of Collachie (died 1792, aged 80), emigration leader. (often called, simply, Collachie) He was born, presumably, in Scotland. Parents: John Macdonell and his wife Mary Macdonald. Allan is said to have taken part on Bonnie Prince Charles’s side in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745-1746 and to have served afterwards for some years in the French army, attaining the rank of captain. Allan was one of the leaders of the emigration in 1773 of a group of some 300 Scottish Highlanders in the ship Pearl to New York colony–this emigration being, in effect, the first stage towards what became, in the next decade, the founding of GC. The other leaders of this 1773 emigration group were his brothers John Macdonell of Leek and Alexander Macdonell of Aberchalder, and their cousin John Macdonell (“Spanish John”) of Scotus. During the American Revolution, he took the Crown side and served as a captain in the Royal Highland Emigrants regiment. Having come to Canada as a U E Loyalist, he received his land grants in the Home District, Upper Canada. He died at Quebec, where he resided in his last years, and he is buried there. Roman Catholic. He was married to Helen MacNab, the daughter of the MacNab.

     He was the father of Alexander Macdonell of Collachie (1762-1842) and of the Angus Macdonell who perished in the loss of the Speedy, 1804, and was the grandfather of Allan Macdonell (1808-1888) the businessman and visionary who promoted Central Canadian expansion into the far West.

Harkness: index * McLean: index * Dictionary of Canadian Biography, VII, 554 (mentioned) * MDict 499 & 500 * UE List 219 * Reid 191 * Macdonald & Macdonald, for genealogy * Scott, “M” (corrects previous genealogies) * Scott, “U” * Chadwick