(28 Dec. 1838-3 or 4 or 5 Aug. 1918), author. Born at a place in GC stated both as Dalhousie Mills (also known in early times as Robuck’s Mills) and Lot 16 of the 7th Concession of Lancaster Township, which is not far from Dalhousie Mills though somewhat nearer to Glen Nevis. Parents: Roderick MacDonald and his wife, whose Christian name was Harriet. In the baptismal records of St. Finnan’s Parish, Dugald Macdonald, whose name is given there as Dougald McDonald, is described as the son of “Roderick, day labourer at Robucks Mills” and of “Harriet Randol.” Whatever the status of his father by this time, Dugald was later reported in his own obituaries to have been a grandson or great grandson of Sir James Gates, of Scotland, and a grandnephew of General Gates, “a leader of the American Revolutionary forces,” i.e., Horatio Gates (1728?-1806) a prominent general of the revolutionary army successful enough to be suspected at one time of hoping to take General George Washington’s place as commander-in-chief.
Young Dugald was educated at Rigaud College and St. Laurent College. From about the age of 18, he studied law in the Kingston law office of the future prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. Dugald Macdonald practised law in Ottawa for several years in the early 1850s. He seems not to have been admitted to the bar, but at this time it was still possible to practise, as a solicitor or attorney as distinct from a barrister, without obtaining bar admission. As a journalist, he covered the American Civil War for the New York Daily News. This newspaper was pro-South and against the war. A standard history of American journalism speaks of “its leadership of the Copperhead press during the Civil War.” (Mott, p. 354) (A copperhead was a pro-South Northerner.) Returning to Montreal, he was a journalist on the Montreal Herald. Then from 1870 till he retired on pension in 1901, he held in Montreal the position of deputy controller (or collector) of Inland Revenue. His original appointment, it is said, was made by Sir George-Étienne Cartier. He served as alderman or city councillor for Notre-Dame de Grâce, both before Notre-Dame de Grâce was annexed to Montreal in June 1910, and afterwards when it was part of Montreal. Years for which he was elected included 1906, 1912, 1914 and 1916. His fluency in both French and English suited him well for municipal work. He was described in an obituary as “a prominent Montreal citizen” and “one of Montreal’s most picturesque public figures.” He died in his sleep at his home at Notre-Dame de Grâce. Roman Catholic. He was married in 1870 to Isabella Gallagher. He was survived by his wife and their adopted daughter, and by one brother, Donald, of Alpena, Michigan. Dugald was buried at Côte des Neiges Cemetery, Montreal.
He was the author of The Heavenly Bodies: How They Move and What Moves Them: a New Theory (pp. 44; Montreal, Printed at the ‘Gazette’ Printing House, 1877) and Ancient Science or Secrets of Pyramids, Walls and Temples to Which Is Added a Short Review of Piazzi Smyth’s “Our Inheritance in the Great Pyramid” (pp. 75; Montreal: Gazette Printing Company, 1901). He visited Egypt to study the pyramids. For many years he worked on a further book on the pyramids but it was still unfinished when he died.
Cornwall Freeholder & Cornwall Standard both 8 Aug. 1918, Glengarry News 9 Aug. 1918 * biog. sketch GN 25 April 1941, mostly from Montreal Monitor (QF) * MacGillivray & Ross 95, 686 * Ross, Lancaster, 291 * information from Archives, Ville de Montréal * St. Finnan’s CRNI, II, 364 * Frank Luther Mott, American Journalism: a History of Newspapers in the United States (revised edn., 1950) * portrait, as candidate for Notre-Dame de Grâce, La Presse (Montreal) 20 janvier 1912 * Lovell’s Montreal Directory 1875-76 (“excise officer”), 1894-95 & 1896-97 (”deputy collector Inland revenue”) * enquiry at Alpena, Mich., turned up no information on his brother Donald; however, cf Dan R. McDonald, of Alpena and lumber trade connections, revisiting GC, GN 15 May 1903 * Gen. Gates in ANB, Charles Piazza Smyth is in DNB & ODict