Clan Donald Magazine No11 (1987) Online
Henderson Chief's Link With Clan Donald
by A. Grahame MacDonald FSA Scot.
Dr. John Henderson of Toowoomba,
Queensland has been recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms as
Chief of the Hendersons of Fordel, thus joining the growing number
of Scottish chiefs and family heads domiciled in Australia.
Unlike their Highland namesakes, the Hendersons of Glencoe, this
Lowland family has no connection with Clan Donald. However, the
present Representative has an enviable Clan Donald ancestry through
the MacAlisters and the MacDonalds of Kingsburgh.
Dr Henderson of Fordel is directly descended from Ann, daughter of
Alexander MacDonald VI of Kingsburgh, sister of Allan MacDonald VII
of Kingsburgh whose wife was the famous Flora MacDonald.
Ann MacDonald married Ranald Macalister of Loup, who lived for many
years at Skirinish, Skye. They had fourteen children. Their eldest
son Alexander succeeded his father at Skirinish and became Factor
for the MacDonald Estate of Trotternish. He later became Crown
Factor for the MacKinnon Estate of Strathaird, which he purchased in
1789.
In 1764 Alexander married Mary Campbell of Ederline. Their only
surviving child Janet married Dr. Duncan Macalister of Tarbert. Dr.
Duncan and Janet settled on Glasnakill Farm at Strathaird. They had
seven sons and one daughter. Their eldest son succeeded to the
Strathaird Estate which was sold back to the MacKinnon family in
1884.
The son of Duncan and Janet who attracts our attention was Lachlan
who was born at Glasnakill Farm in 1797. In 1815 he obtained a
commission as an ensign in the 48th Regiment of Foot. With his
regiment he embarked for Australia at the Cove of York on 25th
March, 1817 on the transport "Matilda", which arrived at Sydney Cove
on 7th August of that year.
Lachlan Macalister was later appointed as Officer in Charge of the
Mounted Police in the Goulburn Plains District and later at Bathurst
for a short period. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on
25th September, 1822. The 48th Regiment was due to be moved to
India. As it was the decision of the authorities to reduce the
number of the regiment, officers were invited to accept half pay and
remain in Australia. On acceptance, they would be granted 2,000
acres of land. Lieutenant Macalister was friendly with the
influential Macarthur family, members of which prevailed upon him to
remain.
Selecting his 2,000 acres in the District of Argyle, Lachlan
Macalister named the property Strathaird after his grandfather's
estate in Skye. In 1826 he was appointed Magistrate for the District
the Mounted Police in that district. During his service with the of
Argyle. Three years later he was appointed Officer in Charge of
Mounted Police he was involved in several skirmishes with
bushrangers and was wounded five times.
In 1833, after a short posting to Bathurst, Lieutenant Macalister
had completed his army service (which included being seconded to the
Mounted Police) and was entitled to retire with the rank of captain.
This allowed him to concentrate on the development of his pastoral
interests. His Strathaird property was eventually increased to
comprise 19,000 acres.
Captain Macalister married Christina Mclnnes in 1848. Six years
later he died at Campbelltown, leaving his widow and two daughters,
Mary Anne and Ann Janet. His name is perpetuated in Australia by the
Macalister River, named for him by his employee Angus McMillan, who
in his explorations, discovered Gippsland.
Ann Janet married her cousin Walter McAlister in 1875. Walter was a
son of Ann's uncle Archibald of Glasnakill Farm, the Keeper of the
Spar Cave on Strathaird, Skye. He died during the following year. In
1879 Ann Janet re-married. Her second husband was John Cunningham
Henderson, grazier of Goulburn, New South Wales and later of South
Western Queensland. One of their sons, William Arthur married
married Elsie Maud Philp, daughter of Sir Robert Philp,KCMG., one
time Premier of Queensland. Their son, Dr. John William Philp
Henderson, now "of Fordel", married Gwen Heaton. They have three
sons: Alastair, Dugald and Lachlan and two daughters: Margaret and
Elizabeth.
Apart from a distinguished lineage of
Hendersons of Fordel, this family is descended from Chiefs of the
following branches of Clan Donald and noted cadet families:
MacAlister, MacDonald of Sleat, MacDonald of Clan Ranald, MacDonell
of Keppoch, MacDonnell of Dunyveg and the Glens, MacDonald of
Kingsburgh, MacDonald of Ostaig and MacDonald of Castleton.
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