(22 July 1778-late 1850s), pioneer teacher. (spelling McDermid also found; Donald the Dominie, Donald Ossian) Born in Killin, Scotland. Parents: Angus McDiarmid and his wife Anny McNaughton. Part of his education was in Edinburgh. He emigrated to North America in 1799, with two brothers and a sister, arriving first at New York. Resisting temptations to live in New York State, the McDiarmids moved to the Williamstown area, GC, desiring to live in a Gaelic-speaking community and near a Gaelic-speaking minister. Donald McDiarmid became a teacher at Williamstown. In 1803 he married Anne McDonell of Williamstown, the daughter of the U E Loyalist Hugh McDonell. (eight children) (See entry for Alexander C. McDonell) McDiarmid, himself a Gaelic speaker, was interested in the poems attributed to the bard Ossian, and translated some of the supposed Gaelic originals into English. His interest in Ossian, it has been suggested, may have been the reason why the home of his McDonell in-laws became known as Ossian Hall and why, eventually, this branch of the McDonells became known as the Ossian McDonells. Donald McDiarmid went into business in Williamstown, “bringing Masts and oak from the country to the Quebec Market,” but the business failed to thrive and by the beginning of the war of 1812 he was bankrupt.

     During the War of 1812, in which he rose to the rank of lieutenant, he served in the GC militia, and was wounded at the Battle of Ogdensburg in 1813. Afterwards, he lived for some years at Coteau-du-Lac, as a teacher and in other capacities, but by 1825 he was teaching school again at Williamstown. At this time, the economist John Rae was also a teacher at Williamstown. Given McDiarmid’s interest in the Ossian topic, though not many of the details of his engagement with it are known, we may guess that McDiarmid has some claim to be listed among the able people the very remarkable Rae had as his neighbours at Williamstown, however much these may have been otherwise the dark days of the frontier and the howling wilderness. By 1847 Donald McDiarmid had retired from teaching and was living in Cornwall. His place of death was, presumably, Cornwall. It has been calculated that, altogether, he taught at Williamstown for over 26 years. (Kennedys 345) An articulate man, he sought vigorously, but it would appear unsuccessfully, in correspondence with government officials to obtain land grants and other benefits including the restitution of a military pension which he had enjoyed at one stage. As late as 1820, unusual in this pioneer society, he had never acquired a land grant. He was a Presbyterian.

The above sketch is much indebted to the detailed and valuable biog. in Campbell (1986), 337-346 (QF, portrait); also 346ff. for descendants * Rhodes Grant, i, 38-39 * Boss 10 * Centenary 1912 77 (with portrait) * Whyte, i, 182