised copiesof the complete articles in Google Books so it is now possible to read about his views of the colony. 

On Australia – George Mackillop of Hobart Town – p354 – p362 (November 1839)

On Port Phillip in Australia – George Mackillop of Hobart Town – p208 – p232 (September 1839)

Digitised copies of the above two articles in Google Books.

Another article is in volume 7.

Quarterly Journal of Agriculture volume 7 June 1836
Australian Colonies - George Mackillop of Hobart Town - p156 - p169  

Digitised in Google Books

Houses of George Mackillop in the UK

When George Mackillop and his family returned to England in the early 1840s they moved into no. 26 Grosvenor Place, Bath.

View from centre of terrace towards 26

Grosvenor Place, also known as Grosvenor House, is a terrace consisting of Georgian 42 houses built in 1790 and designed by the architect John Eveleigh. It has been a Grade I listed building since 1950. No 23 is the central house in the terrace and once was the Grosvenor Hotel. George and his family lived at no. 26. Each house has three stories plus a basement.

View of the back of the terrace - now separate apartments

See Images of England for additional information about the terraces.

For 60 years (2011) no. 26 has been a doctor's surgery - Grosvenor Place Surgery.

 Before moving to Australia Geoge Mackillop lived at 11 Ainslie Place in Scotland.

Anslie Place was built in what was known as the New Town in Edinburgh. It was designed by James Gillespie Graham in the 1820s. The two curved terraces have space for a small public garden in the centre. Each of the houses in the terrace had three stories and a basement. Attics were later added to some of the houses.

The Royal Institute of British Architects website had additional information on Anslie Place, Edinburgh, but the link appears to have disappeared.

Sketches relating to a site report for no. 11 are on the  Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland website.