(12 May 1875-15 July 1952), soldier. (date of birth 1873 also found) Born at Glen Nevis, GC. Parents: Archie Neil Ban MacDonald and his wife Mary McLachlan. He served with rank of private as a Canadian soldier 1899-1900 in the Boer War (South African War). A newspaper report of his being on his way to South Africa described him as being “without a peer in Glengarry as a dancer of the Highland fling.” (Cornwall Freeholder 27 Oct. 1899) On his return to GC, he was honoured at a celebration at North Lancaster. The Glengarry News report of the celebration included the text of the chairman’s short Gaelic address. (Glengarry News 23 Nov. 1900)

     MacDonald was chosen to be one of the representatives of the GC-area 59th Regiment at the Coronation of Edward VII in 1902, but was unable to attend because of the final illness of his mother. He served for 53 years as roadmaster of the Montreal Tramways and Montreal Transportation Commission. He died at St. Mary’s Hospital, Montreal, and is buried at Glen Nevis. Roman Catholic. (four children surviving him) He was married to Flora Catherine McGillis (d. 1923) and to Mary McDougall (d. 1974). At his death he was remembered as “a kind hearted father and true friend,” whose home was the centre “for innumerable happy gatherings. Music, a friendly game of cards and singing were his greatest pleasures. One particular song he loved to render [was] ‘My Bonnie Native Glen,’ with emphasis on the lines, ‘Tis my wish that death shall find me in my Bonnie Native Glen’.”

     John Angus MacDonald left a valuable diary of his experiences in the Boer War, covering events from the end of Oct. 1899, when he enlisted for active service and sailed from Quebec City in the ship Sardinian, till Nov. 1900, when he returned to Canada and to GC. Portions of this diary were published in Ken McKenna’s column in the Glengarry News, 20 Oct. to 10 Nov. 1999, one century exactly after MacDonald made the first entries. There can be little doubt that this diary will eventually be published in full. Three sons of his served in WWII, and one of them, Douglas Haig MacDonald, was killed on active service in the RCAF and is buried in Iceland. John Angus MacDonald was the brother of the memorable Major Neil R. (“Foghorn”) Macdonald.

Glengarry News 25 July 1952 (QF), repr. with valuable geneal. information in Fraser Obits. 184-185 *gravestone, Glen Nevis * typescript copy (32 pp.) of diary in archives of the Black Watch (RHR) of Canada; the original MS diary was owned in 1999 by a descendant; it could not be determined from the Black Watch records in 2001 what connection John Angus had with the Black Watch * Boss 55