Hector MacAulay from
Stornoway arrived with his uncle a ships captain in the 1860s. Hector
jumped ship in Adelaide, South Australia, his uncle tried to find him
but could not and sailed away, leaving Hector behind. Hector emerged,
married Annie Jerkins in 1863 and wrote home that he had married an
Australian. His family believed he had married an aboriginal and he was
told that he had been disinherited.
Hector changed his
surname (probably from MacAulay to McAulay) to spite the family, but
named his home in Adelaide Stornoway after the home in the Isle of
Lewis.
When Hectors
grandchildren were little some men from Scotland, one of them a lawyer,
came to visit the family in either NSW or Adelaide, they are a bit vague
on it. Hector did not discuss with his family what the men wanted and
told them to go away, which they did.
It turned out, later on,
the family learnt that they had come to Hector to tell him to return to
Scotland and inherit what was his. The family was supposedly involved
with mines and shipping but whatever he was supposed to inherit was
never discussed.
Hector's son, set out to
go to Scotland and find out about the 'inheritance' but got as far as
South Africa where he became very ill and either died, or returned to
Australia then died. The family have never confirmed anything.
Hector and his wife Annie
were publicans in Adelaide and most of their children became publicans
too. Hector must have had access to some money to have bought into a
hotel soon after his marriage, although Annie's connections were
publicans too and may have been able to assist a little bit.
this is all I know and
have pieced it together from information given to me by Hectors
granddaughter and I would love to know if it has any bearing in
reality.
Hector named his children
Angus, Alexander, Colin, Isabella, Hector and Babington was a common
middle name. I think he was possibly a descendant of Aulay MacAulay -
his father was supposedly Angus McAuley on the marriage record but this
is the only time I have seen the surname spelt with an e.
having read your website
through I can see where there may have been some very interesting
personal connections that linked my family's story to the MacAulay
family outside Australia and this makes me smile yet again.
The man in England who
was a great speaker on anti-slavery in the House of Commons was Richard
Godson, QC and MP for Westminster.
He was also given the
responsiblity of selling the ex-slavery hulks - they became hulks
transporting convicts to Australia.
Richard Godson was
involved in the conspiracy to obtain millions of pounds and property
belonging to Annie Jerkins McAulay's Grandfather, John Courtoy in London
1825 ish and Godson probably would have come across Zachary MacAulay the
lawyer.
History never ceases to amaze me.
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