To provide information about the Alexanders of Locaber and Inverkeithny and to record links to families in the West Indies
The times were hard indeed, but the spirit of freedom and determination ingrained in all Highlanders was strong and in about 1838 three grandsons of Charles of the 45, namely Charles, Richardson and Hall Alexander left their home for the West Indies with the idea of rebuilding the shattered fortunes of the family. They were probably influenced by their uncle Thomas Thain of Drumblair who with one MacGillfrey was one of the founders of the North West Company of Canada which was later amalgamated with the Hudson Bay to which the organization the Dominion of Canada owes much of her modern development and progress. In this connection a report exists to the effect that a considerable sum of money, the share of Thomas Thain in the North West or Hudson Bay Company, is at present lying in Chancery. This report however, has not been checked by the writer.
The three brothers Charles, Richardson and Hall Alexander, who went abroad, all achieved success in varying degrees, and when the Island of Grenada was threatened with trouble from the West African labour working on the plantations, the Spirit of the Lord Lochaber asserted itself in his descendent Charles who immediately raised a strong body of Militia, both horse and feet, from amongst the planters, which he himself commanded and relieved the situation. For his services he was given a Colonel's commission by Queen Victoria. He shortly afterwards became a member of the Executive Council and returned home for the last time in 1861 when he contracted pneumonia on the voyage and died on arrival at the port of London and was consequently buried in the cemetary at Bow near the docks.
During their sojourn in the West Indies, the three brothers Charles, Richardson and Hall made frequent voyages back to their native land. in 1845 their father died at Auchininna at the age of 84 and was buried at Inverkeithny, and shortly afterwards Auchininna which had been the home of the family for over 200 years knew them no more.
On the death of his father, the elder son Charles then acquired Don Bank House near the river Don at Aberdeen and this was occupied by the family for several years.
In 1840 Charles (born 1802) married Margaret Drysdale Douglas (born 1819) daughter of Andrew Douglas of Jodburgh and Berwick-on-Tweed and his wife Helen Agnes Drysdale.
Douglas, the second surviving son of Charles Alexander was born in 1849 and after completing his education in Aberdeen he returned to Grenada to manage his father's property Montreuil which had been left in trust for the family. In 1871 Douglas married Annie Elizabeth McEwen (born 1853) and by her had eight sons and four daughters. Like his father before him Douglas became a member of the Executive Council and the owner of several estates in the island. He died in London in January 1910 and was buried in the same grave as his father at Bow.
The other two married daughters of Charles Alexander and Helen Drysdale Douglas were Helen and Agnes who were twin sisters born in 1844. Helen married Arthur Gall, an officer of constabulary in Barbados and had two sons and daughters. Arthur Henry Beckles [Gall] was born in 1870 and became a very successful planter. In 1899 he married his cousin Margaret Edith Gall. There is no issue of the marriage.
Herbert Frederick Douglas [Gall] the second son was born in 1875 and became Agent and general manager of branches of the Colonial Bank. He married Aileen Duke in 1921 by whom he had two daughters Cynthia Helen born in 1922 and Clara Jocelyn born in 1923.
Ida Helen Douglas the elder daughter of Helen (Alexander) Gall was born in 1872 and married Patrick Archibald Fletcher Mcleod in 1900 and had one son Patrick Colin Fletcher born in 1901 and died in 1927, and four daughters Helen Margaret Douglas born in 1903, Clara Aileen Thain born in 1905, Agnes Mary Campbell born in 1907, and Doreen Enid born in 1909.
Clara Margaret Drysdale the younger daughter of Helen Gall was born in 1874, married Robert Coombe of Ceylon in 1902 and died at Camberley in 1908. She was the mother of three children.
Helen (Alexander) Gall died in Camberley in 1924 at the age of 80. Agnes [her twin sister] was born in 1844 and died in 1919.
For more information on the Galls press here. For more information on the Alexanders visit Michael Outram's site.