Duncan (McKellar) Mackellar (1795 - 1850)

Born 4 Dec 1795 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Died 29 Jun 1850 at age 54 in Sulkeah, Bengal, India

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Neil Stewart [send private message]

Biography

Duncan (McKellar) Mackellar was born in the Colony of New South Wales (1788-1900)

Birth

Duncan Mackellar was born on 4 Dec 1795 and was baptized on 7 Oct 1796 in Sydney, New South Wales^[1][2]. He was the son of Neil Mackellar (1769—1802), an ensign of the New South Wales Corps and his partner, Sarah Cooley a convict^[3]. In 1800 his father reached the rank of Captain and became secretary and aide-de-camp to Governor Philip Gidley King^[4]. Neil Mackellar is mentioned frequently in the NSW Colonial Secretary's papers.

Naval career

Duncan, aged 13 years, entered the Royal Navy, 1 June, 1808, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Porpoise store-ship at New South Wales. He served in the Royal Navy throughout the Napoleonic wars, with no seeming absences from duty. He returned to England at the close of 1810, and became Midshipman of the Guadeloupe. In 1811 he took part, in action engaging the French off the town of Vendre, with the French corvette Tactique and the armed xebec Guêpe. In December 1811 he joined the frigate Perlen. He returned to England, in April 1812 and was attached to the Magnificent and saw action on the north coast of Spain. In August 1815 he joined on the West India station the Salisbury commanded by Capt. John Mackellar (later Admiral, and cousin of his father, Neil MacKellar). On 10 May, 1816, he obtained a Lieutenancy in the Variable. He returned home to England in August 1816, and was placed on half-pay and was granted a pension.^[5]

Marriage and Children

It is conjectured that he married a woman named Elizabeth around 1817, probably around St Pancras parish in the centre of London. No record of this marriage has been found.

Duncan and Elizabeth had two children both baptized on 24 Sep 1820 in the the Church of England St Pancras Old Church^[6] in the current day Burrough of Camden, London:

1. Duncan Elmhurst Mackellar, born 27 Sep 1817 "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQB7-XBM : 5 February 2023), Duncan Elmherst Mackellar, 1820.
2. Elizabeth Isabelle Mackellar, born 15 Jul 1819 "England, Middlesex Parish Registers, 1539-1988", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6ZSL-D77T : 11 July 2022), Elizabeth Isabelle Mackellar, 1820.

His son Duncan Elmhirst Mackellar married Harriett Emma Cullen Martindell on 14 May 1846 in Calcutta^[7]. They had two children, both of whom were born in greater Calcutta:

1. Harriett Lillie Penrose Mackellar, born 17 Nov 1846, baptized 16 May 1847 in Fort William, Bengal by H.S. Fisher, the senior Presbyterian chaplain^[8].
2. Duncan Collie Mackellar was born 23 Jun 1848, and baptized in St John's Church Calcutta on 29 Oct 1848^[9]. His father was described as a Mariner residing in Calcutta. He died and was buried on 1 Aug 1849 in Patna, Bengal^[10]

It is possible that Duncan was living near his son, Duncan Elmhirst, and his grandchildren, in the Calcutta area around the time of his death.

Death

Duncan died in Sulkeah, on the right bank of the Hooghly River, opposite Calcutta on 29 Jun 1850^[11]. Notices appeared in the Naval deaths lists in at least two UK papers^[12][13][14]. There were a number of substantial docks in Sulkeah, effectively a suburb of Calcutta by 1850, it was the site of the Botanical Gardens established in 1787^[15][16]. .

Duncan was buried on 30 Jun 1850 in the Old Cemetery of St Thomas' Church Howrah, in the Archdeaconry and Diocese of Calcutta^[17]. The register records his age as 64 years, 6 months and 24 days, making his date of birth 4 Dec 1795, it further records that he was a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. Many maritime related burials took place at Howrah, where St Thomas' Church and Cemetery were established in 1833, image here^[18].

Duncan wrote a will dated 19 Jun 1850 which was sworn and administered in Calcutta on 3 Dec 1850^[19]. In it he gave all his property and effects in Calcutta to his son Duncan Elmhirst Mackellar and also "those two farms situate near Windsor in New South Wales called Argyle farm and Mackellar farm and also the whole of the farm called Duncan farm with all and singular the land thereto appertaining and all Messuages thereon erected with their respective rights members and appurtances with the exception of the arrears of rent due in respect thereof" to his son Duncan Elmhirst. The rent from the farms he gave to his daughter Elizabeth Isabella Alsop residing in Genoa, and he desired that the arrears due to him to be collected and sent to his daughter by Mr Lewis "my brother in law who is at present in charge of the said farms". (This would have been Richard Lewis (1789–1867), Government Auctioneer in Van Diemen's Land and one of the original proprietors of the Bank of Van Diemen's Land, who married Duncan's sister Isabella in 1816^[20].

He gave to his wife, styled "my Elizabeth Mackellar" his silver and plated breakfast set then in the possession of Mr Charles Halstead in Camden town in the county of Middlesex, and upon her death to his daughter.

He gave what was due to him at the time of his death from his agents in London "whose names I do not remember unto my grandson (the eldest son of my said eldest daughter by her present husband) for his sole use and benefit provided the money due to me from my said agents does not exceed the sum of twenty pounds". The remaining monies due to him from his London agents he gave to his wife. The remainder of his estate he gave to his daughter. He appointed his son Duncan Elmhirst his sole executor. .

Research Notes

This man should not be confused with Duncan Mackellar 1796-1838, a Scottish settler from Argyllshire who took up land grants in the 1820s in the Colony of NSW.

St Thomas' Church register records Duncan's death and burial as 1849. This is a transcription error. Beneath the entry for Duncan, the Officiating Minister recorded that the returns were made "between 1st day of April and 30th day of June in the year of our Lord, 1850". All other document sighted for Duncan's death state 1850.

Duncan's gravestone is recorded in List of graves in the Old Cemetery closed at Howrah 1915, (which were declared in 1915 to be "in a ruinous condition", presumably partially illegible) as "Millar, Duncan 29th June 1850, Lieutenant, R.N."^[21]

Sources

1. ↑ Australia Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTC1-6X2 : 28 January 2020), Duncan McKellar, 1795, parents: Neil McKellar, Sarah Comley (sic), registered in Sydney district
2. ↑ "Australia Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTCR-PFQ : 28 January 2020), Duncan McKellar Cooley, 1796, registered in Hawkesbury district
3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Duncan Mackellar, Junior," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duncan_Mackellar,_Junior&oldid=1129114832 (accessed April 24, 2023) Wikidata: Item Q111017681
4. ↑ Austin, M. "MacKellar, Neil (1769–1802)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, available online published first in hardcopy 1967, accessed online 25 April 2023
5. ↑ O'Byrne, William R. A Naval Biographical Dictionary: : comprising the life and services of every living officer in Her Majesty's navy, from the rank of admiral of the fleet to that of lieutenant, inclusive. London: J. Murray, 1849. citing Duncan Mackellar (Lieut., 1816) p. 699 online at Internet archive (accessed 26 Apr 2023)
6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "St Pancras Old Church," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=St_Pancras_Old_Church Wikidata: Item Q3495349
7. ↑ "India Marriages, 1792-1948 ", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGV1-T2G : 5 February 2020), Duncan Elmhirst Mackellar, 1846
8. ↑ "United Kingdom, British India Office, Births and Baptisms, 1712-1965", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6VYM-SQRM : 20 January 2023), Harriett Lillie Penrose Mackellar, 1847
9. ↑ "United Kingdom, British India Office, Births and Baptisms, 1712-1965", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6VY9-48F1 : 20 January 2023), Duncan Collie Mackellar, 1848.
10. ↑ "India Deaths and Burials, 1719-1948", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGLK-FWB : 5 February 2020), Duncan Collie Mackellar, 1849
11. ↑ Allens Indian Mail 3 Sep 1850 index entry citing Mackellar, Lieut. Duncan., R.N., at Sulkeah, aged 54, June 29. (accessed 23 Apr 2023)
12. ↑ The Standard (London, England) Tuesday, Oct. 1, 1850, Issue 8155, p. 1 (accessed 23 Apr 2023)
13. ↑ Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh, Scotland). Thursday, Oct. 3, 1850, Issue 20029 Naval Intelligence
14. ↑ "India Deaths and Burials, 1719-1948", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGLL-SMZ : 5 February 2020), Duncan Mackellar, 1849
15. ↑ Notes on the right bank of the Hooghly, article VII in Calcutta review vol. IV, Jul-Dec 1845 p. 476-520 online Internet archive (accessed 27 Apr 2023)
16. ↑ O'Malley, LSS (Lewis Sydney Steward), Chakravarti, Monmohan. Howrah. Calcutta : Bengal Secretariat Book Depôt, 1909. p. 107 online Internet Archive (accessed 24 Apr 2023)
17. ↑ Findmypast.com British India Office Deaths and Burials database with images (https://www.findmypast.com/) citing Duncan Mackellar, died 29 Jun 1849 (sic), buried 30 Jun 1849 (sic), age: 64 years, 6 months & 24 days, St Thomas' Church Howrah online transcript (requires subscription) (accessed 29 Apr 2023)
18. ↑ The Families In British India Society (FIBIS) (website) online (accessed 30 Apr 2023)
19. ↑ Board of Control for the Affairs of India. Wills and administrations. database with images (https://www.findmypast.com) in British India Office Wills & Probate record set, citing Duncan Machellar, 1850, death date 29 Jun 1850, Archive ref. L-AG-34-29-82, page 253 (accessed 1 May 2023)
20. ↑ Hubert C. Lewis, 'Lewis, Richard (1789–1867)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lewis-richard-2356/text3083, published first in hardcopy 1967, accessed online 1 May 2023
21. ↑ Gazette of India Part II (Calcutta) Apr 17, 1915, p. 776 online Internet Archive (accessed 30 Apr 2023)