Alexander Macdonell of Collachie (1762 – March 18, 1842) was a soldier and political figure in

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of t ...

. He was born in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

in 1762 and arrived in the

Mohawk Valley The Mohawk Valley region of the U.S. state of New York is the area surrounding the Mohawk River, sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains, northwest of the Capital District. As of the 2010 United States Censu ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

with other members of his family, including his brother, Angus Macdonell of Collachie. He served with the Royal Highland Emigrant Regiment during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolu ...

. In 1781, he came to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

and joined

Butler's Rangers Butler's Rangers (1777–1784) was a Loyalist provincial military unit of the American Revolutionary War, raised by American loyalist John Butler. Most members of the regiment were Loyalists from upstate New York and northeastern Pennsylvania. The ...

until the regiment was disbanded in 1784. Macdonell moved to York (

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

), where he served as a Sheriff for the

Home District The Home District was one of four districts of the Province of Quebec created in 1788 in the western reaches of the Montreal District and detached in 1791 to create the new colony of Upper Canada. It was abolished with the adoption of the county ...

from 1792 to 1805. He was elected to the

3rd Parliament of Upper Canada The 3rd Parliament of Upper Canada was opened 28 May 1801. Elections in Upper Canada had been held in July 1800. All sessions were held at Parliament Buildings of Upper Canada in York, Upper Canada. This parliament was dissolved 14 May 18 ...

representing

Glengarry The Glengarry bonnet is a traditional Scots cap made of thick-milled woollen material, decorated with a toorie on top, frequently a rosette cockade on the left side, and ribbons hanging behind. It is normally worn as part of Scottish military o ...

& Prescott, serving until 1816. He was speaker of the House from 1804 to 1808. At the start of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It ...

, he became a colonel in the militia. In 1813, he was taken prison at Niagara by the Americans. In 1815, on his release, he was made superintendent of the Settling Department. From 1831 to 1834 he was Chairman of the

Home District Council The Home District Council was the municipal governing body for York, Upper Canada (now Toronto, Ontario) from 1792 to 1849. It was established by Lieutenant Governor of Ontario John Graves Simcoe. The leader of the council was known as the Chairman ...

and the last to serve the post before

Toronto City Council Toronto City Council is the governing body of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario. Meeting at Toronto City Hall, it comprises 25 city councillors and the mayor of Toronto. The current term began on November 15, 2022. Structure The cu ...

was formed in 1834. In addition he was the Sheriff for the Home District.

Death

He died at Toronto on 18 March 1842.

External links

*
Glengarry's Representatives in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada, University of Manitoba archives

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonell, Alexander (Politician) 1762 births 1842 deaths Immigrants to the Province of Quebec (1763–1791) Members of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada People from Highland (council area) People from the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Politicians from Toronto Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada