(Feb. 1892-26 Aug. 1964), merchant, promoter of agriculture. (J. W. MacRae, Jack MacRae, Jack W. MacRae) Born at St. Raphael’s, GC. Parents: Duncan A. McRae the Gaelic singer and his wife Catherine Kennedy. He attended Iona Academy at St. Raphael’s, GC, and the Grand Seminaire in Montreal. In the First World War, he was a driver with the Canadian Garrison Artillery. From 1924 till 1945 he was a general merchant at the hamlet of Lochiel, in Lochiel Township, dealing in the very wide range of merchandise usual among the country storekeepers of the time. His store was “the meeting place for the community for many years.” And he also at that location, as side operations, ran a gristmill and seed cleaning plant and blacksmith shop, employing a blacksmith for the latter. Active in community and GC area development, especially in matters related to agriculture, he was elected president of the Ontario Ploughman’s Association in 1938, and was one of the activists who brought about the Ottawa Valley Seed Growers’ Association, and he was one of its presidents. In the federal general election of 26 March 1940, he stood as a National Government candidate for the GC constituency (also called the Conservative candidate and farmers’ candidate) but he was defeated by the Liberal candidate, Dr W. B. MacDiarmid. There was no Conservative candidate as such. During the Second World War, he and his wife were prominent in the work of the GC area Red Cross. In 1945, he became fieldman for the Crops, Weeds and Seeds division of the Ontario Dept. of Agriculture. At this time, he sold his store at Lochiel and moved to Kemptville. After retiring from this position, he worked for two years for the agricultural division of CIL (Canadian Industries Limited).

     He was married to Mary (Molly) Kelly. (one child) He was the brother of Fr Allan Bernard McRae the missionary.

Biog. sketches prepared on occasion of his induction into the GC Agricultural Wall of Fame: Glengarry News 23 April 1997 and Vankleek Hill Review 30 April 1997 (each has material not in the other and the latter has a line portrait, presumably by Douglas A. Fales) * , Butternuts and Maple Sugar 189-190 (with portrait) (QF) * Basil McCormick, “Lochiel in the 1940s,” Glengarry Life No. 37 (2003) * Dumbrille, U, 121 *private information * adverts. for his store and seeding cleaning plant at Lochiel, e.g., GN 5 April 1935 (headed “Shop at Lochiel–It Pays”), 21 Feb. 1936, 29 Oct. 1937, 25 March, 28 Oct. and 25 Nov. 1938 * letter-article by him on forthcoming district seed fair, GN 21 Feb. 1936 * 1940 election: his electoral advert., with portrait, Standard Freeholder 21 March 1940; results SFH 27 March 1940, GN 29 March 1940 * work of Mr and Mrs J. W. MacRae with Red Cross: see, e.g., news report GN 26 Dec. 1941 on annual meeting of Lochiel Township division of the GC Red Cross Society * elected Grand Knight, Glengarry Council, Knights of Columbus, GN 9 June 1944 * buys home at Kemptville, GN 15 June 1945