(17 March 1810-9 Dec. 1881), lawyer. (sp. Roland also found; Judge McDonald) Born at Fort Qu’Appelle, now in present-day Saskatchewan. Parents: John Mcdonald of Garth and his Métis first wife, Nancy Small. His early education was largely in Montreal. According to Harkness’ dates, he began the study of the law in 1827 and was called to the bar in 1832. He is reported to have had a law practice in St. Catharines before 1837, and he may even have lived there in childhood. He was most certainly the Roland [sic] McDonald of St. Catharines who was married in Oct. 1835 by the Rev. A. N. Bethune to Ann Boswell, daughter of the Hon. Capt. Boswell, R. N. In the election of 1841, despite vigorous support from his father, he was defeated when he sought to become MLA for Cornwall town. He was, however, elected MLA for the constituency in 1844, defeating S. Y. Chesley, the victor in 1841, and he served till he resigned in 1846, before the end of his term. There is evidence that from about this time he made his career in the St. Catharines area of Ontario. However, Judge Pringle, who had opportunity to know the facts from personal experience, says that he “practiced in Cornwall from 1847, for four or five years.” In 1856 or 1858 McDonald was made a Q. C. and clerk of the peace for Lincoln County, and in 1873 he was made judge for Welland County. At the time of his death he was described, erroneously so far as the period of time is concerned, as having been the county judge for Welland County for the past 37 years. He died “rather suddenly” at Welland, Ont. He was on active service at the time of the suppression of the 1837 Rebellion, and eventually had the status of lt.-col. in the militia. For a man who must have stood out among his contemporaries in the places where he lived, the details of his life now prove remarkably difficult to recover. He was the half-brother of Antoine Eustache DeBellefeuille Macdonald.

Cornwall Freeholder 16 Dec. 1881, brief death notice & brief tribute Thorold Post 16 Dec. 1881 & 27 Jan. 1882 * Rattray (biog. sketch) * History of the County of Welland (1887, repr. Mika Publishing, 1972) 164 * Forman, I, 103-106 * Robert J. Burns, “The Post Fur Trade Career of a North West Company Partner: a Biography of John McDonald of Garth, Research Bulletin de recherches, No. 60, Parks Canada (Aug. 1977) * Pringle 257, 317 * Harkness: index (has portrait) * Dictionary of Canadian Biography, X, 163-164 (mentioned in life of Chesley) * marriage: Cornwall Observer cited Reid, MN, 143 * information kindly supplied by Mr Lyall Manson on “Descendants of John McDonald (Gart)”