Capt. John HENDERSON-MACDONALD [13716]

  General Notes:

From Hart's Army Lists, John Henderson's miltary career was:
Ensign 18 Apr 1845, Lt. 2 Dec 1846, Capt. 18 Mar 1853
- in Ceylon Rifle regt. in lists 1846-53, 78th Highl. 1854-59 (HQ Poona)
- service in Ceylon uprising of 1848
- retired ca. 1860 (in Army List 1859, not in it 1861)

From the Liverpool Mercury Nov 30th 1852:
Married - May 4th, St Paul's Cathedral, Calcutta by special licence, John HENDERSON, Lieut Ceylon Rifles, formerly resident in this town to Sara Marie Constance daughter of M. Michel Darup de Dombal of Calcutta.

Captain John Henderson-Macdonald was of the 78th Highlanders, of Caskieben
This is deduced from reports of his leaving L1000 to pay for the statue of Flora Macdonald in Inverness, unveiled by his daughter Mrs Fraser in 1899. The Hendersons of Caskieben included a number of doctors, among whom William (b 1792) appears to be John's father.

  Research Notes:

In 2016 Jenny Johnston wrote:
I am attempting to confirm the authors of Excursions and Adventures in New South Wales; with Pictures of Squatting and of Life in the Bush; an Account of the Climate, Productions, and Natural History of the Colony, and of the Manners and Customs of the Natives, with Advice to Emigrants, &c. published in 1851 by John Henderson, and Observations on the Colonies of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land published in 1832 by John Henderson."

Jenny assisted by Dennis Mollinson found the following:
1.John Henderson (bp1796-d1836) author of Observations on the Colonies of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land
Overview
Despite several references [1, 2] to the contrary, it appears that the two books on the database authored by John Henderson were written by different authors.
This John Henderson was baptised 1796; joined the East India Company as a Surgeon 1815; [3] saw service in India until 1829; in 1829 chose to have a 'furlough' in Australia due to ill health and arrived in Van Diemans Land 1829 [4] ; he attempted to encourage and advise on advancements in that Colony, e.g. The Van Diemans Land Society & educational establishments etc; [5] he secured a grant of land and established a farm; [6] in 1830 travelled to New South Wales and undertook some exploration including in the Wellington Caves [7] ; in 1831 returned to India and was involved in setting up factories for the advancement of the inhabitants & a printing press; [7] published the above book in 1832; [8] C1835 explored the country in Northern India and returned to Ludhiana physically exhausted and subsequently died in March 1836. [7] His Will and the Inventory of his estate, [9, 10] confirm the family connection to the John Henderson Surgeon who joined the EIC in 1815 and assets which included Indigo mills, Van Dieman's Land property and the printing press; newspaper reports confirm the details of his travel and activities in both Australia and India, against the information he provided in his book Observations on the Colonies…. His memory is preserved in the memorial erected in St Veagans Church, Angus Scotland, where he was baptised. [11]

2.John Henderson (bp1819-d) author of Excursions and Adventures in New South Wales; with Pictures of Squatting and of Life in the Bush; an Account of the Climate, Productions, and Natural History of the Colony, and of the Manners and Customs of the Natives, with Advice to Emigrants, &c.
As stated above, many sources state that these two publications were authored by the same John Henderson. This author arrived in Sydney in 1838. [12] In his book above, published in 1851, [13] he begins with diary detail of the dates [not the year] of the progress of the ship he travelled on which he named the Fortune. In the New South Wales State Library catalogue, a volume titled 'John Henderson log book of a voyage towards New Holland in the ship Florentia, March-August 1838' [14] will be found to be the log book of that journey. A newspaper article of the early days of the journey of the Florentia [15] match exactly with those in Henderson's Excursions and Adventures … and a further newspaper report includes Henderson as a passenger. The catalogue entry also gives the following detail: [12]
Scope and Content: Typed note in front of manuscript states that the writer was Captain John Macdonald Henderson, who afterward changed his name to John Macdonald. He wrote several books, including excursions and adventures in New South Wales, 1851, editions of which are in the Mitchell Library. [14]
The arrival of Henderson of Excursions … has been established to be beyond the death date of John Henderson of Observations…. Captain John Henderson authored a report The History of the Rebellion in Ceylon … in 1868[16] on the rebellion in Ceylon which occurred in 1848 and that publication confirms that he was both in Ceylon at the time of the rebellion and in Australia a few years previously. The period of time in Australia documented in his book Excursions and Adventures … includes exploration of the country out and around Sydney and a period where he took up land as a station on the Macleay river which he worked for approximately four years. The evidence of his army qualification is stated on the title page of the above publication as Lieutenant in Ceylon Rifles and his advancement can be traced from Ensign 1845; through 1st & 2nd Lieutenant to Captain in 1853. It appears that he returned from Australia and joined the army around 1845, posted to the Ceylon Rifles active in Ceylon. His final promotion to Captain was made to the 78th Highlanders 'Foot' in 1854. [17-20]
In 1852 he married in Calcutta, Sara Marie Constance de Dombal.[21, 22] The 1871 Census established him as a Retired Military Captain living in London with his wife and daughter; he is now John M Henderson. [23] By 1891 he and his wife are living in Brighton and recorded as Macdonald. [24] The clues to this name change are confirmed on the memorial to his mother Alexia Henderson
Sacred to the memory of ALEXIA MacDONALD, daughter of Captn Alexander MacDonald of (A Cadet of the Family of Clanranald) and wife of Wm Henderson, Esq of Caskieben. She died 13th Jan 1825 aged 36.
This cross was erected by their only son, JOHN M MacDONALD, Captn 78th Highlanders, who assumed his mother's name. [25] The name changes later in his life have made confirmation of his death difficult.
John Henderson was baptised 23 January 1819 with parents William Henderson and his wife Alexia Macdonald. [26] The timeline of the arrival of the Henderson (1796-1836) of Observations … could not match with the Henderson (1819-) of Excursions…; his baptism in 1819 after his parents' marriage in 1815 would calculate to an age of around 10 years in 1829 would not fit with the documented arrival of the experienced surgeon Henderson (1796-1836) from tasks in India.
Captain John Henderson Macdonald of the 78th Highlanders bequeathed L1000 for the building of a statue to Flora Macdonald at Inverness. Newspaper reports of the unveiling in 1899 by his daughter Mrs Fraser included family information, including the fact that he died in 1894 and his wife a little later.[27]
John Henderson died in Brighton 5 February 1894 [28] [29]named as John Macdonald Macdonald. The Probate reference leaves no doubt that this named person was the John Henderson of the 78th Highlanders and husband of Sara Marie Constance, although her surname is by this time also Macdonald. Her death in occurred in the following year.

References.
1.Ockerbloom, J.M., The Online Books Page. .
2.Henderson, J., Capt. 78th Highlanders Observations on the colonies of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land. 1832.
3.British India Office Assistant Surgeons. 1815, The British Library Board: findmypast.
4.Shipping news, in The Hobart Town Courier. 1829. p. 2.
5.Van Dieman's Land Society, in Colonial Times. 1829. p. 3.
6.in The Hobart Town Courier 1834. p. 2.
7.Hoare, M.E., Doctor John Henderson and The Van Diemen's Land Scientific Society. p. 1-18.
8.Henderson, J., MD,, Observations on the Colonies of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land. 1832, Calcutta, India: Baptist Mission Press.
9.Henderson, J., Will. 1828: India.
10.Inventory & Accounts Estate Dr John Henderson. 1837: India.
11.Memorial to Dr John Henderson. Ancestry.com: Find a Grave.
12.Shipping Intelligence, in Colonist. 1838: Sydney. p. 2.
13.Henderson, J., Leutenant 78th Highlanders, Excursions and Adventures in New South Wales; with Pictures of Squatting and of Life in the Bush; an Account of the Climate, Productions, and Natural History of the Colony, and of the Manners and Customs of the Natives, with Advice to Emigrants, &c. 1851, W Schobel: London.
14.Henderson, J., John Henderson log book of a voyage towards New Holland in the ship Florentia, March-August 1838. 1838: State Library New South Wales.
15.Ship News, in Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser , page 2 1838: Sydney. p. 2.
16.Henderson, J.M., Captain, (late 78th Highlanders), The history of the rebellion in Ceylon during Lord Torrington's government: Affording a comparison with Jamaica and Governor Eyre. 1868, Charles J Skeet: London.
17.in London Gazette. 1845: London. p. 6.
18.in Aberdeen Journal. 1847: Aberdeen.
19.in Daily News. 1853: London.
20.in Inverness Courier. 1854: Inverness.
21.Married, in Liverpool Mercury. 1852: Liverpool.
22.WO25 Reports of Officers' Marriages. 1852, The National Archives: London.
23.England Census. 1871.
24.England Census. 1891.
25.Memorial. 1825.
26.Old Parish Registers. 1819.
27.The Flora Macdonald Memorial, in Aberdeen Journal 1899.
28.England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966.
29.England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915.
J Johnston 2016

Email 7 Jun 2016:
I now have a copy of the book you mentioned - DOCTOR JOHN HENDERSON AND THE VAN DIEMEN'S LAND SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY, which I can send if it interests you, although this is JH1. The report The History of the Rebellion in Ceylon … written by Capt John Henderson is at <https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951p00739054g;view=1up;seq=15> but you may have already found that, P55 he mentions briefly his time in Australia

The following may also be of interest to you from my notes - let me know if you can't access them from the links and I can send images.
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32160896> arrival of Florentia 1838
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2544977?searchTerm=florentia&searchLimits=exactPhrase gives details of the delayed departure of the Florentia from UK due to weather - matches the details John Henderson gave in Excursions and Adventures…

<http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=133021808&ref=acom> memorial to mother Alexia Henderson nee Macdonald
<http://www.ambaile.org.uk/detail/en/11218/1/EN11218-unveiling-of-flora.htm> unveiling of statue to Flora Macdonald. Capt John Henderson Macdonald bequeathed £1000 towards the statue
<http://search.findmypast.com.au/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0000060%2f18990727%2f012> unveiling of above "gifted to Inverness by the late Capt Henderson McDonald of the 78th Highlanders" by his only daughter Mrs Fraser of Southsea. Full details of the speeches included. Note. It is believed that Mrs Fraser was christened Alexia Mary Beatrice Dedomal Flora Henderson
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4400102#imageViewerLink <http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4400102> is an image of his marriage from WO 25. Reports of Officers' Marriages although it is extremely hard to read.
<http://search.findmypast.com.au/record?id=bl%2fbind%2f005137024%2f00205&parentid=bl%2fbind%2fm%2f44285%2f1> Marriage image

I tried to find the record for the birth/baptism for the daughter and believe this is probably Alexia <https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYTS-KMK> but like you was unable to identify her on ScotlandsPeople.

  Other Records

1. Census: England, 2 Apr 1871, 57 Hereford St Marylebone. John is recorded as married aged 45 retired military captain born Scotland

John married Sarah Maria Constance de DOMBAL [13720] [MRIN: 4571], daughter of M. Michel Darup de DOMBAL of Calcutta [13721] and Sarah Mary DRIVER [13722], on 4 May 1852 in St Pauls Cathedral Calcutta India. (Sarah Maria Constance de DOMBAL [13720] was born on 29 May 1830 in West Bengal India.)