Archibald McColl (1807 - 1906)

Born 1807 in Ballachulish, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Learmond) McColl — married 1831 in Ballachulish, Scotland

Descendants

Died 1906 at about age 99 in Brighton, Otago, New Zealand

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Archibald McColl migrated from Scotland to New Zealand.

Biography

Archibald McColl was born in 1807. He was descended from the McColls of Appin. He was from Glencreven in Scotland. He came with his wife, two daughters and five sons to NZ in 1859. They arrived on the 12th September on the "Alpine". The voyage took 93 days. His mother tongue was Gaelic and he never learnt to speak English perfectly.

The family emigrated for the usual economic reasons of that time and place, but their decision to leave at this point was driven by the fact that their son John (21 years old), had become a keen " poacher" and Archibald was concerned that the hot headed John, may shoot a keeper. However, in Brighton the ex-poacher took up farming, and those who knew him well could not believe that so gentle a man deserved his earlier reputation" - Page 3 "The Life of James K Baxter" - Frank McKay.

The children they arrived in New Zealand with were William, John, Archibald, Janet (Jessie), Hugh, Donald and Mary.

At first the family stayed in the immigrant barracks, but then moved to Ocean View, Otago where Archibald farmed a property on Creamery Road. Soon he wrote home to his brother Duncan Chenna McColl in Ballachulish asking him to join him. Duncan arrived a year later with their father, also "Duncan" . The brothers bought a farm above "Black Bridge", the upper Brighton river.

He died about 1906 aged 99 years old. ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ "Births, Deaths & Marriages Online", [digital index], New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs (www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz), Death Registration of Archibald McColl, aged at death 99Y; citing Death Certificate 1906/7178 .

"The Life of James K Baxter" - Frank McKay. Published by Auckland University Press.

Family knowledge - Stan Jelley, Millicent Baxter, Terence Baxter, Lenore Baxter and Helen Baxter