OBITUARY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 67, 12 December 1907, Page 9

OBITUARY.

MR. ALOYSIUS MACDONALD. Mr. Aloysius Mac Donald, manager of the Ban!: of New South Wales in Wellington, who had boon in a serious state of health for somo weeks past, died at his residence, Thorndon, at 1 a.m. yostorday. Ho had long boon propared for death, and ha I arranged all his affairs in anticipation thereof, over down to tho funeral, which is to bp of a uniquo character. Tho burial will bo in tho old Highland fashion, which provides that thu cortcgo is to bo accompanied by yipors playing laments, and tho coffin draped m tho plaid of tho Mac Donald tartan. There will bo no flowors.

Mr. Mac Donald, who was born in Scotland in 18*16, was tho only son of tho late Archibald Mac Donald, of Kyneton, Victoria, who (born in 1802), was a groat grandson of Alexander VI, chief of tho Koppoch Mac Donalds, who was killed 011 ill-fated Culloden Moor, when loading into battle all tho MacDonalds who had espoused Prince Charlie's causo. yVt the early ago of eight years tho decoasod was sent Homo to be educate'l, at first to Mount St. Mary's Collogc, Eckingtan, noar Chesterfield, and a year later to (J sham College, noar Durham, whero ho remained for eight years. Soon aftor his arrival in Australia 110 entered tho service! of tho Colonial, Bank of Australasia at its Kyn-son branch in' March, 1864. In 1873 ho was appointed manager of tho Nayambio brancli in the Goulburn Valley. At tho end of tho following year 110 left the Colonial Bank and entered the Bank of Now South Wales. In 1875 ho opened a branch of that bank at Oxley, in the Ovens district of Victoria, from which he was transferred in 1877 to tho management (ifrtho St. Arnaud brancli. In 1882 lie became manager at Kyneton (Victoria), and four years later ho was promoted to bo manager at Adelaide. In 1897 Mr. MacDonald was moved to hoadquarters (Sydney), and two years Inter was appointed to be manager of the bank's rapidly-growing business at Wellington. . 'The decoasod was a firm adherent to tho, old faith of the MacDopalds, tho Roman Catholic Church, and was revered for his Christian uprightness, his kind-heartedness, and his modest but dignified demeanour. Mr. Mac Donald leaves a widow and fivo sons —the llov. A. A. Mac Donald, of Mossmans, Sydney (who is now in Wellington), and' Messrs. Ronald, John, Colin, and Aloysius Mac Donald. Mr. Colin Mac Donald is on tho staff of tho Bank of Now South Wales. Doceased also loaves two sisters — Mrs. Dr. M'Killop, of Goulburn, Now South Walos, and.Sister do Sales, of tho Convent of Mercy, Melbourno., ■' (By a Correspondent.) Tho death of Mr. Aloysius McDonald, representing in tho inalo line the Mac-Donalds of Koppocli, an illustrious branch of tho race of Somorled, awakens cohoes of a period of Scottish history, when tho western olans, as history knows them, wore cradled 111 the fierce wars that ragcil between tho invading Norwegians and tho Gaols, who had settled on tho wost of Scotland. From theso wars and tho inter-marriages of tho Viking i.anqucrors of tho Islos and the-Gaols of Scotland aro:!o tho founders of tho western clans. Some of tho olans, such as Lowes, wore, indeed, pure Norse in origin. Tho Irish genealogies and tho Black Book and Clan Ranald trace Somorlod to tho ancient Irish kings, but whether through tho malo or female ; lino is not clear. Douglas, in his Peerage of Scotland, refors to tho Macdonalds, Lords of tho Islos, as " this very ancient Nonvogian race long independent of tho Kings of Scotland." Somorled, Thane of Argyll, iB tho accepted ancestor of tho clan M'Donald in its many branches, though tho clan name is taken from his igrandson Donald. Somorlod married' llachel or Ragnhilda (Roginalda), daughter of Okf the Reel, King of Man and' tho Isles, son of Godred Crovan (the son of Harold tho Blaok King of Iceland), who, with l his Vikings, had swept tho western Isles ten. years after tho Norman Conquest of EngI land, and established the Norwegian KingMan and tho Isles. This Kingdom tlioy ( held by ihtriguo and bloodshed for some' 1200. years in male succession. In 1263, Aloxander 111 of Scotland defeated tho Norwegians led by Haco of Norway, and Magnus, tho last King of Man, at tho battle of Largs. Haco and Magnus then surrendered tho. Isles to \ Scotland. Soraerled had been slain at tho battlo of Renfrow just ono hundred years before, and his groat-grandson Angus (the son of Donald) was tho first of his race who acknowledged himself subject to tho . Kings of Scotland. Sixth in dcsccnt from Somorled was John, Lord of tho Islos, who married Margaret, fourth daughter of Robert 11, King of Scotland. This John had four sons, whoso descendants continued tho Lordship of tho Isles, and founded the clans ofKeppo'ch, Moidart, Clanranold, Glengarry, and many othors. 1< rom earlier descendants of Somorled had sprung the M'Rories, MacDougalls, M'Allans, Macalistors, Alexanders, Earls; of Stirling, tho M'lans of ' Glencoe, descendants of John Spr'aiigaich (the Bold)' of Ardiiaraurchan, tho Robertsons, of Stru'an, and. many othor clans and families. , It may bo said of the namo that it is wreathed with laurels, and tho romantic history of its scions could hardly ho written in a life-time. Wo find one Macdonald as Duke of Taranto and Marshal of Franco under Napoleon, loyal to his leader when all others had forsaken him; 1 another, the Right. Hon. Archibald Macdonald,'son of Sir Alexander of Slato, as Lord Chief Baron of the English Court of 'Exchequer, while tho dead at Culloden were still mourned. At that last stand of the devoted adherents of Princo Charlie, tho three Macdonald regiments of Glengarry, Keppoch, and Clanranald were marshalled'on tho left wih£ of their Prince's first lino. Since Bannockburn their placo had 1 been the right, and tho descendants of tho proud and anciont race, resenting'what they felt to bo a slight,'-romainod stationary when tha charge was ordered. Tho Vencrablo Kopooch, in whose veins ran tho Royal blood "of three Kingdoms, alone, or with a fow kinsmen, advanced to the. charge. "My God I" cried tho old man. /'My God! havo tho childrenof ray tribe forsaken me," and fell fighting. Tho clansmen marched off tho field with banners flying and pipes playing. Tho estates of hanF ° ° smco passed into other THE LATE MR. T. M. GRANT. The interment of' the late Mr. T. M. Grant Chief Draughtsman and Acting-Chief Surveyor in the Lands Department at Nelson, took placo at the Karori Cemetery yesterday morning. A short service was conducted 111 town by tho Bov. J. Paterson and the Rev. J. Eiliott. The Revs. J. Paterson, J. Dumbell, and C E. .Ward officiated at the graveside. Tho chief mourners were: Mr. Norman Grant (brother) Mr. J. George Grant (son), Mr. M. Ross (brother-in-law), and Mr. M. Murdoch- (father-in-law), and the Messrs., Murdoch (brothers-in-law). Amongst those present were: Messrs. W. C. Kensington (Under-Secretary for Lands), J. M'Kerrow (formerly Surveyor-General), A. Barron (chairman of the Land Purchase Board); J. Strauchon (Commissioner of Crown Lands), F. T. O'Neill, G. Wright, L. Smith, Jourrlain, and Murray (of tho Lands Department), and members of St. John's Church. Wreaths were sent by tho ITnder-Sccrotary and officers of the Lands Department, the authorities of St. John's Church, and others.