!BIOGRAPHY: BURKE''S LANDED GENTRY, Eighteenth Edition, Vol. II, London,
1969, pp. 417, 418.
The Rev. Donald MacLeod, D.D., Minister of St. Columba''s Church, Paul
Street, London, b. 21 July, 1839, m. 24 July, 1866, Minnie D''Esterre (d. 28
Aug. 1898), dau. of William D''Esterre Roberts, by his wife Christiana McCall,
dau. of John Brown of Lanfine (See Burke''s LANDED GENTRY OF IRELAND,
1958 edition, Roberts of Ardmore), and d. 17 Dec. 1911, leaving issue.
!SOURCE: Rev. Dr. Donald MacKinnon and Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS --
THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN, Section III, "MacLeod Cadet Families",
Edinburgh, The Clan MacLeod Society, 1970, p. 50-51, 53.
Donald was born on 21st July 1839, at Fort William, Inverness-shire,
and was educated at Laggan School and King''s College, Aberdeen, where
he graduated M.A., in March 1858. He was licensed at the age of
twenty-one on 27th November 1861, by the Presbytery of Abertarff, and
was ordained missionary at Fort Augustus. He was called to Dornoch
Cathedral on 14th August 1863, where he was appointed by popular
election (the patron, the Duke of Sutherland, having delegated to the people
themselves the choice of their own minister). While at Dornoch,
he acted as Secretary to his cousin, Dr. Norman MacLeod of Barony, on his
tour of visitation round the Highland parishes. On 1st February 1866, he
was translated to Greyfriars, Dumfries; on 15th November 1868, to the
First Charge, Montrose; on 16th June 1871, to the new charge of St.
Mark''s, Dundee; on 3rd May 1877, to Jedburgh. On 17th May 1881, he was
called to Crown Court Church, London, which, after a period of great
fame and prosperity under Dr. Cumming, had shrunk to 25 communicants.
With the advent of Dr. MacLeod its fortunes revived, and within three years
it was possible to proceed with the erection of a new Church in
the West End, which was built and equipped at a cost of £30,000. St.
Columba''s became the rallying point of a large body of London Scots who
desired to worship in a church which maintained an organic connection
with the Church of Scotland; and during the next twenty years Dr.
MacLeod ministered to a large congregation which was perhpas more
representative of all ranks, political parties, and of all division of
Presbyterianism than any that can be named on the Scottish side of the
Border. He played a brilliant part in the religious life of London. It was
said of his preaching tha tone could not help but listen and could not
listen unmoved. His warm friendship and kindly help gladdened many
Scots hearts. As Dr. Fleming, his successor, said, ""Had it not been for
Dr. Donald MacLeod there never would have been a St. Columba''s, and
Crown Court itself would have ceased to exist."
He became the first Chaplain of the London Scottish Regiment, for
which he received the Volunteer Decoration after 21 years service. The
London Scottish held their first Church Parade in St. Columba''s on 1st
May 1887. This was the beginning of the annual services and close
association of that famous regiment with St. Columba''s. Dr. MacLeod
received the Doctorate of Divinity from Aberdeen University in 1887.
He retired in 1901, and took up residence in Edinburgh, where he died on
17th December 1911. Dr. Donald MacLeod spent his years of retirement
working for the restoration of Iona Cathedral (the ancient Abbey Church)
with the 8th Duke of Argyll. When the Duke died, he left the Cathedral to
the Church of Scotland and a committee was formed with Dr. MacLeod as
Convenor. He went up and down the country raising large sums of money
for the restoration of the Cathedral which was opened for public worship on
15th July 1904. It was said on his memoral tablet, that "Through his zeal
and devotion, the Abbey Church of Iona was rescued from ruin and rebuilt."
Funds were raised by his friends (headed by the Dowager
Duchess of Argyll) for a permanent memorial to him on Iona, and the
Caretaker''s house was restored in his memory. Above the door is an
inscription in Gaelic, "BU SHOLAS DHA A SHAOTHAIR OIR B''E I RUN A
CHRIDHE," which may be translated thus: "His was a labour of love, for
Iona possessed his heart."
Dr. Donald MacLeod as summoned several times to Balmoral to preach
before Queen Victoria.
He married on 24th July 1866, as his first wife, Minnie d''Esterre (who
died 28th August 1898), daughter of William d''Esterre Roberts, Esq.,
Glenacre, Inellan (whose father was Richard Roberts of Ardmore, County
Cork), [Burke''s LANDED GENTRY OF IRELAND.], and Christina McCall
Browne of Langfine, with issue.
The Reverend Donald MacLeod married, on 1st April 1907, as his second
wife, Caroline, daughter of John Potter, Shipowner, London, and his wife
Caroline, daughter of the Reverend William Manuel, D.D., without issue.
(Mrs. MacLeod married as her second husband the Reverend James
Fergusson, minister of Corstorphine Old Parish Church.)
Dr. MacLeod died in Edinburgh on the 17th December 1911, and was
buried in Corstorphine Churchyard. King George V was represented at the
funeral by His Chaplain-in-Ordinary.
Dr. MacLeod was succeeded in the representation of the family of
Suardal by his son, Norman.