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Storm at sea led to building of church

Storm at sea led to building of church

The man who built an Inverness-shire church as thanks for being saved from a storm at sea, was remembered at the weekend.

After making his fortune as a sheep and cattle farmer in Australia, Alexander McDonell (1808-1876), originally from Bunoich, Fort Augustus, sold up in 1857 and was sailing home with his wife Jessie when the vessel hit a violent storm.

Fearing for their lives and in prayer for their safety, McDonell made a vow, that should they be spared to return to Scotland, he would build a church in thanksgiving.

On their safe return to Scotland they took up residence at Lasswade then leased Garthbeg Estate in Stratherrick district with collateral being a £30,000 note.

McDonell’s contacts with the local community at Stratherrick soon alerted him to the strong desire within the Roman Catholics for a church to be built for their local worship.

He recognised the opportunity to honour his earlier vow and donated the sum of £391 which was added to the £49 raised by locals, which enabled the Church of the Immaculate Conception to be built on a croft donated by Lord Lovat of Beauly. It was consecrated in 1859, and on Sunday a commemoration service was held there to remember their benefactor.

After McDonell’s death in 1876 a further donation of £100 was made to the Stratherrick church through his will.

His widow Jessie, who had moved to Inverness after his death, donated £1,200 to develop St Mary’s chapel in Huntly Street, Inverness.