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b.1878-d.1906
PREAMBLE
David is recorded in the Horton Estate Cemetery Record as having been buried on the 13th December 1906 in Grave 920. His death age is stated as 27. He had been a patient in the Horton Asylum in Epsom and his arrival there is found in the UK Lunacy Patients Admission Registers 1846-1912 as follows,
Admission Number 41754 McCloud, David Drummond 3rd October 1902 Horton. Died 8/12/1906
The death date shown has been entered obviously after David’s death. The death under the same name is recorded in the General Register Office (GRO) Death Index as follows,
David Drummond McCloud 4th Qtr 1906 Epsom. Volume 2a Page 32. Age at death: 27.
The difficulty here is that within the England and Wales Records there is no birth or marriage entry during the period, of the said life span, to show such a person as David Drummond McCloud existed nor is there any census entry.
However, in consideration of the name having a Scottish ring to it, a more in depth search in Scotland has produced what appears to be the answer to the dilemma. Utilising the Scotland People’s website, it has been possible to trace a birth in 1878 of a David Drummond MacLeod. Pronunciation of the names McCloud and MacLeod is extremely similar particularly to an English recorder of such information. During the research, the name Mcleod/ Macleod seem interchangeable. The birth certificate used Macleod.
DAVID DRUMMOND MACLEOD
Births in the Parish of Alloa, Clackmannan show
David Drummond MacLeod
When and where born: 19th January 1878 at New Bridge Lodge, Alloa
Parents: Robert Macleod, Gardener’s Assistant and Ann Macleod, formerly Drummond
Date and Place of Marriage: 1870, 4th day of March at Tulliallan
Informant: Father, present at birth.
The details of the marriage of David’s parents are contained in the Marriage record in the Parish of Tulliallan, in the County of Perth, dated the 4th March 1870.
Robert Macleod, single, 20, bottlemaker. Usual Residence: Alloa. Father Robert Mcleod, bottlemaker. Mother Janet McLeod.
Maiden surname: McLeod Ann Drummond, single, 21, no occupation shown. Usual Residence: Edinburgh. Father David Drummond, shoemaker. Mother Agnes Drummond. Maiden surname: Anderson
David was not the eldest child. Before he was born, there had been three others, all born in Alloa. First, Annie Drummond Mcleod, born 2nd June 1870, then Robert Macleod, born 18th August 1871, and lastly, Thomas Guthrie Macleod, who was born on the 31st July 1876.
An unhappy event took place on the 18th January 1879, almost precisely one year after David’s birth. His mother, Ann McLeod, formerly Drummond, aged only 29, died. This took place in Clackmannan. The cause of death is certified as Phthisis, another name for tuberculosis.
Five months after the death of Ann occurred, Robert, the widower, remarries. This wedding took place on the 4th June 1879 in Alloa to an Elizabeth Mill. A short time later, they have a child called James, who was born on the 24th November 1879 still in Alloa.
1881 CENSUS and later in the same decade
By this time, Robert and family had moved to Spital Lodge in Hutton, Berwick. They are all listed as being born in Clackmannan, Alloa.
- Robert McLeod, head, married, 30, Gardener in Domestic Service
- Elizabeth McLeod, wife, 28, no occupation
- Robert McLeod, son, 9, scholar
- Thomas G McLeod. son, 4
- David D McLeod, son, 3
- James McLeod, son, 1
This census took place on the 3rd April. The stay in Hutton did not last long however, as by the 30th July 1881, Robert and Elizabeth had moved to South Leith in Edinburgh. We know this because on that date they were at 10 Morton Street where Elizabeth gave birth to another son, named Stewart McLeod.
Robert’s occupation is shown as gardener and Elizabeth’s maiden name Mill is shown as well as the wedding date of Robert and Elizabeth. We also know that about 1885 there was another child, Elizabeth. She appears in the 1891 census aged 6, although presently have not identified her actual birth record.
THE 1891 CENSUS
The census in 1891 took place on the 5th April. By this time, Robert junior, Thomas and David have moved on and the family of Robert and Elizabeth consists solely of the children born to Elizabeth, the second wife. They are still in South Leith, Edinburgh but it will be seen that Robert has changed his occupation from Gardener to Railway Porter.
- Robert Mcleod, head, married, 40, Railway Porter, born Clackmannan, Alloa
- Elizabeth Mcleod. wife, 36, no occupation, born Clackmannan
- Stuart Mcleod, son, 9, scholar, born South Leith, Edinburgh
- James Mcleod, son, 8, scholar, born South Leith, Edinburgh
- Elizabeth Mcleod, daughter, 5, scholar, born Dalmeny.
There is an error in the census relating to the listed Stuart. His birth name is Stewart.
However, we are more interested in David. We do find a David Mcleod in the 1891 census in Edinburgh. He was born in Alloa and is aged 13. It appears highly likely this is David Drummond Mcleod. He is living at 127 Princes Street, Edinburgh. It is a University Club. David is listed amongst several others as a Servant and more specifically as a Page Boy (Domestic).
DAVID’S NAVAL CAREER
David did not stay long at the University Club. We have a record from the UK Royal Navy Registers of Seamen’s Services 1848-1939 for David Drummond Macleod, born 19th January 1878 at Alloa, Clackmannan. His occupation on joining is shown as “Tinsmith”. It is apparent that he could not sign a contract as an adult until he was 18 but he is first shown as serving from the 28th October 1893 and served on the following Ships, Caledonia, Galatea and Champion.
He signed on for 12 year service as an Ordinary Seaman on his 18th birthday in 1896. At that time, he was described as being 5ft 2 and a half inches tall with dark brown hair, blue eyes and with a fresh complexion.
The form is headed CHATHAM and so probably this is where he signed on. He served in several ships, Pembroke 1, Repulse and Eclipse, but all this finished on the 8th October 1897 when he was invalided out of the Service, despite the fact that his character whilst serving on all the ships was always described as ‘Very Good’. The explanation shown is just one word, “Melancholia”. Perhaps this is a sign of the cause of his later difficulties in life.
1901
We do not know for certain what happened to David after leaving the Navy in 1897. It has not been possible to be 100% sure of the whereabouts of David in the 1901 census. The most likely entry is a D McLeod who is a Royal Navy Reserve sailor, aged 23, born in Scotland, who was on board His Majesty’s Ship “Australia”. This was a First Class Cruiser, which on the night of the census, 31st March 1901, was at Portsmouth. Although David had been invalided out of the Service in 1897, perhaps he was still eligible to serve in the Royal Navy Reserve and did so.
1902
On Saturday the 27th September 1902, David D McCloud was admitted to the Infirmary at Lambeth Workhouse. His name is entered in the list of Patients In “London, England, Workhouse Admission and Discharge Records 1764-1930”. He is shown as aged 23, with a previous address of 3 Emerson Street, Bankside. Under “Relief District” it says simply “Police”so we can probably assume they had been responsible for bringing him to the Infirmary.
There is a significance in the address at Emerson Street. Looking back to the 1901 census, we find living at that address with an Uncle, are Annie Macleod, aged 30, a Domestic Cook and Thomas Macleod, aged 26, listed as a Gate Keeper, Electric Light Works. They are both shown as single and being born in Alloa, Scotland. These are clearly two of the siblings of David and he had obviously been present with them at this address before his admission to the Infirmary.
As a possible part of David’s story, it should be mentioned that Thomas Guthrie Macleod died in July 1902 and was buried at Newham Cemetery on the 8th July. We do not know how close David was to his brother but maybe this did upset his equilibrium, leading to his difficulties shortly thereafter.
David remains in the Lambeth Infirmary until Friday the 3rd October when he is discharged, but only to Horton Asylum in Epsom. Although the discharge form has a space for the name and address of a relative or friend, no entry is made.
As shown in the preamble to this story, on the 3rd October 1902 David is admitted to the Horton Asylum, in Epsom. There is no information currently available regarding David’s condition and activity during the next 4 years
1906
Also as described in the preamble, he died at Horton Asylum on the 8th December 1906 and was buried in the Horton Estate Cemetery on the 13th December. The death certificate confirms David’s date of death as the 8th December and the cause of death is attributed to Tubercular Disease of the lungs and duodenum with haemorrhage, from perforation of ulcer in the duodenum.
