Scotland
Donald Nicholson, son of Donald Nicholson, was born in the parish of Assynt, Sutherland, Scotland on January 12th, 1812. The parish of Assynt is on the remote north-western coast of Scotland. A few years before Donald's birth, the local Minister described it as "..consisting of lofty mountains, high hills, stupendous rocks, threatening precipices and numerous objects of the like kind." The weather is cold and bleak, and "the rain continues not only for hours, but often for days; nay for weeks..."

In the early nineteenth century most of it's 3,000 inhabitants lived on the coast, sustaining themselves with fishing and sheep farming. The main village in the parish was Loch Inver, with "a small harbour with a pier" as well as "several good houses and shops, and near it is a manufactory for preserving butcher's meat, fish, and vegetables, fresh, for the purposes of being carried out to sea". There was also a post-office and a preaching station by 1851. At this time, Loch Inver had a population of 75.

He was baptised on January 31st 1812 in the parish of Assynt, Sutherland, Scotland. Nothing is known of Donald's early life except that he probably learnt his carpentry trade at the side of his father, a ship's carpenter & boat builder.

Donald immigrated from Loch Inver, Scotland to Port Jackson on February 11th 1839 on the James Moran at 27 years of age. The James Moran, a 600 ton bark, called at the Cape of Good Hope from late December to the 2nd of January 1839. Whilst there, some of the passengers wrote a letter to the Commissioner of Emigration in Scotland, complimenting the food, the Surgeon and the Master, and expressing a hope that their comments would relieve "a dread of the hardships they may be made to endure on the passage". At the Cape they picked up 20 survivors from the wreck of the Dunlop and conveyed them to Port Jackson.

Early days in Sydney
He resided in Parramatta, NSW in March 1841. His wife-to-be Margaret also lived in Parramatta before they were married. She had arrived from Liverpool on the Heber a few months after Donald had arrived.

He married Margaret Brown at Scots Church, Pitt St. on March 19th, 1841 in Sydney, NSW at 29 years of age. Margaret was born on May 14th, 1818 in the city of Stirling, in the county of Stirlingshire, Scotland. Margaret was the daughter of John Brown and Margaret Miller. After their marriage Donald and Margaret lived in Parramatta at least until the start of the new year.

Donald was employed as a carpenter in Parramatta, NSW in January 1842. He was to remain at this trade (sometimes calling himself a joiner) for all of his working life.

He resided in Sydney, NSW in May 1843. Within two years after their marriage, Donald and his growing family had moved to Balmain. Another four years found them in the Yass district at Archibald MacCallum's "Good-Hope" homestead where their fifth child, John, was baptised. They remained in this district, later at Bowning and then at Limestone Creek, for over ten years.

He resided at South Lead, in Forbes, NSW in October 1865. Donald and Margaret were to remain residents of the town for at least three years.

Donald and Margaret hosted the marriage of the youngest of their daughters to Hugh Sutherland, a wheelwright from Scotland, on October 31st 1865.

Parkes
On October 13th 1870, his unwed daughter Susan gave birth to a son, Fredrick Hilton Nicholson. She was 20.

By the middle of 1871, Donald and Margaret's son Donald had moved to Sydney, and had there married Annie Smyth in a Church of England ceremony. Two months later another son, James, married Lydia Hosnell in Bathurst in a Roman Catholic ceremony.

Donald and Margaret's daughter Mary was married to Henry Olliver, a blacksmith, in September 1872. The marriage took place in their home at Bushman's Lead (the town that was the forebearer of the city of Parkes). His daughter Susan was the first Matron of the Parkes District Hospital, established in 1873.

Donald became a widower at 62 years of age with the death of his wife, Margaret, of heart disease. This would have been about the time that their daughter Susan found out she was pregnant again - and still unmarried.

He resided in Parkes, NSW in December 1874. Donald hosted the wedding of his daughter Susannah on Boxing day, 1874. With the recent death of his wife, and the unwed Susannah's growing pregnancy, the later half of this year must have been difficult for Donald. The end of this long day saw the baby born and Susannah married to Michael Bourke, a miner.

The last of his daughters, Fanny, was married in Forbes in October 1876. Donald may well have attended the wedding.

Donald's daughter Margaret died in childbirth at Cobar in 1883 at the age of 38. Three months later his daughter Susannah's husband died of alcoholic poisoning at the age of 36.

Donald Nicholson and Margaret Brown had the following children:

Malcom Nicholson was born in Parramatta, NSW on December 30th 1841. Malcolm, who died young, was to be the first of at least ten children born to Donald and Margaret between 1841 and 1859. Eight survived to adulthood. He was baptised at St. John's on January 2nd, 1842 in Parramatta, NSW. This seems to be the first baptism of the year in the church.Malcom died on about April 19th 1843 in Sydney, NSW, at a little over one year of age. His body was interred in the parish of St. Andrews on April 20th 1843 in Sydney, NSW.

James Brown Nicholson was born on January 3rd, 1843.

Margaret Nicholson was born in about 1845.

Donald Nicholson was born on May 29th, 1846.

John Nicholson was born in the vicinity of "Good-Hope" homestead, Murrimbidgee, New South Wales on May 11th, 1848. He was baptised on May 30th, 1848. John presumable resided with his parents and family in the Yass district, and later at Limestone Creek near Forbes, until he was at least eleven years old. In his adulthood, John made a living as a butcher. John also said that he lived in Parramatta. He witnessed his older brother James' burial on October 18th, 1900 at the cemetery in Hillston, NSW.

John died on 16th August, 1925 in the Sydney suburb of Randwick, at 77 years of age of cardiac failure at the Little Sisters of the Poor home; he seems to have had a heart attack a week before his death. He had reportedly been suffering from senility for 5 years. John had never married. His body was interred in Rookwood cemetery on August 17th, 1925.

Susannah Alletta Nicholson was born on May 16th, 1850.

Mary Nicholson was born on July 23rd, 1852.

Charles William Nicholson was born in Yass, NSW on September 18th, 1854. He was baptised on February 18th, 1855 in Yass, NSW. Charles apparently died on May 10th, 1855 in Yass, NSW, at less than one year of age, but there is some indication that he lived on into the new century.

Frances Nicholson was born on November 30th, 1856.

Daniel McBean Nicholson was born at Limestone Creek, in the district of Yass on January 6th, 1859. Daniel died whilst still a child.

Donald died on November 3rd, 1899 in Byrock, NSW, at 87 years of age of senile decay. His daughter Fanny stated that he had been deteriorating over the last three years of his life. His body was interred at the local cemetary on November 4th, 1899 in Byrock, NSW.

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