(12 Jan. 1831-2 Sept. 1908), postmaster. (Christopher J. McRae, Christopher McRae, C. J. McRae) Born in Dundee, Que. Parents: Alexander McRae and his wife Flora, both natives of Rossshire, Scotland. During his younger years, he lived in California for a period approaching a dozen years. Relocating to GC, “he engaged in the lumber business, at Glen Nevis where his parents at this time resided. Some years later, he removed to Glen Roy, where he erected a saw-mill and established the first store.” At Glen Roy, Christopher J. McRae was a farmer and storekeeper (the store being at the corner of Lot 12 in the 9th Concession of Charlottenburgh), and he kept the post office in his store, being postmaster of Glen Roy from 1874 to 1905. He was the first postmaster under the name of Glen Roy, but there had been an earlier post office there under the name of Sierra. He is said to have given Glen Roy its name, from families of the area known as the “Roy” MacDonalds and the “Roy” MacDougalds. He may also have been the McRae who, having experience of the American West, gave the place its earlier name of Sierra. When the Glen Roy post office closed in 1953, it was remembered that it had had over all the years only three postmasters. Christopher J. McRae built a private separate school at Glen Roy. On 17 Oct. 1870, at St. Raphael’s, he was married to Margaret Corbet (8 Aug. 1841-25 May 1914), sister of Mgr George Corbet. Their son, Fr Corbet McRae, is noticed in this dictionary.

     The journalist Alexander Mackenzie, during his tour of GC in 1879, called at Christopher McRae’s home at “Glenroy,” but McRae would seem, from the resulting passsage in Mackenzie’s narrative of his tour, to have been absent at the time. However, Mackenzie describes him as having “a fine farm,” and keeping “the district shop or store,” and reports “We were hospitably entertained by his better-half, and I had a most interesting chat with his father, a fine old gentleman, 93 years of age, who left Glenelchaig in Kintail in 1821. The venerable sire, I had been told, was full of old lore and Highland tradition; but my time was too limited to enable me to get him into the proper groove, which I very much regret. Another of his sons, Duncan, owns the fine farm of Glen-Nevis, the whole family being exceedingly comfortable and well-to-do.” Christopher J. McRae died at his residence at Glen Roy. (two children) He and his wife are buried at St. Raphael’s. The GN obituaries of this couple praise their kindness to the poor and needy.

Glengarry News 4 & (QF) 11 Sept. 1908, Cornwall Freeholder 11 Sept. 1908 * Fraser, Gravestones, III, 48 * obituary of his wife, GN 29 May 1914 * report, with historical notes, on closing of Glen Roy post office, GN 17 Dec. 1953 * MacGillivray & Ross 336-337 * Mrs K. Emberg, “Glen Roy’s Story,” 4 pp. typescript, in present author’s collection * Alexander Mackenzie in The Celtic Magazine, V (1880) 156 * Harkness 254 (father?)