John Macdonald
A prominent and popular figure in Jamaican racing in the second half of the 19th century was John Macdonald or Mcdonald who had his saddlery and harness business on Harbour Street.
Harbour St, Kingston, late 19th century
Daily Gleaner, December 16, 1879
The annual show of horses for the races took place on Saturday at noon, before the store of Mr. J. McDonald. More than thirty animals were on parade, and their condition was very favorably criticised by the crowd gathered at the spot. Josephine, Beaconsfield and Newminster (which does not run) were specially admired.
Daily Gleaner, May 26, 1887
The celebrated racer Prince, a very valuable horse and well-known on the turf, will be put up to publio auction at eleven o'clock this morning, in front of the store of Mr. John McDonald, in Harbour Street, by Messrs. Stines and Magnus, auctioneers. Prince is a thorough bred horse, four years old, and is by the English horse "Gloucester," out of "Mischief,'' by "Camillo." Buyers now have a good opportunity for securing a good racer and a first-class stud horse.
Prince belonged to Emanuel G Levy, Member of the Legislative Council, elected in 1884, when a measure of representative government was restored in Jamaica. Levy, who owned several race horses, died at the age of 38, in September 1886; the horse was being sold presumably as a part of the arrangements dealing with his estate.
Daily Gleaner, July 16, 1960
Sir George Seymour-Seymour remembers . . .
'The memory of those days crowds upon me. I can see the parade of the
horses that came up from the country that was a regular feature of the
week before Christmas along Harbour Street. As they were led along the
street the fellows used to congregate at Mr. John McDonald's saddlery
store . . . . A man would shout out the name of the horses as they came
along evenly spaced. He would give out their pedigree and so on and it
was a great sight seeing them coming along prancing and jumping.'
Daily Gleaner, January 17, 1898
THE LATE JOHN MACDONALD.
The new year has removed from Jamaica a
figure which seemed destined almost to be a
permanent fixture
in the island. Mr. JOHN
MACDONALD, saddler, Harbour Street,
Kingston,
was known specially to every
Scotchman and to most others in the colony
to whom his store was an agreeable rendez-
vous where the gossip of he
day was retailed.
His form was familiar to the "oldest inhabitant."
Beneath a somewhat dry and caustic manner he concealed many kindly
qualities, and he will be sorely missed in the community.
click below for
Daily Gleaner, May 9, 1963
''John MacDonald's store on Harbour Street
stands where formerly the Printing
Establishment of Jordon & Osborn stood; and
where the "Watchman" newspaper was
published under the editorship of Edward
Jordon; for articles in which he was tried and
acquitted at a critical period of Jamaican
history. The "Morning Journal'' was afterwards
published on the same site, but fire reduced
the site to ashes in 1876 - after which new
buildings were erected there.
MacDonald's Saddlery is well known throughout
Jamaica as the "Jamaican Tattersall's" because
here every stranger coming to town puts in an
appearance and the gossip of the country is
discussed and disposed of, just as if this were
the Stock Exchange. If any man is in the town,
he is sure to be discovered at John
MacDonald's. The old gentleman is a native of
Edinburgh and is universally known and
respected for his warmheartedness and fine
craftsmanship. His store is perhaps the most
amusing thoroughfare in town."
