Donald Bruce (1834 - 1917)

Born 13 Feb 1834 in Dunnet, Caithness, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Sinclair (Meiklejohn) Bruce — married 24 Jun 1855 in Edinburgh, Scotland

Descendants

Died 3 Jan 1917 at age 82 in Auckland, New Zealand

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Biography

Donald was born in 1834. His mother's name was Mary Dehaney or Diana (nee Manson), and his father was Donald Bruce.

Donald married Sinclair Meiklejohn on 24 June 1855.^[1] Sinclair was the daughter of Donald Meiklejohn. The following year their daughter Margaret was born.

Donald and his wife emigrated from Scotland to Australia (Marco Polo leaving Liverpool 6th June 1857) and then to New Zealand (some years later). They also had a child (son William James Robertson Bruce) in Victoria, Australia in 1863.

He enlisted in the NZ military in Otago 11 Jan 1863, (BRUCE Donald, No. 730) Dunedin, born Scotland, aged 29 years, 5 ft half inch tall. He served in the 3rd Waikato Regiment. Donald didn't receive his New Zealand medal for military service until July 1900. It is likely that he received 50 acres of land at Waerenga in compensation for his service in the military.^[2]. In the 1881 census and later he is re order as residing on 160 acres at Waerenga.

He passed away in 1917. Donald was buried at Waerenga Cemetery.

Sources

1. ↑ "Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910", , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYMJ-ZWY : 11 February 2020), Sinclair Meiklejohn in entry for Donald Bruce, 1855.
2. ↑ Peter D.H. Allen Thesis at University of Waikato 1969

• 1841 Scotland Census - Parish: Wick; ED: 2A; Page: 6; Line: 1030; Year: 1841. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1841 Scotland Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Name: Donald Bruce; Age: 6; Estimated Birth Year: abt 1835; Gender: Male; Where born: Caithness, Scotland; Civil Parish: Wick; County: Caithness; Address: Riess Vil. Parish Number: 43
• 1851 Scotland Census - Parish: Wick; ED: 10; Page: 15; Line: 5; Roll: CSSCT1851_8; Year: 1851. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1851 Scotland Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Name: Donald Bruce; Age: 17; Estimated Birth Year: abt 1834; Relationship: Son; Father: Donald Bruce; Mother: Mary Bruce; Gender: Male; Where born: Dunnet, caithness; Parish Number: 37A; Civil Parish: Wick
• Scotland Select Marriages - Ancestry.com. Scotland, Select Marriages, 1561-1910 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Name: Donald Bruce; Gender: Male; Marriage Date: 24 Jun 1855; Marriage Place: Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland; Spouse: Sinclair Meiklejohn; FHL Film Number: 993528
• Scotland Select Births and Baptisms - Ancestry.com. Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Donald Bruce in record for daughter. Name: Donald Bruce; Gender: Male; Spouse: Sinclair Meiklejohn; Child: Margaret Bruce. Year: 1856
• Emigration to Australia https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPH8-T92V
• Australia Birth Index - Donald Bruce in entry for birth of son. Ancestry.com. Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Name: Donald Bruce; Child: Wm James Robertson Bruce; Registration Number: 19662
• New Zealand Death Index - Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Death Index, 1848-1966 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Name: Donald Bruce;Death Date: Jan-Feb-Mar 1917; Registration Place: Rangiriri, Auckland, New Zealand; Folio Number: 207
• New Zealand Cemetery Records - Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Cemetery Records, 1800-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Name: Donald Bruce; Birth Date: abt 1835; Death Age: 82; Death Date: 3 Jan 1917; Burial Place: Waikato, New Zealand; Cemetery: Waerenga; Spouse Name: Sinclair Bruce; Spouse Death Age: 84; Spouse Death Date: 30 Nov 1917
• Find-a-Grave Index - Name: Donald Bruce; Death Date: 3 Jan 1917; Cemetery: Waerenga Cemetery; Burial or Cremation Place: Hamilton, Hamilton City, Waikato, New Zealand; Has Bio?: N; Spouse: Sinclair Bruce; Children: Jessie Christina Bruce , Daniel Bruce. Find A Grave: Memorial #106821420
• Military Nominal Descriptive Roll of 1st, 2nd. 3rd and 4th Waikato C.D. Whangarei Public Library.
• Emigration to Australia Source:Australia, Inwards Unassisted Passengers to Victoria, 1852-1923 MyHeritage.com [online database], MyHeritage Ltd.

https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10858/australia-inwards-unassisted-passengers-to-victoria-1852-1923 Record: https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10858-205360/donald-bruce-in-australia-inwards-unassisted-passengers-to-victoria Donald Bruce Country: Australia; State: Victoria

• Emigration from Australia to New Zealand https://www.prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/explore-topic/passenger-records-and-immigration