Biography

Christina MacDonald c1853 – 25 December 1942

Christina MacDonald was the child of John and Catherine MacLennan nee McKenzie and was born in Plockton, in the Scottish Highlands.

In 1871, with her mother, three sisters and brother, Christina left Plockton to immigrate to Napier, New Zealand. At this time Plockton was a Gaelic speaking village and only younger people spoke English which they were taught at school. Gaelic was not allowed to be spoken within the school grounds. The family emmigrated as part of an attempt to attract single women and girls to Napier.

She married Mikel Nyland on October 5, 1871 at the Pilot station, Port Ahuriri, Napier. Mikel was the Pilot assistant there and was of Scandinavian origin. They had two sons, John, born 1872 and Alexander, born 1873. Mikel was killed in an accident in 1874, crushed between two vessels at the wharf. On May 22 1874, a subscription was started “in aid of the young widow and two sons of Mikel Nyland”. Almost £200 was raised.

By 1878 Christina and her sons and family had moved south to Port Chalmers. On March 20 1878, she remarried to Donald Connell Macdonald, from Oban, Scotland. He worked as a carter. After the marriage, the two Nyland sons were known as Macdonalds and were joined by eight more children, three of whom died in infancy. The children were Angus, born 1879, died at 8 months; Donald, born 1880, died at 18 months; Daniel Donald, 1882-1968; Catherine Christina, 1884-1963; Jessie Ann, 1885-1890; Hugh Allan, 1886-1970; Johanna Alice, 1888-1979; and Jane Mary, 1889-1976.

Christina and Donald liked to speak Gaelic with their many friends and relatives and maintained a great interest in all things Scottish, the girls all learning Highland dancing and the boys learning dancing and piping.

Several of the children were born in North East Valley then later the family moved to South Dunedin. In 1895 Christina took over the ownership of a Grocery store which was established on the corner of King Edward and Oxford Streets in South Dunedin. The store had living quarters above and to the rear of the shop and the family lived there.

Donald died as a result of an accident suffered during the course of his work on 7 May 1898 aged 45 leaving Christina again a widow. She provided for her children by continuing with the grocery business. She retained ownership of the property until 1920.

In about 1912, after her sons were married and daughters working and self-supporting, Christina made a long awaited visit “home” to Scotland to visit her sister and brother and many other relatives who had not migrated.

From 1914 Christina spent some time doing private nursing and mid-wifery work. In 1919 Christina moved in with her daughter Alice and Alice’s husband Jack Douglas, who lived in Kirkcaldy St. She lived with the Douglases for the next nineteen years. She was a strongly independent woman who had faced many difficulties during her long life and was always on hand to help out with any troubles and illnesses within her family, wherever they arose. During this time she bought a crib at Purakanui which her many grandchildren enjoyed visiting.

Christina firmly believed all housewives should be in their own home by 4pm to attend to their evening meals, and she would let her daughters know that should they be out visiting, they were to be home no later than 4pm.

In 1938 she moved north to Masterton with the Douglas family to live, but suffered a fall shortly after arriving, breaking her hip. After a time in hospital she returned home determined to walk again at age 86, which she achieved, but only with the help of another person. Later she was hospitalised again and died in 1942 in her 90th year. Her body was returned to Dunedin and she was buried in the family plot with, among others, her second husband.