Hello Janice, You should try a couple of the Hastings County resources where Belleville is located. The hastings county mailing list . http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/intl/CAN/CAN-ONT-HASTINGS.htm l And the Hastings County Historical Society http://www3.sympatico.ca/nick.white/HCHS/newsletters.html Their Feb 2009 and March 2009 newsletters talks about the band. They also have a forum. There are 2 records relating to your Walter that suggest he wasn't in the band very long. His US WWI draft registration signed 1917 say he was a detective for a detective agency working in Providence Rhode Island. He had 7 years military experience in the artillery for Great Britain. His marriage record in 1913 in Attleborugh, Massachusetts say his residence at the time was Nelson, NZ and he was working as a ---? Officer on a [cruise?] ship. He was a widower at the time of this marriage. Good luck Joanna > Message: 1 > Date: Thu, 13 May 2010 20:38:19 +1200 > From: Janice Searle <[email protected]> > Subject: [ONTARIO] Canadian Kilties Band world tour 1908-1910 > To: [email protected] > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > Good evening, > > I am not familiar with Canadian research so I apologise if I am asking in the wrong > mailing list. If so, please aim me in the right direction. > > I am researching my maternal grandfather, Walter Seymour MCDONALD who was > born in Nelson, New Zealand in 1886. He apparently joined the Canadian Kilties > Band when they toured NZ (in early 1909?) and travelled with them to Tasmania, > Australia, Ceylon, India, Burmah, Egypt, Italy, France, Portugal and the UK > eventually ending in New York. (This was reported in a newpaper cutting when he > returned to live in NZ in 1920). > I have found newpaper reports of the time advertising the arrival of the Kilties in Jan > 1909. Having googled, I have found that the band was known as the Belleville > Kilties Band, under Drum Major Roderick Bain MacKenzie. I would be interested > in any information about the band in the period 1909 - 1920. Confirming some if > the places they toured would be great. > Were they connected in any way to any military regiment? If so did they fight in > WW1? An uncle had some recollection of mention that my grandfather was in the > Black Watch? Not sure if he meant regiment or tartan? > Are there any photos in existence today of the band members which may include > Walter Seymour (Hector) MCDONALD? > > > Kind regards > Janice Searle > Darfield, NZ

Thank you to Joanna, Donald and Bill who have offered suggestions regarding Walter Hector Seymour MCDONALD who joined the Kilties band in 1909 and toured with them for several years. I have viewed the Hastings County Historical Society website and made enquiries there regarding the album mentioned. Does anyone know whether the band is still in existence today? Googling has not revealed much more information. I have searched the Australian newspapers of the day and got some snippets of info about touring there both before and after their trip to NZ (1908-1909). The information regarding my grandfather's marriage in 1913 to my grandmother states he was a widow. Would some kind soul be able to search for a possible marriage between 1909 and 1913 in Canada. If my grandfather is listed as having been in the British army on his WW1 draft card, could that refer to service while in the band under 'Canada' as a member of the Commonwealth? The marriage registration says he was a 2nd officer on a convict ship. We have a photo of him in a uniform aboard a ship and written on the back it mentions a convict ship. Were there still convict ships at this time (1913) or would it have been an ex-convict ship in general use? Sorry, so many questions and as he was a 'traveller', so many places to consider. Thanks for the help so far, Kind regards Janice