(June 1865-27 May 1943), businessman, author. (A. W. McDougald, Alexander W. McDougald) Born on the McDougald homestead, on Lot 5 in the 4th Concession of Kenyon Township, near Alexandria, GC. Parents: John A. McDougald and his wife Annie (Nancy) Chisholm. He attended the separate school in Alexandria and from 1881 to 1883 Upper Canada College, Toronto. As a student in Alexandria, his fellow students included Archibald Mark Chisholm and the future Col. A. G. F. Macdonald. As a youth, he worked as a contributor of local news to J. C. McNeil’s Glengarry Times newspaper at Lancaster, and was paid in bills drawn on Toronto patent medicine houses which advertised in McNeil’s newspaper. When the Cornwall Freeholder of 10 Nov. 1882, a few months after the closure of the Lancaster newspaper, reported that young McDougald had been appointed editor of the Upper Canada College student newspaper, it added the recollection that he had been “for more than a year” the Freeholder’s correspondent at Alexandria.

     After leaving Upper Canada College, the young man worked as a journalist, then turned his attention to the law and was enrolled as a law student with the Law Society of Upper Canada. In April 1887, A. W. McDougald of the law firm Macdonald and McIntosh (with whom he was, presumably, a law student) was appointed “village clerk” of Alexandria. In August of that year, he was reported to have passed his final exams as a barrister. Though he is said to have been called to the bar of Ontario in 1888, it does not appear that he ever called to the bar of Ontario in that or any other year. McDougald practised law in the United States till 1896, but it has not been discovered when or where he was qualified in the U. S. However, he is said to have practised before the American Supreme Court. After his period in the United States he settled in Toronto, where he worked in real estate.

     The following statement defining the contours of his mid-life involvement in GC affairs is of value as representing the recollections or passing the approval of people who knew him well, who included, presumably, A. G. F. Macdonald, the editor of the Glengarry News. “At the turn of the century, Mr. McDougald retired from active business and resided for some time at the Manor, Williamstown and later at Alexandria where for a time he conducted the Glengarry Mills. An active Liberal in politics, he contested the Provincial riding of Glengarry in 1908, when the late D. R. MacDonald was elected. Later the deceased removed to Montreal where he had since resided.” (obituary, Glengarry News) Here some details may be added. The Alexandria gristmill, a key institution in the economic functioning of Alexandria, was destroyed by fire in 1896 and rebuilding the mill was delayed by litigation. In Jan. 1902, A. W. McDougald bought the mill site and water rights. (GN 10 Jan. 1902) He then began to rebuild the mill on behalf of himself and a syndicate. (“The Glengarry Mills,” GN 27 Oct. 1905; see also William Peacock) In the Ontario general election of 8 June 1908 he was defeated by D. R. Mcdonald, Conservative, though by the relatively narrow margin of 251 votes. He moved to Montreal within the next few years, being there by 1911.

     A. W. McDougald published a valuable history of GC by instalments in the Glengarry News between 30 Dec. 1932 and 29 Dec. 1933. The title began “Christmas in Glengarry: Persons and Events of Fifty Years Ago Recalled,” then changed to “Fifty Years Ago in Canada and Glengarry: Personages and Events of That Period Recalled.” The history, which combines a wealth of biographical detail with a highly-perceptive awareness of economic forces, has never been reprinted. He died in hospital, Montreal. Roman Catholic. He was married on 26 Dec. 1888 to Annie Bethune, who has a separate life in the present dictionary under the name of Annie Bethune McDougald. (two children) (See also the life of their daughter Mrs Elizabeth Bethune Kiely) He was the brother of Allan J., Duncan J., and Dr W. L. McDougald, and uncle of John A. (“Bud”) McDougald, all of whom have separate lives in this dictionary. His sisters were married to A. L. Smith and John McMartin. He had a more remote family connection with Edward McGillivray mayor of Ottawa. (Glengarry News 5 May 1933)

Glengarry News and Standard Freeholder both 28 May 1943 * autob. passages in his history of GC * information from Upper Canada College Archives & Law Society of Upper Canada Archives * MacGillivray & Ross 176-178, 664 * Bibliography of Glengarry 46-47: list of main topics covered in his hist. of GC * editorial tribute to, with portrait, GN 23 Feb. 1934 * village clerk, law exams, Cornwall Freeholder 29 April 1887, 26 Aug. 1887, cited DTL SFH 27 April 1946, 25 Aug. 1945, resp. * Roderick Lewis 95 * Montreal directory 1910-1911, 1915-1916 * letter by James H. Coyne, recalling Cornwall 62 years ago, in response to McDougald’s GN articles, SFH 12 April 1933 * Ostrom 188 * home on summer vacation from Upper Canada College, Alexandria column, CF 7 July 1882 * his letter to editor on C. J. Stilwell, GC politics, CF 2 Dec. 1887 * three fires on the property of Mrs & Mrs A. W. McDougald, the Manor, Williamstown, Cornwall Standard 14 April 1905 * chosen provincial candidate, GC, at Liberal meeting in Alexandria: long report with biog. sketch, CF 10 April 1908 * buys team heavy draft horses, his previous Toronto firm mentioned, GN 8 June & 14 Sept. 1906