Alexander MacDonell (abt. 1740 - 1803)

Born about 1740 in Glengarry, Inverness-shire, Scotland

Ancestors

Died 19 May 1803 at about age 63 in Lachine, Lower Canada

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Biography

Alexander MacDonell "Alasdair MacDhòmhnuill" was born around 1740 in the western Scottish highlands, probably Glengarry. He was the son of Angus MacDonell of Scothouse (Scotus) and Catherine MacLeod of Bernera. His father being Catholic and his mother a "heretic," he entered the Jesuits' Scots College in Rome, Italy on 23 Nov 1759. He took his vows on 25 May 1760 and was ordained a Catholic priest on 19 May 1767, having completed his studies in philosophy and nearly finished theology and dogmatics. According to the school's register, he was "of good disposition, with a fine mind and and aptitude."

He returned to the Highlands in 1767 and served in the Knoydart area of Glengarry for some time. In 1786 the MacDonell's of Knoydart were forced to abandon their lands. A party of 540 sailed from Greenock and arrived in Quebec on 7 Sep 1786. Although they had intended to settle at Cataraqui (Kingston, Ont.), the emigrants were persuaded instead to join their clansmen of the 1773 emigration now settled in the townships of Charlottenburg and Lancaster. ^[1]

Quebec Gazette 7 Sept 1786

ARRIVALS:- "Ship M'Donald, Robert Stevenson, in 61 days from Glasgow. Passengers, Messrs. Ronald M'Donald, Alexander M'Donald, Ensign M.Donald of late 71st regiment, Rod. M'Donald, Lieut M'Donald of late 71st regiment and Mr. M'Serven; Mrs. M'Donald, Miss Isabella M'Donald, Miss Mary M'Donald and Miss Ann M'Donald, besides 520 steerage passengers; being the whole inhabitants of a parish in the North of Scotland, who emigrated with their Priest, in hopes of bettering themselves at Cataraqui and its environs."^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ “MacDONELL OF SCOTHOUSE, ALEXANDER,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 5, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed March 22, 2016, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/macdonell_of_scothouse_alexander_5E.html.
2. ↑ "A History of Glengarry" by Royce MacGilliray and Ewan Ross publ 1979 p 8

• Macdonald, Rev. A. and Macdonald Rev. A. (1904). The Clan Donald: Volume 3. Inverness, Scotland. Northern Counties Publishing Company Ltd.p. 323.