Rev.Leslie S.Macdougall 1877-1949

https://macdougalldiaries.blogspot.com

I, Joy Olney, a grandaughter of Leslie Stuart Macdougall became interested in Leslie's diaries as a means to gain further insights into the Macdougall family.  Grandpa wrote a diary every day from 1895 at age 17 until October 1948 at age 71. Leslie passed away on 8 February 1949.

Initially the information helped me identify family photographs, names and dates, but, it soon became a passion.  I have visited Tasmania four times since commencing this journey of discovery, in the years 2005 - 2010, seeking out places of interest, also homes and churches that Grandpa wrote about.  Then there were the Victorian appointments to visit.

Leslie Macdougall was born in Hobart on 4 March 1877 but grew up in Launceston. His hobbies included photography, music, reading and studying.

Leslie Macdougall 4 March 1884 - age 7 years

Leslie Macdougall 4 March 1884 - age 7 years

His parents were William Arthur and Sarah Ann Macdougall.  Leslie was the eldest of six children - Leslie Stuart, Hugh Campbell, Ruby Fredrica, twins Olive May Oban & Ila Aisbett, and Gwenneth Lenore Macdougall.

Macdougall family at home on King Island 9 September 1909

1897 - 1899 Leslie tutored the 4 sons of Mr.Louis Shoobridge in Bushy Park, Tasmania. 1900 he was a Home Missionary at Oatlands, Tasmania, and in 1901 he was invited to be the Classical Master at Leslie House School in Hobart. 

Leslie presented himself as a candidate for the Methodist ministry at Queen's College, Melbourne in 1902, serving in Victoria and Tasmania. He was ordained in 1910.  Leslie attained his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1918, Master of Arts degree with first class honours in English Literature in 1919, and graduated with a degree in Divinity in 1924. 

Rev L.S.Macdougall 20 April 1918

Leslie married Beatrice Helen Louise Wells on 9 September 1912 in Hobart.
Together they had three daughters - Winsome Lorne, Dorothy Glaed and Margaret Elizabeth Patricia.

Leslie Macdougall and Beatrice Wells married 9 September 1912

Macdougall family 15 January 1923

Macdougall family 19 January 1928

A conspicious quality of character was his sincerity of spirit, his complete honesty and his enduring loyalty to the friend or causes in which he believed.  He was not given to disquise his opinions, but was prepared to declare them when required with frankness and sincerity.  A man of great scolarship yet remained a student all his life. He was a mighty man of God and preached powerful sermons. He had a great love for the evangelical truths of the gospel which was abundantly evident in his Greek translations of the New Testament. His mental and spititual abilities made his ministry fruitful and his special talents were exercised in tutorial and literary work. His gifts for turorial work were availed of at the Methodist Theological Institution and on his retirement from circuit work he took classes at Brighton Grammar School and Haileybury College.

During World War 11 Leslie was appointed as the Methodist Representative for Australasia for the appointment of Protestant Naval Chaplains in collaboration with the Australian Navy.

Outstanding among his qualities was his courage, his brave heart and heroic spirit.  When his right arm was affected a few years before his death he knew how serious were the probable issues.  He had to undergo months of deep therapy treatment and wear his arm in a sling.  Later, complete amputation of the arm was performed, followed by a brief period of relief from pain.  But the pain soon returned, necessitating further treatment in hospital. During a long and painful experience he was cheerful and hopeful.  There was never a whimper.  No one ever heard him complain.  When any reference was made to this he invariably laughed it off as of no consequence.  Truely, his heart was undaunted, it was not pagan stoicism or natural fortitude.  His trust was in God.  He knew in whom he believed. Such was Leslie Macdougall under stress of sore affliction, and when face to face with the last enemy, and heart and flesh failed, he found God was the strength of his heart and his portion forever.

Leslie died a very valient soldier of Christ and passed from the scene of his earthly conflicts to receive the crown which awaits those who are faithful unto death on 8 February 1949.

Rev.Leslie S.Macdougall 1937

I have now read through all the diaries, and compiled a summary of the diaries year by year to enable the reader to have a better idea of location and activities associated with the life of Leslie Stuart Macdougall and his family from 1895 - 1948.

In the early years there was a variety of papers used to make up the diaries and Leslie bound his diaries himself until 1916.

Letters received were rewritten and letters sent were copied in his print style (1895 - 1904).

Cash reconcilliations for family finances were recorded each month in most diaries, also family photos, charts and newspaper clippings.

I have had some of the diaries rebound and they are stored in their own cabinet.

They are a priceless treasure.

Diary cabinet after rebinding some of the diaries

Diary cabinet before scanning and rebinding

1934 - 1942 diaries tied together with string

1934 - 1942 diaries after rebinding

The task of scanning every page of the 53 diaries has been enormous.  There are over 15,000 pages and it has taken more than 650 hours to achieve just that task, to say nothing of the time to read the diaries to compile the summary of each year (48 pages). I have come to understand why I go about some things in an untiring, painstaking and methodical manner - just like my Grandpa!

Leslie Macdougall's Register of every Baptism, and his Register of every Preaching Appointment from 1895 - 1948 have also been scanned.  Unfortunately he did not keep a register of all the marriages and funerals, but you can read about them in the diaries!

Example of Baptism Register 1910.  Leslie baptised 797 infants.

Example of Preaching Appointments in Ballarat in 1926

I have compiled a presentation of Rev Leslie S. Macdougall's diaries which includes every diary from 1895 - 1948 (over 15000 pages), cash reconciliations of family finances, family photographs (23 pages), family trees with photos (6 pages), baptismal register (54 pages), preaching appointments (220 pages) and love letters (81 pages) and a summary of each diary year by year (48 pages).

"The Epilogue" written by Allan Petfield (3 pages) and the "Biography of Leslie Macdougall" written by Winsome Petfield (5 pages) also give further insights into this remarkable man.

Leslie's wife, Beatrice Macdougall wrote a diary from 1953 - 1978.  These have also been scanned (1200 pages).  A summary of each year (19 pages) and family photographs (28 pages) make interesting reading.

I will endevour to get this information out to archival groups and historical societies as time permits.

This 10GB presentation is far too big for a blog.  I hope you will take a look at my blogs on Rev.L.S.Macdougall and his wife Beatrice. I do have the presentation on a 16GB USB. You can contact me at joyolney@gmail.com for your very own record of this piece of history.

I trust you enjoy reading the blogs as much as I have enjoyed this "labour of love" in memory of Leslie Stuart Macdougall.

Wells family trees

https://macdougalldiaries.blogspot.com

Harry Wells (25 November 1858 - 22 November 1935) left his homeland and came to Australia first to get work in 1887. Elizabeth Saunders (16 June 1862 - 19 October 1950) followed six months later.  They were married on 8 November 1887 in Launceston.  Harry worked in the Tasmanian Railways, at Formby in 1887, followed by Campbelltown, then Leith in 1890.  Promoted to Station Master at St. Mary's 1894, Zeehan 1905, Hobart in 1912, retiring when Station Master at Hobart in 1924.

Harry and Elizabeth Wells had three children.

Beatrice Helen Louise 9 September 1888 - 8 November 1983.

Winifred Alice 20 September 1890 - 20 November 1969.

Gladstone Gordon Thomas 2 December 1896 - 3 December 1982.

Beatrice married Leslie Macdougall 9 September 1912 in Hobart.

Beatrice and Leslie had three daughters, Winsome, Dorothy and Margaret.

Winsome married Allan Petfield and had two daughters, Joy and Dawn.

Dorothy married later in life to Bill Hitchings.

Margaret married Walter Fraser and they had two children, Ross and Anne.

Winifred married Arthur Tregear 8 November 1911 in Zeehan.

Winifred and Arthur had two children, Enid and Kenneth.

Enid married Walter Dennis and had four children, John, Olwyn, Suzanne, Rae.

Kenneth married Maurine Harris and had three daughters, Denise, Yvonne, and Lynette.

Gladstone married his cousin Dorothy Cook 25 December 1919 in Hobart.

Gladstone and Dorothy had no children (they were 1st cousins).

Leslie and Beatrice and family loved the opportunity to visit Tasmania and their family whenever they could.  With the Macdougalls in ministry and far from family, times were tough but they managed.

A 16 GB USB is available from Joy at joybelle@iinet.net.au, giving details on the Wells and Macdougall families as written in the diaries by Leslie S.Macdougall.

If you have any corrections or comments please contact the author Joy Olney via email: joyolney@gmail.com

Macdougall & Wells Family Collages

https://macdougalldiaries.blogspot.com

Macdougall and Wells Family Collages

Leslie Macdougall wrote extensively in his diaries from 1895 - 1948 about family.

Having grown up in Tasmania, the diaries give great insights into life in Tasmania from a family, church activities and community point of view from the early 1900s.

Leslie went to Queen's College in Melbourne for Theological training from 1902 - 1904, and did his Probation years in Victoria until Ordained in 1910.  From 1910 - 1921 Leslie was stationed in Tasmanian circuits and spent the rest of his circuit work in Victoria.

Leslie Macdougall's family lived in Launceston until 1901.  He was one of six children to William and Sarah Macdougall - Leslie, Hugh, Ruby, Ila, Olive, Gwenneth. The family became pioneer farmers on King Island. His father had a nasty accident on the property in 1914 which resulted in him never walking again. His sister Olive Macdougall continued to live on King Island.

Leslie married Beatrice Wells in Hobart in 1912.  Her father and mother came to Australia in 1887 from England.  Harry Wells was the Station Master at Hobart when he retired.

Beatrice and Leslie had three daughters, Winsome, Dorothy and Margaret.
Winsome married Allan Petfield and had two daughters, Joy and Dawn.
Dorothy remained single and became a Nurse. Dorothy married Bill Hitchings later in life.
Margaret married Walter Fraser and had two children, Ross and Anne.

Beatrice Macdougall's parents and sister remained in Tasmania.
Harry and Elizabeth Wells had three children, Beatrice, Winifred and Gladstone.

Winifred married Arthur Tregear and had two children, Enid and Kenneth.
Enid married Walter Dennis and had four children, John, Olwyn, Suzanne, Rae.
Kenneth Tregear married Maurine Harris, and had three daughters, Denise, Yvonne and Lynette.

Gladstone married his cousin Dorothy Cook, they had no children.

The family collages below reflect the dress of the day and most photos were taken by Leslie. Photography was his hobby.

Contact Joy be emailing joybelle@iinet.net.au to obtain your own 16GB USB which includes the diaries of Leslie (1895-1948) and Beatrice (1953-1978), Love Letters, Baptismal Register, Ledger of Preaching Appointments and summary of diaries year by year. 

If you have any corrections or comments please contact the author Joy Olney via email: joyolney@gmail.com

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Biography of Rev. Leslie S.Macdougall

https://macdougalldiaries.blogspot.com

Biography of Leslie Stuart Macdougall

Written by his daughter Winsome L.Petfield

On 4 March 1877, Leslie Stuart Macdougall was born in Hobart, Tasmania to Mr. & Mrs.W.A. Macdougall.

At an early age he moved with his parents to Launceston where he was educated.  Here he attended the Paterson Street Methodist Sunday School with his school boy pal and life long friend, Charles Dugan.  At the age of 11 years he commenced at the Launceston High School and three years later passed his Junior Public Examination of the University of Tasmania.  On Saturday morning 12 March 1892 (at 11am) he was converted while being in conversation with Mr.W.G.Edmunds - Master at the High School.  In 1894 he passed his Senior Public Examination - thus Matriculating.  The years 1895 - 1896 were spent at the University of Tasmania, Launceston Campus.

1897 - 1899 Leslie was tutor to the four sons of Mr.Louis Shoobridge "The Forest", Bushy Park (Derwent Valley).  In October 1899 he became a Home Missionary at Oatlands, Tasmania.  He was appointed as a Resident Master at Leslie House School (now known as Clemes College, Hobart) in October 1900 and here he remained until he went into the ministry.  Throughout his lifetime he retained his interest in the higher fields of learning as student and tutor.

In 1902 as a candidate for the Ministry of the Methodist Church, he entered the Theological Institution of Queen's College (University of Melbourne) to pursue his studies.  As a student preacher he spent his long vacations doing locum work at Stanley, Tasmania (1902), Nagambie, Victoria (1903), Mathinna, Tasmania (1904).

Leslie S.Macdougall 24 April 1905

After three years at Queen's College, his first Probation appointment was at Dumbalk and Meeniyan, Gippsland, Victoria (1905 - 1906).  Other probationary appointments were at Neerim, Victoria (1907), Berringa and Kaleno, Victoria (1908) and South Preston, Melbourne (1909).

Leslie S.Macdougall 23 July 1909

On 9 March 1910 he was ordained at the conference of the Victorian and Tasmanian Methodist Church under the Presidency of the Rev.Jonathan P.McCann.  His appointments after ordination were at Queenstown, Tasmania where he remained for two years and thence to New Norfolk, Tasmania.

On 9 September 1912 at Hobart he was married by the Rev.L.E.Bennett to Miss.Beatrice Wells, elder daughter of Mr.H.E.Wells, the then Station Master of Hobart.

During his three years ministry at New Norfolk, his eldest daughter Winsome was born.  The next appointment was to Westbury and after three years there he moved to Penguin.  Whilst stationed there a further three year period, he gained his Master of Arts Degree and his second and third daughters, Dorothy and Margaret were born.  This was his last appointment in the Apple Isle.

Rev.L.S.Macdougall B.A.20 April 1918

 He was then appointed to the following circuits in Victoria - Euroa (3 years), Skipton Street, Ballarat (5 years), Peace Memorial East Malvern (4 years), Coburg (4 years), Williamstown (5 years), and New Street, Brighton (3 years).

His retirement as a Supernumerary Minister took place in 1945 at the completion of his term at Brighton.  The four years of retirement were spent at his home at 20 Comer Street, East Brighton.

He attained his M.A.Degree with first class final honours in English Literature and graduated to Divinity amid the distractions of counrty circuits and without tutorial assistance or access to Metropolitan Libraries.

We was well versed in Classical English, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, French, German, Anglo-Saxon, Esperanto and Gaelic.  His latter tutorials at Queen's College (University of Melbourne), "Otira" Home Missionary Training College, Brighton Grammar School and Haileybury College included English Literature, New Testament Greek, Hebrew, Latin and Church History.

He was a foundation member and Secretary of the Ballarat Gaelic Circle.

For many years he interested himself in the Royal Australian Navy, having been gazetted Naval Reserve Chaplain whilst stationed at Williamstown.  During the 1939 - 1945 War he was appointed by the Presendent General to be Methodist Naval Representative for Australasia and was responsible for the appointments in collaboration with the Navy Department of the Methodist Naval Chaplains.

Those who knew him would agree that it would not be an overstatement to say in the broadest terms that he was untiring, painstaking and methodical in all his work.  His attention to detail in all circuit administration, his planned approach to all matter of scholarship, preaching and teaching have been matters to marvel at.

Rev.L.S.Macdougall August 1937

 During his ministry at Brighton he was called upon to bear the beginning of the malady, which despite the treatment he received and the operation he withstood, finally took its toll.  For almost the last five years he had to wear his arm in a sling following a pathological fracture of the upper arm.  With stoical resistance he fought against the effects of the distracting pains.  With determination he continued his work with which was interspersed with long periods of treatment which involved daily visits to hospital for periods of ten weeks at a time. During this period he continued his lectures at Queen's College, Brighton Grammar School and Haileybury College learning to write with his left hand.

Knowing all the time that someday he would probably permanently lose the use of his right arm, he prepared his notes on lectures two years in advance.  He never accepted defeat and all his plans were made with confidence in his ability to meet his commitments for the future.

In July 1948 Leslie entered the Royal Melbourne Hospital where under the expert surgery and care of Doctors and Nurses, his right arm and shoulder were amputated successfully.

Within six weeks he was again in his place at Haileybury College tutoring his boys whom he felt he had failed by the intermission of his operation.  He continued both at Haileybury and Queen's College until the end of the college year, his work complete, and his duty discharged.

During the second week in November, his physical endurance heavily taxed as a result of the effects of the operation and subsequent treatment, he again entered the Royal Melbourne Hospital for further treatment.

He returned to his home on 15 January, where the heavy load of caring for her afflicted husband was borne unflinchingly by his life partner. Every day until the last, he endevoured to make her burden lighter.  With loving care Beatrice was alone with Leslie when he entered into the presence of God and saw his Master face to face at 2.40pm on 8 February 1949.

According to records kept by him, Leslie Stuart Macdougall preached in the vicinity of 6000 sermons and officiated at 797 baptisms.

Winsome L.Petfield.

I have compiled a 10GB presentation on the life of Rev.Leslie S.Macdougall - far too big for a blog! This presentation includes each diary from 1895 - 1948 (over 15,000 pages), written with great detail and gives insight into the life of a Methodist minister in Tasmania and Victoria over a 53 year period. Included in the diaries is a cash reconciliation of family finances each year, charts, newspaper clippings and family photographs. An extensive summary of each year helps the reader see at a glance a busy life, totally commited to his work (48 pages). The Baptism Register records the family details of the 797 babies he baptised (54 pages). A ledger of preaching appointments records the date, location, Old and New Testament readings, children's address, hymns, collection, number present (220 pages). Love letters of Leslie and Beatrice are also interesting reading (81 pages), family photographs (23 pages).

Beatrice wrote a diary from 1953 - 1978, mainly about family, gardening and Church activities (1200 pages), family photographs (28 pages) and summary of each year (19 pages).

For your very own unique piece of history a 16 GB USB is available by contacting Joy Olney via email: joyolney@gmail.com