Alexander (Macdonald) Macdonald of Macdonald and Sleat (1744 - 1795)

Born 1744 in Sleat, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth Diana (Bosville) MacDonald — married 3 May 1768 in St.Giles's-in-the-Fields, Camden, London, England

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Karen MacDonald [send private message]

Note: There were at least 3 different Alexander Macdonalds/MacDonalds who served as Loyalist officers in the American Revolution:

• Lt. Col. Alexander Macdonald (1746-1781)
• Lord Alexander Macdonald (1744-1795)
• Maj. Alexander MacDonald (1724- )

Biography

Alexander also attended Eton and from there the University of St. Andrews. He acquired a commission as an Ensign with the Coldstream guards in May 1761 which he resigned once he succeeded as Chief.

Alexander was very different than his brother Sir James. He is described by the Rev. MacDonalds as "entirely anti-Celtic."

On July 17, 1766 Alexander was created a Peer of Ireland with the title, Baron Macdonald of Sleat, County Antrim.

In 1777 Alexander was asked to raise a Highland regiment with the offer of the Lieutenant-Colonelcy. He raised the regiment but declined the offer of command suggesting Major John Macdonnell of Lochgarry as a substitute. The regiment was later known as the 76th or Macdonald's Highlanders. Comprising 1086 men, 750 of whom came from Skye and North Uist. In 1779 they embarked for New York where they served "with distinction" in the American Revolution. The regiment was disbanded in March 1784.

Lord Alexander had an interest in politics and was an unsuccessful candidate for inverness-shire in 1782. It seems odd, given his character but Alexander was also well known as a talented violin player and composer. Somes of his tunes, "Lord Macdonald's Reel," "Mrs Mackinnon of Corry," and "Mrs Macleod of Ellanwoch." are still known today.

Lord Alexander Macdonald died September 12, 1795 in his 50s and was succeeded by his son Alexander Wentworth Macdonald.

Sources

Macdonald, Rev. A. and Macdonald Rev. A. (1904). The Clan Donald: Volume 3. Inverness, Scotland. Northern Counties Publishing Company Ltd. pp. 99-101, 475.

Alexander Mackenzie (1881), [History of the Macdonalds and the Lords of the Isles: With Genealogies of the Principal Families of the Name], A. & W. Mackenzie - Publisher

"The General Correspondence of James Boswell, 1766-1769." Edited by Richard C. Cole, with Peter S. Baker and Rachel McClellan, and with the assistance of James J. Caudel; Google Books. Accessed October 30, 2015. https://books.google.ca/books?id=Aqbs1VnYC7IC&pg=PA234&lpg.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Macdonald,_1st_Baron_Macdonald

Clan Somerled from www.clandonaldusa.org

Footnotes

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Eugene Quigley for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Eugene and others.