Robert Henry McDonald

Mortgagee of the Clermont estate in Trelawny Jamaica, who died in 1831: the compensation for the estate was partly paid to McDonald's executors the Rev. William Smoult Temple and Thomas Wilkinson (both of whom q.v.). He was the son of Dr William McDonald (q.v.) of Trelawny. Clermont was shown in 1776 against 'Dr Vincent McDonald', possibly the Vincent William McDonald effectively disinherited (save for £100) in the will of Robert Henry McDonald's father Dr William McDonald proved in 1783.

1. Will of Robert Henry McDonald of Saint Oswald Durham proved 14/10/1831. In the will, McDonald left monetary legacies to, among others, the daughters of Cossley Hall of Trelawny Jamaica, suggesting links with Jamaica beyond the mortgage of Clermont: the residual legatees were his nephew James Henry Dixon, Robert William Dixon and Edward Dixon.

T71/874 Trelawny no. 171. T71/1608 letter to the Commissioners from B. Broughton of 2 Alie Place, Alie Street London 22/02/1836 setting out the background to the counterclaim, identifying Robert Henry McDonald as of Old Elvet City of Durham, who had lent £4000 against Claremont and on his death 31/07/1831 had left all his property on trust to Wilkinson and Temple: the persons interested were Robert Henry MacDonald's nephews, James Henry Dixon, Robert William Dixon and Edward Dixon, the latter of whom had died in 1834. Broughton was acting for the only child of Edward Dixon.

The papers of the solicitors Mawson, Freeman and Curry ('Mawson's papers') in the Durham University Special Collections (GB-0033-MAW) include 19/04/1836 (3/33e(iii)) the Release by James Henry Dixon and Robert William Dixon of Thomas Wilkinson and Rev. William Smoult Temple from liability after receipt of sums due to them from the estate of Robert Henry McDonald and 20/01/1832 (3/35a) a release of Wilkinson and the Rev. Smoult as trustee(s) of the estate of Robert Henry McDonald http://reed.dur.ac.uk/xtf/view?docId=ead/ded/mawson.xml [accessed 05/10/2011].

1. PROB 11/1791A.