| (1786?-7 Sept. 1860), deputy registrar of GC. Born probably Cape Breton. Parents: John McGillis (called John Go, the Go representing the Gaelic word for blacksmith), a U E Loyalist, the brother of Angus and Hugh McGillis, and his wife Christy McMillan (name Catherine McMillan also found). Donald came to GC as a child. He was on the voyage of the //Tonquin// 1810-1811 to found Astoria, being one of at least five men of GC connections on this voyage. (See entries for Alexander and Thomas MacKay, Alexander Ross, and Donald McLennan. There is a historical novel on this voyage, Cecil Dryden’s //By Sea on the Tonquin//, 1956. For this ship, of importance in the Glengarry story, there is much in the fur trade literature.) Afterwards he entered the service of the North West Company. By 1817 he was living on the Ottawa River. At the time of the 1851 census, he was a schoolteacher, listed for Lot 18, 6th Concession Lancaster Township. At dates which are unknown, he served as deputy registrar of deeds for GC, living in Alexandria. Presumably at this time, as later in the century, the deputy registrar was appointed by the registrar. He was married on 28 Dec. 1829 by the Rev. John McLaurin (1794-1833), a Presbyterian minister, to Ruby Rutherford (d. 18 April 1860), of Vermont. Their daughter Julia Ann married Cosmos Kerr. Another daughter Miss Philema (or Phelima) M. McGillis died at Alexandria, 23 Dec. 1917, aged 84, at the home of her nephew Frank Kerr. Her father was stated in her obituary to have settled permanently in Glengarry in 1830. (ten children) | (1786?-7 Sept. 1860), deputy registrar of GC. Born probably Cape Breton. Parents: John McGillis (called John Go, the Go representing the Gaelic word for blacksmith), a U E Loyalist, the brother of Angus and Hugh McGillis, and his wife Christy McMillan (name Catherine McMillan also found). Donald came to GC as a child. He was on the voyage of the //Tonquin// 1810-1811 to found Astoria, being one of at least five men of GC connections on this voyage. (See entries for [[mackay_alexander|Alexander]] and [[mckay_thomas|Thomas MacKay]], [[ross_alexander|Alexander Ross]], and [[mclennan_donald|Donald McLennan]]. There is a historical novel on this voyage, Cecil Dryden’s //By Sea on the Tonquin//, 1956. For this ship, of importance in the Glengarry story, there is much in the fur trade literature.) Afterwards he entered the service of the North West Company. By 1817 he was living on the Ottawa River. At the time of the 1851 census, he was a schoolteacher, listed for Lot 18, 6th Concession Lancaster Township. At dates which are unknown, he served as deputy registrar of deeds for GC, living in Alexandria. Presumably at this time, as later in the century, the deputy registrar was appointed by the registrar. He was married on 28 Dec. 1829 by the Rev. John McLaurin (1794-1833), a Presbyterian minister, to Ruby Rutherford (d. 18 April 1860), of Vermont. Their daughter Julia Ann married Cosmos Kerr. Another daughter Miss Philema (or Phelima) M. McGillis died at Alexandria, 23 Dec. 1917, aged 84, at the home of her nephew Frank Kerr. Her father was stated in her obituary to have settled permanently in Glengarry in 1830. (ten children) |
