====== Macdonell, Angus ====== (1791-1 June 1842, died aged 50 years and 9 months), pioneer settler of Alexandria. (Col. Angus Macdonell, Squire Angus Macdonell) He was the son of Allan Macdonell, who was the brother or half-brother of Bishop Macdonell. Angus Macdonell served in the War of 1812 in the 2nd Glengarry Fencibles, being an ensign in 1812, and being promoted to lieutenant as of 24 Feb. 1814. Thereafter, he was a half-pay officer till his death. As Lt. Macdonell, he was one of the officials involved in settling the Bathurst Proclamation emigrants of 1815, having particular responsibility for their accommodation in Cornwall over the winter of 1815-1816. He was an early settler at Alexandria. His uncle the bishop, who was the main founder of the town, is said to have transferred to him part of the property there of Spanish John (John Macdonell). At any rate, Angus was the owner of Lot 37 in 2nd Concession of Lochiel Township, one of the lots on which Alexandria developed. Angus operated a store at Alexandria. He was apparently the postmaster of Alexandria in 1828. In a petition of 9 Dec. 1835, he asked the government for a land grant, which he believed to be due for the services of his father and himself. In this petition to complains that the stone house he built at Alexandria has been destroyed in a fire, and speaks of his family and financial misfortunes. He later rebuilt the stone house. Still later, this impressive building was for many years the residence of Duncan A. Macdonald, the long-term postmaster of Alexandria, and it was later the Knights of Columbus hall. At the time of the suppression of the Mackenzie-Papineau Rebellion, he was colonel of the 4th Regiment of GC militia. With the colonels of the other three GC regiments, he signed a joint letter published in the Montreal //Gazette// of 30 Nov. 1837 (repr. //Montreal Transcript// 2 Dec. 1837). The //Cornwall Observer// of 9 May 1839 printed the address of Angus Macdonell, colonel commanding the 4th regiment of Glengarry Highlanders, to the Kenyon men on their being disbanded, 30 April 1839. It was remembered in an article decades later about James R. McKenzie that “In 1837, with many another young Highlander from the same county [GC], he was found bearing arms on behalf of his Queen and country in the ranks of the Glengarry Fourth Battalion, under the command of Lieut.-Col. Angus McDonald [sic]” (//The Scottish Canadian//, 26 Feb. 1891) Angus Macdonell was married at least twice. By the time of his 1835 petition his first wife had died, leaving him with six children. He was married afterwards to Isabella Macdonell. The obituary of his daughter Marcella, which gives some information about Angus, remembers that he died when “quite a young man,” which is not strictly accurate in terms of years, but records the awareness that he died when he had, potentially, important years ahead. The place of death was his residence in Alexandria. Summing up Angus’ crowded but abortive career more than 60 years later, the //Glengarry News// obituary, 1906, of his son Alexander R. Macdonell (the obituary spells the family name as McDonald) stated that Col. Angus’ “death was hastened through disease contracted while at Beauharnois,” where he had been sent during military service in the suppression of the 1837-1839 Rebellion. He is buried at St. Raphael’s, but there appears to be no surviving gravestone. An advertisement of 1843 stated that Joel Clark of Alexandria, “begs leave, most respectfully, to inform travellers through the county of Glengarry, from the St. Lawrence to the Ottawa, and vice versa, that he has rented that large and commodious stone Mansion in the village of //ALEXANDRIA//, formerly the residence of the late Col. Angus McDonell, which he is now thoroughly repairing and fitting up for a HOTEL, and which he will open on the first of May next. Owing to its retired situation from the noise and bustle of the main road, the weary passenger, will find in it, a most Welcome Home.” (//Cornwall Observer//, 16 Nov. 1843 ) It is surprising to find privacy and silence praised in this passage. Suddenly, we touch on priorities far from the mainstream values of pioneer Ontario. Macdonell donated the land for the Roman Catholic church and cemetery in Alexandria. This includes the land on which the present St. Finnan’s Cathedral and the Bishop’s Palace were built. The last surviving of Col. Angus Macdonell’s children, Miss Marcella MacDonell, died at Calgary 6 Sept. 1928, aged 89. (her obituary, //Glengarry News// 28 Sept. 1928) Capt. Alexander R. Macdonell, already mentioned, was his third son. During his early years in the North West Mounted Police, Alexander R. Macdonell was contributing from his salary to the support of his widowed mother and two unmarried sisters. Angus Macdonell was commonly known in his later years by his full military title as Col. Angus Macdonell, and he was remembered mainly by that name and title after his death. The term “Squire Angus” appears in the St. Finnan’s records. He was one of two Colonel Angus Macdonells important in 19th-century Alexandria. For the other, see the entry immediately following the present one. See also [[mcgillivray_neil_john|Neil John McGillivray]]. ---- //Father John’s Diary 1819-1866//, ed. Alex W. Fraser (1992) 100 (dies) * Reid, //DN//, 312 (from //Toronto Herald//) * Land Registry files, GC, for 37-2 Lochiel * petition: Archives of Ontario-TP (31 & 32-1 Lochiel and 31-2 Lochiel); MacGillivray & Ross 10-11, 681 * //St. Finnan’s CRNI//, II, 294, 442, * //GN supplement 1903// [ 3] * Macdonell, //Sketches//, 282-286 * Boss 26, 227, 237 * //Sinnsearachd// 56 * Macdonald, //St. Finnan’s// 4, 11 * McLean, 198 * //Green// 65-66 * 4 GC regiments assemble at Lancaster, Col. McDonell being one of the commanders, //Cornwall Observer//, cited in //Montreal Transcript //26 Dec. 1937 * 4th Regiment GC militia, under command of Col. Angus M’Donell, stationed at present at Lancaster, //Cornwall Observer//, cited in //Montreal Gazette// 6 March 1838 * Col. Angus M’Donell, of Alexandria, visits Caledonia Springs, //Montreal Transcript //20 June 1840 [<6>]