Person:Roderick McLeod (8)

Roderick McLeod seems to have emigrated to Australia in 1856, via Liverpool, on the "Morning Light" with his brother Alex McLeod, his brother's new bride Annabella McKenzie, together with Alex MacDonald and his new bride Robina Menzies. Also, there were three other single McLeod's (Donald 27, William 22 & Murdoch 24) who sailed with them but have not been fully identified - there are a number of possibilities in the Victorian Indexes if we could identify their parents.

The original shipping record for the "Morning Light", lists Rody McLeod as a female aged 32, Spinster! Perhaps this was a mistake by an English ship's clerk when there was a group of 8 Scottish highlanders with a strong brogue all trying to board together.

The 1841 census indicated that Janet McLeod, 50, Crofter lived at Morefield with her children Ann, Alex and Roderick. In the 1851 census Janet McLeod, 64, Fisherman’s widow lived at Morefield with her children Ann, 32 and Rod’k, 29. But in the 1861 census, only Janet, 74, widow and her unmarried daughter Ann, 43 were living at Morefield, so it seems most likely that the 2 boys emigrated. However, this matter is muddied by Roderick's 2nd daughter, Annabella, the informant on his 1898 death certificate, indicating that he lived in Victoria for 55 years (i.e. he emigrated in 1843). But this may have been confusion with having emigrated in “about ’55” i.e. 1855.

Roderick McLeod

1. ↑ Dunkeld Old Cemetery Index, in Ian Marr. Cemeteries of South-West Victoria
   Seq No. 324.

   Headstone "Born Ullapool Scotland 15 April 1822"
   
   Dunkeld Old Cemetery

2. ↑ Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Federation Index Victoria, 1889-1901: Indexes to Births Deaths and Marriages in Victoria
   Reg no. 1933, 1998.
   Death Certificate Image:Rodrk McLeod Death.pdf
3. ↑ Old Dunkeld Cemetery, in Ian Marr. Cemeteries of South-West Victoria
   Seq no. 21.
4. ↑ Birth location given as Ullapool, Rosshire Scotland DOB shown as 15 April 1822 on headstone
   Born Apr 1822 - calculated from death record - 75years 10 months
   Marriage register shows age 40 on 15/10/1868 (ie born 1828) but death register shows his age when married as 45 (ie born 1823)
5. ↑ Cause of death: Dysentry and exhaustion from hot weather 14days
   Dr Bennett examined 3/2/1898
6. ↑ Undertaker Frank Greed
   Service by William McDonald free Presberterian
7. ↑ Although there is a record for a Roderick son of Murdoch McLeod, born 8/3/1824 at Ahere in the parish register of Lochbroom,(Ullapool is in the Lockbroom parish) it is unlikely. There were many Murdock and Roderick Mcleods listed in the various census, and the date doesn't seem to fit.