(1786-29 Nov. 1861), manager, lumberman. (Col. McDonell) Born in Scotland. Johnson states that he was a captain in the GC militia, and an ensign in the 2nd Glengarry Fencibles. Johnson also states that from about 1804 to 1825 he lived in the Eastern District, then from 1825 to 1861 at Peterborough. McDonell was one of the managers of Peter Robinson’s Irish colony at Peterborough. He was MLA for the constituency of Northumberland County, 1834-1841. At the time of the 1837 Rebellion he was colonel of the 2nd Battalion, Northumberland militia. He died at Peterborough. In his later years he was involved in lumbering and had timber limits on the Bonnechere and Petawawa Rivers. He was a nephew of Bishop Alexander Macdonell of Kingston. For another lumberman of the same name on the Bonnechere, see Alexander Macdonell (1795-1875).
Life by Wendy Cameron, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, IX 483 * Johnson: index * Boss 227 * Armstrong 106-107 * Forman, I, 74, 82 * N. S. Forkey on Ops Township, CHR 79:1 (March 1998)