Burial and death of Walter Ormiston MacKay

[Ashnz]

Hello everyone

For a long, long time, I have felt uncomfortable as to whether Walter Ormiston MacKay was buried at Camp Bay Quarantine Cemetery. It's a case of conflicting information. First let me give you a little background:

Walter (born October 12th 1862 Kildonan, Sutherland, Scotland) He was the son of Robert and Elizabeth MacKay. Walter was also a brother to Jessie (NZ Poet), Walter Ormiston (named out of respect of Walter), Eleanor (Nell), John George, Isabella Esther (Tibby), Herbert (Scott), Agnes Emily (Ness) and Georgina (Tink). Walter and his parents came out to New Zealand in 1863 on board the SS Brothers' Pride which anchored at Camp Bay (in Diamond Harbour) on the morning of December 9th 1863. All passengers were placed in quarantine.

Findagrave link: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/259738084/walter-ormiston-mackay

The research thus far:

Walter died 9 months from croup according to the book "A Voice on the Wind" (written by Nellie F.H. Macleod, about the life of Jessie Mackay). I, myself, have yet to read a copy of this book.

A good portion of the passengers were released from quarantine on January 6th 1864. On that day, the doctor for the SS Brothers' Pride wrote a letter to the Health Commissioner (Doctor Donald) in which he describes of 2 deaths occurring in quarantine (Hathaway & Trigg). It also describes of a steamer (called Gazette) picking them up (except for a few - four - as there was not enough room on the steamer) taking them to Lyttelton & Chistchurch.

A later letter from Dr McLean, written on 16 January 1864, states that there are only three patients left at Camp Bay – all adults: a young man, and two women who had just given birth, and that he expected they would all be well enough to leave the following week.

In 1913 there was a reunion held for 50th anniversary of the journey of the Brothers' Pride - in a newspaper it describes of 4 deaths occurring in quarantine.

If you visit this link: https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/blogs/post/jessie-mackay-poet-and-crusader/ it describes of quarantine at Lyttelton - I, myself, naturally thought this to be a mistake and to be referring to the quarantine barracks at Camp Bay. But this does back up the claim of 4 deaths occurring.

My questions:

Do you think it is possible, when referring to 4 deaths, 2 of the deaths might have occurred actually at Lyttelton, at its quarantine barracks there?


Thank you very much for your help,

Ashley

[Lucy2]

Hi Ashley

Happy to endeavour to "sort this out"  for you - but could you please provide link for the passenger list for Brother's Pride (1863) ?     [I can see there are incomplete lists - in newspapers and at a number of websites].

Also, why is there no actual date of death for the child Walter ?
[I'm guessing you will - as usual with these searches - have looked at the "Deaths at Sea" register ? ]

   ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

Hello there,
Just some background. I am currently researching the Brothers' Pride that arrived in New Zealand on December 9th, 1863. More specifically I am trying to discover which of the passengers died during the quarantine period the passengers were subject to; from December 10th to December 24th, 1863. According to sources I have read, there were 4 people who passed away at the Camp Bay quarantine facility at Lyttelton Harbour near Lyttelton. I know of 2 of the 4. One is the 2 month old son of Milborough and David Hathaway. The other is 7 month old Walter MacKay, the son of Robert and Elizabeth MacKay.
The way I am doing this is by eliminating passengers who died at sea and those who died after 1863. So far I am about 70% through the passenger list. First focusing on the most likely (families with infants and children) before I will moving onto other passengers. Since quarantine ended on Dec 24th, any passengers who died in 1863 died during quarantine.

Many thanks,
Ashley

Just found the above from your earlier thread.

The last recorded death - in the (UK) "Deaths at Sea" register, appears to be the 2 year old child, John COLE, cause of death =  debility, on 9th ? (- looks like ) December 1863.     However that is not relevant, to this, your newest search. 

   ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

The research thus far:

Walter died 9 months from croup according to the book "A Voice on the Wind" (written by Nellie F.H. Macleod, about the life of Jessie Mackay). I, myself, have yet to read a copy of this book.

Mmmm   .... unless there's a source quoted in the book, I would treat this statement re: Walter's death at that age, as speculation.
   *    If born October 1862, then he was aged over one year, when the ship arrived in NZ .... and there is nothing in the Deaths at Sea register recording his death earlier than 9 December 1863.
   *    Noting that the book "A Voice on the Wind" was published in 1955 (at a time when access to actual records - to e.g. B D & M / shipping lists / newspaper articles, etc) -  would have been difficult.)

   ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

Hi Ashley

To answer your question re: deaths occurring at the Quarantine Barracks at Lyttelton (following release of immigrants from Camp Bay), then I think it's highly likely that that was where wee Walter died.

I'd be pretty sure that the following is the record of Walter's death.

NZ BDM - Deaths

1864 / 3618  -  ORMASTON* - Walter - aged 15 months

Date of Death (deduced from online Death record)  =   22 January 1864

[Unfortunately another record only gives "New Zealand" as death registration place - but you may be able to confirm "place" by looking at microfiche record coupled with "District Keys" info. -- available at ChCh Library.]

    ~ Lu

Added:   *  Surname as spelled on record.     The age at death is, you might say, very accurate.

[Lucy2]

Hi Ashley

I wonder too if ChCh Library might have a note of Walter's burial amongst those in it's card index (Church records) 

  ~  Lu

[Ashnz]

Hi Ashley

To answer your question re: deaths occurring at the Quarantine Barracks at Lyttelton (following release of immigrants from Camp Bay), then I think it's highly likely that that was where wee Walter died.

I'd be pretty sure that the following is the record of Walter's death.

NZ BDM - Deaths

1864 / 3618  -  ORMASTON* - Walter - aged 15 months

Date of Death (deduced from online Death record)  =   22 January 1864

[Unfortunately another record only gives "New Zealand" as death registration place - but you may be able to confirm "place" by looking at microfiche record coupled with "District Keys" info. -- available at ChCh Library.]

    ~ Lu

Added:   *  Surname as spelled on record.     The age at death is, you might say, very accurate.

Thank you Lu, that is awesome. Very interesting of the date is that I expected they might have been in quarantine a few days or a week. They must have been at Lyttelton Barracks for a good amount of time.

The 4th dieath I think may have been Thomas Albert Gundy - but that is only an educated guess.

Many thanks Lu

[Ashnz]

Hi Ashley

I wonder too if ChCh Library might have a note of Walter's burial amongst those in it's card index (Church records) 

  ~  Lu

I will enquire. Should be as he is probably buried in one of the local church cemeteries.