McDonald, Robert
Farrier Sergeant
No. 8005, 18th Division Artillery, Royal Field Artillery
Died as the result of an accident on Thursday 29 April 1915 (aged 49)
Buried:
Ipswich Old Cemetery, Suffolk, England (Grave S. 4. 2)
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Journey of Remembering Belfast Book of Honour
BIOGRAPHY
In some records his surname is spelt McDonnell.
In the Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914 – 1919 database it is recorded that Farrier Sergeant Robert McDonald (No. 8005) was born in Scotland. In his 1911 census return Robert stated Tullyhubbert (a townland in Moneyreagh) as his birthplace. There is inconsistency between his stated age at marriage (32 in 1902) and in his census return (45 in 1911).
Robert McDonald was probably born sometime between 1865 and 1871, and at civil marriage registration he stated that he was a son of Hamilton McDonald, a labourer.
Hamilton McDonald and Mary Ann Dunlop were married on 13 June 1865 in Newtownards Registrar’s Office. Hamilton McDonald (aged 25) from Magherascouse was a son of William McDonald, a farmer. Mary Ann Dunlop (aged 24) from Magherascouse was a daughter of James Dunlop, a farmer.
The McDonald family lived in the townlands of Magherascouse, Ballyrainey and Ballystockart, Comber.
Hamilton McDonald worked as a farm labourer and he and Mary Ann had eight children including:
Alexander (born 28 August 1866 in Magherascouse)
Elizabeth (born 25 June 1868 in Magherascouse)
William John (born 9 February 1871 in Ballyregan)
Hugh (born 31 May 1881 in Ballyrainey)
Mary Ann (born 26 April 1884 in Ballyrainey)
Their father, Hamilton McDonald from Ballyrussell, died of gangrene in Newtownards Workhouse on 21 September 1912 (aged 71).
To date, no birth registration for a Robert McDonald born to Hamilton and Mary Ann McDonald (nee Dunlop) has been found in Irish or Scottish records.
A Robert Thomas McDonald was born on 26 December 1865 in Ballycreely and he was registered by his mother as being a son of Hamilton McDonald, a labourer, and Isabella McDonald (nee Conkey).
To date, no marriage registration for a marriage between Hamilton McDonald and Isabella Conkey has been found.
Farrier Sergeant Robert McDonald worked as a carter and blacksmith before joining the Army. He was in the Royal Artillery when he and Jane Patterson (nee Longridge, born 20 January 1869) were married on 6 January 1902 in St Anne’s Church of Ireland Church Belfast. Jane Patterson already had eight children from her previous marriage to John Patterson:
John (born 20 November 1886 in Lisdalgan)
Robert (born 25 December 1887 in Lisdalgan)
Margaret (Maggie, born 14 December 1889 in Lisdalgan)
Samuel (born 15 May 1892 at 66 Thorndyke Street, Belfast)
Sarah (born 8 December 1894 at 64 Thorndyke Street, Belfast)
Rebecca (born 6 February 1897 at 64 Thorndyke Street, Belfast)
Mary (born 6 April 1898 at 64 Thorndyke Street, Belfast)
Susannah (Susan, born 9 July 1900 at 64 Thorndyke Street, Belfast)
John Patterson and Jane Longridge (aged 16) were married on 3 February 1885 in Second Saintfield Presbyterian Church. John Patterson was a widower and he worked as a hand-loom weaver. They lived in the townland of Lisdalgan, Saintfield and then in Thorndyke Street, Belfast. John Patterson died of pneumonia on 11 June 1900 (aged 48).
Robert and Jane McDonald (formerly Patterson, nee Longridge) had five children:
Jane (Jennie, born 4 February 1903 at 47 Thorndyke Street, Belfast)
Elizabeth (born 12 March 1905 at 82 Thorndyke Street, Belfast; died of diarrhoea 29 August 1906)
Maud (born 2 May 1907 at 82 Thorndyke Street, Belfast)
Nanette (born 12 August 1909 at 47 Thorndyke Street, Belfast)
Samuel (born 26 October 1911 at 47 Thorndyke Street, Belfast)
After the outbreak of the Great War Robert McDonald re-enlisted and served as a Farrier Sergeant with the Royal Field Artillery. On 29 April 1915 he was about to shoe a mule when the animal kicked him in the stomach and ruptured his small intestine. Farrier Sergeant Robert McDonald died a few hours later and was buried in Ipswich Old Cemetery, Suffolk.
Farrier Sergeant Robert McDonald is commemorated in the Belfast Book of Honour (Page 417).