(1759-3 Sept. 1832), office holder. Born at Mingary, Island of Mull, Scotland. Parents: John McLean and his wife Elizabeth, whose family surname was also McLean. He came to North America in early life. During the War of the American Revolution, he served in the Royal Highland Emigrants regiment, rising to the rank of lieut. After the war he settled at St. Andrew’s, on Lot 13 in the 6th Concession of Cornwall Township, Stormont County. He received 2000 acres in land grants. He served as captain in the Royal Canadian Volunteer Regiment, 1796-1802, being stationed at Montreal, Quebec and York. During the War of 1812, he was a colonel in the Stormont militia, and served at the Battle of Crysler’s Farm. He was a JP, sheriff of the Eastern District, District and county treasurer, judge from 1821 to 1832 of the Surrogate Court, and belonged to the Legislative Council of Upper Canada from 1815. He was one of the people who in 1815 presented to the government the results of their examination of the Indian Lands tract in GC.

     He was prominent in the affairs of the Presbyterian Church at Williamstown, holding the office there of ruling elder, and he was likewise one of the founders and early promoters of St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Cornwall. Harkness notes that he was one of the first to be buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery in Cornwall. He died at his home at St. Andrew’s (eight children). He belonged to the Glengarry-based Highland Society. In 1784 he was married to Isabella Macdonell, the daughter of John Macdonell (Leek) and sister of the Rev. Roderick Macdonell and three other men who have lives in the present dictionary. Neil McLean and Isabella’s daughter was married to the Hon. John McGillivray of the Dalcrombie family near Williamstown, and they were thereby the ancestors of various Dalcrombie MacGillivrays included in the present dictionary. Some of his papers survive in the National Archives among the papers of the MacGillivrays of Dalcrombie.

     His children included also Archibald McLean (5 April 1791-24 Oct. 1865), born at St. Andrew’s, a lawyer who represented Stormont and Cornwall in the Legislative Assembly, and who held several judicial appointments including that of chief justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench for Upper Canada. In the War of 1812, he was wounded at the Battle of Queenston Heights. When Attorney-General John Macdonell was fatally wounded in the battle, he is said to have addressed McLean: “Archy, help me.” Later, McLean was taken prisoner by the Americans at the Battle of Lundy’s Lane. At the beginning of the 1837 Rebellion, he saw active service against the rebels in the attack on Montgomery’s Tavern. John Sandfield Macdonald was articled to him as a law clerk and he helped launch Macdonald in the future premier’s distinguished career. Later, as recorded in the Cornwall Weekly Freeholder of 1 Feb. 1860, Macdonald presented a portrait of McLean to the SDG Council, to be hung on the walls of the Hall of Justice.

     Another son of Neil McLean’s, Alexander McLean (14 Feb. 1793-16 April 1875), born at St. Andrew’s, was wounded in the attack on Ogdensburg in the War of 1812, and took an active part in the suppression of the 1837 Rebellion. He was a businessman in Cornwall, lived for a time on the family homestead at St. Andrew’s, then from about 1830 lived in Cornwall. He was the SDG treasurer, and represented Stormont in the Legislative Assembly. His fine house in Cornwall served for many years as the rectory of the Church of the Good Shepherd. Dismantled in the early 1960s, it remained in storage for some years, then in 1977-1978 it was reassembled and restored near Williamstown, as the home of Dr Stuart Munro.

Life of Neil McLean by Allan J. MacDonald in Dictionary of Canadian Biography Vol. VI and of Archibald McLean by Bruce W. Hodgins in DCB Vol. IX * life of Archibald McLean in MDict * Harkness (much information, portraits); MacMillan, Kirk; Hodgins; Johnson * Centenary 1912 * MacGillivray & Ross 25 & 682, 53 * Alexander McLean’s house: Burton Heward, “Seek Ways to Preserve Historic Old Dwelling,” Standard Freeholder 3 Aug. 1960; Alex Mullin, “168-Year-Old House Restored,” SFH 18 March 1978 (illustr.); various SFH news articles on this house 1960-1978 in WSC 61-62, 283-290