Andrew and Elizabeth McDougall
| Town/City | Mandurama |
|---|---|
| First name | Andrew and Elizabeth |
| Last name | McDougall |
| Country of Origin | Scotland |
| Date of Birth | 9Jun1759 and 17Dec1761 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 18May1798 |
| Submitted by | Dorelle Grenfell |
Story
Andrew McDougall and Family
Andrew was born in Roxburgh, Scotland on the 9th June 1759 to Thomas McDougall(1736-1792) and Elizabeth Taylor (1743-1816)
Andrew was a chairmaker by trade, and was chosen by Lt. Governor Philip Gidley King to migrate to the colony of NSW with John Smith and John Bowman and their families to build corn mills. They boarded the ‘Barwell’ on Tuesday, 12th Sept, 1797 at Long Beach on the River Thames under John Cameron, and arrived at Port Jackson on Friday 18th May, 1798.
Andrew was accompanied by his wife, Elizabeth Wood, a Scot born at Coldstream on the 17th Dec. 1761, and five children; Thomas (b. 15Mar. 1788), John Kerr (b.24 Sep.1790), Andrew (b. 19 May 1793), James Taylor (b.23 Aug. 1795) and Elizabeth Maria (Mary/Betsy) (b. 4 Jun. 1797). By the time they arrived she would have spent more time at sea than on land. They were some of the very first free settlers. John Bowman also brought his wife and three children.
Andrew and his family settled first at a place known as ‘The Branch’ on the Hawkesbury River. On the 8th Oct. 1799, Andrew received a grant of one acre in Parramatta and on 12th Nov. a further grant of 150 acres at Toongabbie. This property he called Baulkham Hills, or to be more correct the locality was called B.H. Andrew called his estate ‘Roxburgh Place’ and his dwelling house ‘Roxburgh Hall’and this became the family seat.
He took up farming, growing wheat and maize, raising sheep, goats and hogs. He also planted an orchard. He later settled on the Hunter River, with land grants for his five sons (a fifth son Alexander Waugh having been born in Parramatta on 23 Apr. 1800.)
Andrew died aged 64 on the 20 Mar. 1824 at ‘Roxburgh Place’. Elizabeth predeceased him aged 55 on the 27 Oct. 1817, again at ‘Roxburgh Place’. They were both interred at the family tomb at the St. Johns Parramatta Cemetery.
Of the children, Thomas settled on his grant of 900 acres near Maitland, which he called ‘Lorn’, and remained unmarried.
John Kerr married Louisa Doyle on 3 sept. 1818, he year after his mother\’s death, and settled on his 900 acres at Mt Thorley in 1823.
Andrew married Sophie Isabella Doyle on 25 Feb. 1825. They had ten children. Andrew was granted 100 acres at Castle Hill in 1818, and a further 900 acres at Patrick\’s Plains 1823, which he named ‘Kelso Place’, 100 acres on Colo River which he named “Teviotdale”, 180 acres at West Maitland which he named “Mackerston” which he sold in 1842. In 1833-4, he and his brothers took up 14,400 acres at Liverpool Plains which they called “Pialaway” and stocked it with cattle. It was sold in 1858-9 after Andrew suffered great losses from a lawsuit instigated against John Eales for trespass, in spite of an award in his favour of damages of 350 pounds. In 1839 he purchased 1,430 acres at Singleton which he named “Dunavorton”. He died in 1880 at “Kelso Place” and Sophie died in 1888, both having reached a successful, respectable old age.
James Taylor married Elizabeth Bowden in Parramatta in 1831, and settled on his grant of 900 acres ‘Dunolly’ near Singleton.
Elizabeth married Cyrus Matthew Doyle at Parramatta n 1828.
Alexander, the only child born in Australia, married Mary Jane Fitz in 1831 at Windsor, and settled on his 900 acre grant at Gowrie, west of Singleton, being described as a Yoeman Farmer.