Margaret MacKenzie

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Margaret MacKenzie may have been born on 19 December 1830 at Resolis, Ross-shire, Scotland.² She was the daughter of Thomas MacKenzie and Fanny Nicholson.¹ Margaret MacKenzie may have been born on 21 December 1830 at the Parish of Assynt, Sutherland, Scotland.³ She was baptised on Sunday, 9 January 1831 at the Parish of Assynt, Sutherland.³

Thomas and Fanny, having decided to resettle in the Colonies took their young family back to the Ross family seat at Ardchronie, the Parish of Edderton, Ross-shire, Scotland, a journey of 50 miles (80 km) cross Scotland. they stayed there for a week or longer, returning with Thomas' sister Grace.⁴

At the age of 7 Margaret emigrated from Lochinver, the parish of Assynt, Sutherland, Scotland, on 21 October 1838 on the James Moran a 600 ton bark with her parents and uncle Donald Nicholson. The James Moran, largely carried those subject to the Highland clearances, and came via Rev. John Dunmore Lang's bounty scheme.^5,4 After a voyage of 113 days (almost four months) Margaret arrived at Port Jackson, New South Wales, on 11 February 1839 with her parents and uncle Donald Nicholson. Unfortunately, her youngest brother Malcolm, less than a year old, died onthe voyage.. The vessel called at the Cape of Good Hope from late December to the 2nd of January 1839. Whilst there, some of the passengers wrote a letter to the Commissioner of Emigration in Scotland, complimenting the food, the Surgeon and the Master, and expressing a hope that their comments would relieve "a dread of the hardships they may be made to endure on the passage". At the Cape they picked up 20 survivors from the wreck of the Dunlop and conveyed them to Port Jackson.^5,4


Margaret MacKenzie married Charles Saunders in 1857 at the Sydney suburb of Balmain.⁶

On 4 July 1860 Margaret's mother wrote a letter home to Scotland to her sister Anne giving news of the family, stating "I was left with eight children to provide for, but thank God, they are nearly all able to take care of themselves. ... on [D] Margaret's mother wrote a letter home to Scotland to her sister Anne giving news of the family, stating "I was left with eight children to provide for, but thank God, they are nearly all able to take care of themselves. ... [m]y daughter Margaret is married, and living very very comfortably; she has two sons."y daughter Margaret is married, and living very very comfortably; she has two sons."⁴

Her mother died 1898 at the approximate age of 93.

Margaret died on 24 October 1900 at Balmain at age 69.¹