Donald David Houston-McMillan

Donald was one of twelve children who grew up either near Durban or Ixopo S.A. He was of Scottish and English descent, his parents John and Sarah Houston/McMillan having emmigrated to Natal Province, South Africa in 1850. The family owned several properties near Durban and later at Ixopo. The children eventually married sons and daughters of well known families in the district. Donald and his brothers Richard and Alexander each married van Whye daughters, while sister Lily married farmer /trader James Cole. The family van Whye were also traders in East Griqualand, with wealthy connections from Holland. Donald and his wife Jacoba had farms in East Griqualand and in Natal. They lived at some stage at "Balmoral" in East Griquland and later at "New England in the Underberg region. Donald's wife Jacoba died at quite a young age and he later remarried to a younger woman.

Donald was born in Durban in 1852. He was baptised Donald Isla Houston, although throughout his life he was known as Donald David or Doyi or Doy by the Africans. He left Natal in 1865 for East Griqualand. His movements until 1880 are not clear. He might have returned to Natal in 1868 when his father died. He married Jacoba Helena Van Whye, daughter of William John Van Whye. Three of William’s daughters married three Houston McMillan brothers. Jacoba married Donald, Johanna married Richard and Lena married Alexander. By 1880 Donald was back in East Griqualand for he purchased the farm Balmoral, comprising 1540 morgen 500 square roods, in that year in the Swartberg area. Donald returned to Natal in about 1886 and settled on the farm New England in the Underberg area. He sold Balmoral in 1889 to P. Henwood, who in turn sold it to Donald's brother Richard. Donald’s new farm, New England, was 38 kms from Underberg on the Bushman’s Nek road. The farm was never registered in his name and it seems he rented the farm from the colonial government. Besides farming Donald also ran a store on the farm and another one at Vailslam, East Griqualand. Donald was a tree-lover and would ride off for weeks at a time and return with his saddlebags full of tree seeds. He planted many Oaks, Planes, Wattles, Gums, Ash, Silver Poplar and Pines on New England, which can still be seen on the farm. The story is told that a Mr Staley, who later ran the store on New England, cut down Pines in front and to the right of the house for timber for the new store. His men went on strike one morning as they said John’s ghost had come to them in the night and told them to leave his trees. In 1899 Jacoba died and is buried in an unmarked grave on the farm New England. The grave is 200 meters from the house, but the exact spot has not been located. It could be under a large Plum Tree in front of the house. Donald, aged 48, married Daisy Fanny Ruby Sharp at St. Peters Cathedral on 12 November 1901. Daisy was only 16 years old at the time. They had a child who was born on 24 August 1902. On 2 June 1902, a few months prior to the birth of the child, Daisy ‘left her home for the purpose of visiting her mother in Pietermaritzburg, who was, as stated by the defendant, ill and who desired to see her’. According to court records ‘the defendant unlawfully and maliciously deserted the plaintiff and went to live in Durban’. Donald and Daisy were divorced in 1903. Their child died soon after the divorce. Daisy died in 1918 during the Flu epidemic. On 12 July 1904 Donald declared himself insolvent and surrendered his estate for the benefit of his creditors. (The family always blamed Daisy’s extravagance for his financial problems) Donald claimed in his evidence to the Supreme Court on 5 July 1904 that his bankruptcy was a result of loosing stock during the Blizzard, his store on New England burning down and a severe drought in which he lost crops. According to family gossip Daisy was having an affair with a Mr Daly who was running the store and that he burnt it down deliberately. In 1906 Donald was charged with fraudulent insolvency. This stemmed from Donald collecting debts due to his estate after declaring himself insolvent, giving false accounts of his losses and illegally moving property prior to his insolvency. Donald retired to East Griqualand and lived with his son Gilbert on the farm Beaumont. His granddaughter, Grace Pedlar, can remember him establishing a large orchard on the farm near to the river. She remembers him as a bearded man who would often read from a large bible. Donald was responsible for building two large rondavels on the farm near to the orchard. According to the family he fell off the roof of one of the rondavels while building it and was injured, which developed into cancer from which he eventually died. He died in 1925 in the house on Beaumont. His obituary appeared in the Kokstad Advertiser on 12 June 1925:

Death has claimed another old colonist, in the person of Donald David Houston who passed peacefully away during the early hours of Tuesday, May 26th. On all sides, friends and acquaintances alike, are lamenting the loss of the "Grand Old Man", who was essentially a man of peace and knew no enemies. His affectionate and friendly disposition endeared him to all with whom he came into contact.

 Born at the Bluff, Durban, in 1850, he passed away on the farm Beaumont, Kokstad district, at the full age of 75 years after a long and painful illness extending over a period of nine months, and endured most courageously until the end.

An impressive funeral service was conducted by the Rev. J. Williamson in the presence of a large number of mourners, prominent among them was his brother Mr Richard Houston of the farm Ashton, together with Mrs Houston, also sons, daughters and grand-children to whom much sympathy is extended in this painful and irreparable loss.
Donald is buried in an unmarked grave on the farm next to his son William. If one stands on the verandah of the house Donald’s grave is on the left-hand side just beyond the orchard in the shade of some large Gum Trees.

Service Medal Name: D D Houston Service Date: 1899-1902 Service Place: South Africa Campaign or Service: South Africa - Second Boer War Regiment or Unit Name: Border Mounted Rifles Regimental Number: 434