Edward McMillan (1863 - 1912)

Born 20 Sep 1863 in Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland

Ancestors

Died 12 Jun 1912 at age 48 in Waikaki River, New Zealand

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Biography

Edward McMillan was born in Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland, on the 20 Sept 1863. He is the son of Angus McMillan and his first wife Marion McGeachy. He was the 5th and last child of his parents, so he had 4 older siblings, his only brother Allan McMillan.

February 14, 1910: Edward appeared in the Warden's Court and was granted ownership of 20 acres at Tuckers Gully, Upper Nevis, Southland, New Zealand. ^[1]

May 31, 1910: Edward McMillan and John McLeod made application under the Mining Act of 1908. to the Warden of the Otago Mining District at Waikaia to build a Water-race. ^[2]

Death

June 12, 1912: Edward drowned, UNDER MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES, in the Waikaia River, Southland, New Zealand. He was living in the Upper Nevis Valley, in Southland, New Zealand, and 10 days before he died, came to Waikaia, to look at certain mining speculations. On the night before he died, he visited a friend, leaving about 10.00 pm to return to his Hotel. But in the morning there was no trace of him, his body was eventually found in the river. Suicide was ruled out, as he was in good circumstances at the time. The river is some distance from the Hotel. ^[3] An inquest ruled that he had drowned, but the cause of his drowning remains a mystery to this day. ^{[4] [5]}

There is a memorial to him is on his parents Headstone in Kilkerran Cemetery, Campbelltown, Argyll & Bute, Scotland. It states he 'accidently drowned', but did he? He was supposed to be going back to his Hotel some distance from the River. Why was he in the River? How did he get there? This may have been an unsolved murder. ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Wardens Court; Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand, Newspaper Archive, Cromwell Argus, 14 February 1910, Page 5, (accessed 30 July 2023) Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence.
2. ↑ PUBLIC NOTICES; Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand, Newspaper Archive, Mataura Ensign, 31 May 1910, Page 1, (accessed 30 July 2023) Out of Copyright.
3. ↑ DROWNING FATALITY; Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand, Newspaper Archive, Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 150, 25 June 1912, Page 7, (accessed 30 July 2023) Out of Copyright.
4. ↑ ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES; Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand, Newspaper Archive, Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13454, 27 June 1912, Page 6, (accessed 30 July 2023) Out of Copyright.
5. ↑ Death Registration: New Zealand Births, Deaths and Marriages - Online Registration: 1912/5392; Name: Edward McMillan; Age at Death: 48Y; (accessed 30 Jul 2023); citing New Zealand Crown, © The Department of Internal Affairs.
6. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 04 April 2020), memorial page for Marion McGeachy McMillan (1825–14 Apr 1865), Find a Grave Memorial no. 179682405, citing Kilkerran Cemetery, Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute, Scotland; Maintained by Pixturmn (contributor 47729036) .

• "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYY2-3BP : 12 February 2020), Edward McMillan, 1863.