TheMacdonalds

WalterReginaldAMacdonald,yourfather,wasborn22August1915(birthregisteredinFulham)to
father,DavidWalterMacdonald(knownasWalter)whowas26andMaryEleanorRowlinswhowas
32.
Thiswasnotthefirstchildofthiscouple.In1912,adaughter,andsisterto
Walter,wasbornnamedPhyllisMayMacdonald(b16thOctober).
Thefamilylivedat6PetleyRoad,Fulham.Theyhadmarried15thJuly1912
atWandsworthRegistryofficewhenMarywas6monthspregnantwith
Phyllis.
Theyearyourdadwasborn,hisfather(DavidWalterMacdonald)wascalled
upandenlistedinthearmy.On9thDecember,1915,whenyourdadwas4monthsold,heenlisted
andjoinedthearmyreserve.Hewaspostedasrifleman2ndMay2016totheKing'sRoyalRifleCorps.
Heisrecordedashavingpreviouslybeena'pipemountfitter'.At120lbs(8.5stone),5'6tall,chest
35"(2"expansion")hesoundsofslightbuild.Hehadhad2priorvaccinationsineacharm(don't
knowwhatfor)andwasrecordedashaving'defectiveteeth'.

On2ndOctober1917,hewassanctionedfor"whenonactiveservice,loosingby
neglect,Governmentproperty,onemesstin'.Hispunishmentwastopayforanew
one.Nevertheless,hewasawardedtheVictoryMedalin1922forhavingseen
activeserviceabroad.

Hewasmovedtoseveralpostingsin
France.Itishardtoreadthe
locations.Heworkedasamilitarydriver,itseems,andaswellasinjuryinthefield,hehad
influenza,andbronchitistwice.

On26thFeb1919,hewasdemobbedwith2advancepay,to91YorkStreet,
SW.Buthishomeaddressisgivenas2,Blaenddol,Bala,N.Wales.
DavidWalter'swife,Mary,diedin1932,agedonly49.Yourdadwouldthenhavebeen17andPhyllis
19.
In1934,Phyllis(22)waslivingin43LemmasParkRoad,Ealing,withherfather(DavidWalter)45.
Yourfather(Phyllis'sbrother)isn'tlivingthereandMary,hismotherdiedtwoyearsbefore.There
alsolivedthereGeorgeandIsobelArthur,NellieAndrewsandElsieBott.By1935,theyhadmoved
to16BroughtonRoad,alongwithArthurandCharlottePratley.

In1936&1937,thereisaPhyllisMayMacdonaldliving,alone,in73LongThorntonRoad,Mitcham.
Thismaybeadifferentwoman,but,asherfatherhadremarriedin1935,itseemstofit.In1937,
thisPhyllisislivingattheMitchamaddresswithHaroldErnestChapman.In1948,theymarried.She
was36andhewas52.Ihavenotpursuedthisline,exceptsheapparentlydiedin1966whenshewas
54.Hediedin1982,attheageof86.
SoyouhadanAuntyPhyllisandanUncleHarold
[Afteryourgrandmother(Mary)died,asmentionedabove,yourgrandfathermarriedLilianEdith
Purchasein1935.Shewouldhavebeen44whentheymarried,andhe46.Ayearlater,theyhada
daughter,JudithinHanwell,Middlesex.Andin1960shemarriedLesterColborneinGosport,
Hampshire.
ButLilianEdithhadalsobeenmarriedbefore.In1918,whenhewas17,shehadgivenbirthtoason,
RolandNicholas.Shehadlivedin40MountfieldRoad,Finchleywithherhusband,NicholasPurchase.
Although,bynowshecalledherselfEdithLilyPurchase,reversinghernames.Nicholashadbeena
CaptainintheMiddlesexregiment,seeingactiveserviseinFrancebeforebecomingacommercial
travellerafterdemob.

ButNicholashadalsobeenmarriedbefore.In1891,whenhewas22,hemarriedAliceMcBrideand
theyhad3daughters.]
BacktotheMacdonaldline,David"Walter"'sparentswereCharles"William"Macdonald(b1851)
andFrancesCowland(b1850).Theseareyourgreatgrandparents.Theyhad12children,David
"Walter",yourgrandfather,beingsecondtooldest.Charles"William"chosetobecalledWilliam,
whichmusthavebeenawkwardasheseemstohavehadatwinbrothercalledWilliam.
Charles"William"Macdonald,yourgreatgrandfatherhadanoldersisterMaryandayounger
brotherJames.Andwhenyourgrandfatherwasborn,theywere38and39yearsold(Franceswas
older).Yourgrandfatherhad6brothersand5sisters.Theoldest,Thomasina,was13whenhewas
born.

Inthe1901census,whenhisoccupationisgivenas

whichishardtofathom.
ButhissonFrederickisa
solicitor'sclerk.

Thefamilyarelivingat14RowenaCrescent,Batterseain1901,andtheyhavealodger,Charles
Challen(26)whowasanenginefitter.Elizabeth,Walter(your
grandfather)&Haroldareonlychildren.Walterwas12

YourgreatgreatgrandfatherwasalsocalledCharlesMacdonaldandunusuallyhadnomiddle
name.Hewasbornin1823butamhavingtroublefindingarecordforhisdeath.Inhismatureyears,
helivedwithhiswifeThomasina(maidennameMorris&whohailedfromCheltenham),at64Royal
Albert,Taylor'sRow,Ryde,IoW(nolongerexists)withtheir9childrenandThomasina'ssister,Mary
A.Morris(42)whowasalaundress.
Thomasinalivedtillshewas92.
In1891,Thomasinawaslivingwithherson,James,stillinRyde.Inthe1911census,at90,sheis
recordedasbeingthe"wife'smother"asshewaslivingwithherdaughterMaryAnnie,herhusband
WalterSmart(ahouseandshippainter)andtheirson,James,aboilermaker;sdriller.At25hewas
stillathome.MaryAnniehadhad7childrenbutonehaddied.