Alexander MCDONALD

4th Mar 1851 - 17th Apr 1934

Farmer

Life History

Mar 1850	Born (less likely)
4th Mar 1851	Born in Westmeath, Ontario (most likely)
1861	Resident Marital Status: SingleRelation to Head of House: Head in Lochiel, Glengarry, Canada West, Canada
1874	Marriage Reg No. in 003496-74, Hastings Co., On.
1874	Marriage Witness in Thomas Robinson & Sarah McDonald, both of Monteagle twp., Hastings Co., On.
1874	Occupation Labourer
1874	Resident in Monteagle Tp., Maynooth, ON
14th Dec 1874	Birth of daughter Jane Ann MCDONALD in Ontario
25th Sep 1878	Birth of daughter Margaret Elizabeth MCDONALD in Ontario
about 1880	Birth of daughter Mary MCDONALD in Ontario
3rd Jun 1880	Birth of son David James MCDONALD in Monteagle Tp., Maynooth, ON
1881	Resident Marital Status: Married in Carlow/Mayo, Hastings North, Ontario, Canada
28th Mar 1882	Birth of daughter Fannie MCDONALD in Ontario
19th Apr 1884	Birth of daughter Siviva MCDONALD in Monteagle Tp, Monteagle, Ontario
15th Dec 1886	Birth of daughter Martha MCDONALD in Monteagle Tp., Hastings Co., ON
31st Aug 1889	Birth of son Thomas William MCDONALD in Monteagle Tp., Maynooth, ON
1891	Resident Marital Status: MarriedRelation to Head of House: Head in Monteagle and Herschel, Hastings North, Ontario, Canada
2nd Mar 1892	Birth of daughter Mary Catherine MCDONALD in Monteagle Tp., Maynooth, ON
25th Feb 1894	Birth of son George Wellington MCDONALD in Monteagle Tp., Maynooth, ON
4th Jul 1898	Birth of daughter Eliza Marjorie MCDONALD in Ontario
1901	Resident Marital Status: MarriedRelation to Head of House: Head in Monteagle and Hershel, Hastings (north/nord), Ontario, Canada
1911	Resident Marital Status: MarriedRelation to Head: Head in L16-C10 Monteagle Tp
8th Dec 1913	Death of daughter Fannie MCDONALD in Bancroft, Ontario, Canada
1st Jun 1921	Resident Marital Status: MarriedRelation to Head of House: Head in Bancroft Village, Hastings West, Ontario, Canada
17th Apr 1934	Died in Dungannon Tp, Monteagle, Ontario

Other facts

	Married Eliza Jane ROBINSON in Hastings
	Buried in Emmanuel Cemetery, Monteagle Tp.
	Religion Methodist
	Nationality English
	Occupation Farmer
	Buried in Row 20, Emmanuel United Cemetery, Monteagle twp., Hastings Co., On.
	Religion Church of England

Notes

From June Lee Jan 2005
ONTARIO MARRIAGES # 3496-74 (Hastings County) Witnesses to the marriage of Alex and Eliza were Thomas Robinson & Sarah McDonald, both of Mounteagle Township, Ontario. Bride and groom both living in Mounteagle at time.
Alex lived in Westmeath Township, Renfrew County as a young boy.
He had came from Scotland as "a wee lad" by ship with his family and landed at or near Ottawa. The family and many other families made their way up the Rideau Canal to Renfrew County near the towns of Renfrew and Cobden. The McDonalds homesteaded there. Alex was one of 16 children. A further investigation of Renfrew graveyards would probably discover some.
At 14 years of age, Alex came to Mouneagle Valley near Maynooth, Ontario to work the sawmills and to lumber. He built a little cabin to stay in himself and next year he had earned enough to add on a spot for his horse.
Then he courted and married Eliza Robinson, whose family had came from Ireland to Renfrew County in the 1850s, and subsequently had moved to Mounteagle Valley. Soon a family and as they grew they helped clear the land and build the homestead. It was built at approximately the same location as the original shack. The location is in the Hybla Road, turning off at the side road at the Zion Church. (see Map # 1)
In 1991 remains of this homestead could be seen. A wide stone fence (stones cleared from the land) runs along the front of property for approx quarter mile. The barn had been struck by lightning and burned when Alex's son Tom lived there. The people who own the property now built a huge home on the original stone foundation of the barn. This says a lot for the quality of the work done on these stone walls to go through a fire and still be sound. Alex had the help of his sons David, Tom and George building that barn. The original horse stable and sheep barn still are standing, and while the current owners were building their large house they fixed up the horse stable and lived in it.
Alex daughter Jane Ann 's husband Willie Hinze and his parents owned the the next property over. Another neighbor was Sarah Robinson, a sister of Eliza.
Grandpa Alex told Amelia Hinze he was "only clean-shaven once". Her brother Cecil would tease Alex and say, "You're a funny man, - You wash your head and comb your face."
Alex and Eliza can be proud of their handsome, strong sons and beautiful daughters. Their many McDonald descendents should be grateful for the struggles and hardships their ancestors from Scotland and Ireland endured. In the Mounteagle Valley the McDonalds were well known for their kindness, loyalty and hard work.
The verse on Alex McDonald's tombstone at Emmanuel Lutheran Church says:
Many hearts are aching sore
Since father passed away
But this one thing we know that
He's fully at rest with the lord.