(17 March 1795-1884), witness to historical continuity. (Capt. Alexander McDonell, known as Captain Gray or Captain Grey) The Glengarry Times (Lancaster, GC) of 1 April 1882 recorded that a recent visitor at the newspaper’s office had been Alexander McDonell, “better known as Captain Grey.” From this news item, we learn his date of birth, and that he was a veteran of the War of 1812, of the Battle of Crysler’s Farm, and of the Rebellion of 1837-1838. In the mid-1880s, Capt. Grey provided George Sandfield Macdonald with information about the early settlement of St. Raphael’s. Also, Capt. Grey was probably one of the people who gave A. M. Pope similar information a few years earlier. His title of captain presumably came from the militia. Capt. McDonell and his wife Janet McDonell (1806-1882) are buried at St. Raphael’s.

     Another Alexander McDonell, who died in 1886, on Lot 30, 8th Charlottenburgh, was a brother of George (Athol) Macdonell, and had come to Canada in 1824 with his sister, “Mrs. Captain Gray.” (Cornwall Freeholder from Oct 1886, cited DTL, Standard Freeholder 28 Sept. 1957) It may be noted, also, that an Alex. Macdonald (Gray) died at North Lancaster in 1887, the spelling this time of the surname being Macdonald not Macdonell. (Cornwall Freeholder 2 April 1887, cited DTL, SFH 21 April 1945) See also the entry for Capt. Donald McDonell (d. 1927). And (very cautiously—there may be no connection at all!) read the note on the Scots Greys in the entry for John McLennan (1826-1918), pioneer.

Fraser, Gravestones, III, 57 * McLean 106, 235