Allan McDonell
| Allan McDonell | |
|---|---|
| Allan MacDonell | |
| Born | c. 1776 Glen Garry, Highland, Scotland |
| Died | 1859-06-16 Montreal, Quebec |
| Occupation | Fur trader; HBC chief factor |
| Father | |
Allan McDonell (also signed MacDonell; c. 1776 – 16 June 1859) was a Scottish-born fur trader who served as a clerk and partner in the North West Company and later as a chief trader and chief factor with the Hudson's Bay Company in the Canadian interior, including a posting at Rainy Lake in what is now northwestern Ontario.
Early life
McDonell was born around 1776 in Glen Garry, in the Scottish Highlands. His father, Donald MacDonell (seventh of Lundie), emigrated to Upper Canada after losing the family's ancestral lands, settling at Martintown in what became Glengarry County. Allan was one of several children by his father's third wife, a Miss MacDonald of Islay.[1]
Fur trade career
In February 1799, McDonell signed on with Forsyth as an apprentice clerk.[1][2] He subsequently worked for the New North West Company (the XY Company) and remained with that organization until its merger with the North West Company in 1804.
Following the merger, he served as a clerk at Fort Dauphin and made at least one journey with traders to the Mandan villages on the upper Missouri River. He steadily advanced within the NWC, operating in the Fort Dauphin and Red River departments during the period of intense rivalry between the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company. He was admitted as an NWC partner in 1816.[1]
Seven Oaks and its aftermath
In June 1816, McDonell was noted as standing by during the ransacking of Brandon House by a Métis party led by Cuthbert Grant. On 19 June 1816, Battle of Seven Oaks resulted in the deaths of Governor Robert Semple and approximately twenty Red River Colony settlers. That summer, Lord Selkirk had McDonell arrested as an alleged accessory to Semple's murder. McDonell was indicted in October 1818 at the York assizes but was never brought to trial.[1][3][4]
HBC service
When the North West Company was absorbed by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1821, McDonell was taken on as chief trader and assigned to the Swan River district, where he oversaw the transport of provisions. In 1826 he was transferred to the Timiskaming district, initially co-managing operations with Angus Cameron before assuming sole command in 1827. He was promoted to chief factor in 1828.[1]
By 1834, HBC Governor George Simpson had grown critical of McDonell's management of personnel, Indigenous relations, and competition from independent traders. McDonell was sent on furlough and replaced by Cameron. In 1835 he was posted to Rainy Lake, where he remained in charge until 1841, when he took a two-year furlough and then retired in 1843.[1]
Personal life
McDonell married Margaret Cameron, daughter of Æneas Cameron, who had been baptized at Red River in 1833. They had at least seven children, including a son Angus McDonell who trained as a physician and another son John McDonell who became a Jesuit.[1]
After his retirement, McDonell settled at Lundy Cottage on the slopes of Mount Royal in Montreal, described by his colleague George Keith as a "splendid mansion, with a valuable altho small lot of land attached." Governor Simpson wrote of him that he was "a good rather than a clever fellow," noting his kindness, generosity, and wit.[5]
Death
By 1848, cataracts had severely impaired McDonell's vision. He underwent surgery in Montreal in 1851 and in London in 1852, with only modest improvement; he remained partially sighted as late as 1855. McDonell died on 16 June 1859 at approximately 83 years of age and was buried at Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery in Montreal on 18 June 1859. His widow remained in Montreal until at least 1876.[1]
References
[1] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Elaine Allan Mitchell."Elaine Allan Mitchell, "McDONELL, ALLAN," Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 8."[website].Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 8 (University of Toronto/Université Laval).1985.University of Toronto/Université Laval.Link.(Rights: copyrighted | Access: open)
- ↑ "ANQ-M, CN1-29, 5 février 1799."[record].CN1-29, 5 February 1799.Archives nationales du Québec, Montréal.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ "Report of the proceedings connected with the disputes between the Earl of Selkirk and the North-West Company at the assizes, held at York, in Upper Canada, October 1818."[book].1819.Montreal.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ "Report of trials in the courts of Canada, relative to the destruction of the Earl of Selkirk's settlement on the Red River."[book].1820.London.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ George Simpson."Character book."[book].HBRS, vol. 30.pp. 151–236.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ E. A. Mitchell collection."Æneas and Angus Cameron papers."[microfilm].Toronto; microfilm at Archives of Ontario.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ L. R. Masson."Les bourgeois de la Compagnie du Nord-Ouest."[book].vol. 1.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ W. S. Wallace."Documents relating to the North West Company."[book].(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ G. P. de T. Glazebrook."The Hargrave correspondence, 1821–1843."[book].(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ E. E. Rich; R. Harvey Fleming."HBRS, vols. 2–3."[book].Hudson's Bay Record Society.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ J. A. Macdonell."Sketches illustrating the early settlement and history of Glengarry in Canada."[book].1893.Montreal.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ E. A. Mitchell."Fort Timiskaming and the fur trade."[book].1977.University of Toronto Press, Toronto and Buffalo.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)