Pentland Road - 2

On 9 June 1888, Annie Macleod, living in the village of Knock, Point (in Lewis), gave birth to another child, Donald. He was the sixth, and not the last child. Two more followed, and by the start of 1894, eight children, varying in ages from 1 to 15 years, crowded into the dwelling. It drove the father, Hector, to distraction, to such an extent that he ended his life in September that year. Three months later, Annie also passed away. The eight youngsters were taken into the care of the Quarrier Homes in Glasgow, and emigrated to Canada two years later. Donald signed up for the Canadian Expeditionary Force at Calgary in October 1914, and was injured during the Battle of the Somme. He was transferred to War Hospital at Napsbury, where he passed away on 4 August 1916, at 9.45pm. Due to an error in the paperwork, his remains were transferred to Benbecula, rather than Lewis, and the next-of-kin notified. The next of kin was thought to be Alex Macleod of Gramsdale, but when Alex came t...

Private DONALD MACIVER Last address in Lewis: 17 Knock, Point Son of Murdo and Mary Mciver, of 17 Knock, Point Service unit: 179th Canadian Infantry Service number: 859994 Date of death: 24 May 1920 at the age of 28 Was gassed; quoted as severely wounded Interred: Winnipeg (Brookside) Military Cemetery, grave Mil. 246 He does not feature on the local war memorial in Garrabost, and is not listed as deceased in the Roll of Honour, presumably because he died 18 months after the end of the First World War. However, Donald still qualifies for inclusion as he passed away before 1922 (the CWGC cut-off point) and he was born in Lewis.