Hugh McDonell
Encyclopedia
Hugh McDonell was a soldier and political figure in Upper Canada
.
He was born at Aberchalder Lodge
in Scotland
. In 1773, he came with his father and uncles to the Mohawk Valley
of New York
, settling on Sir William Johnson
's estate near Johnstown
. As a loyalist, he was taken prisoner by Major-General Philip John Schuyler shortly before the American Revolution
began. After escaping, he made his way to Montreal
in 1777 and joined the King's Royal Regiment of New York
. After the regiment was disbanded in 1783, he settled in Upper Canada. From 1788 to 1794, he held an appointment as land surveyor in the Eastern District.
In 1792, Hugh and his brother, John McDonell
, were elected to the 1st Parliament of Upper Canada
, representing Glengarry
. In 1794, Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe
appointed him first adjutant-general of militia for the province. He later served as captain in the Royal Canadian Volunteer Regiment and lieutenant-colonel of the Glengarry militia.
He travelled to England
in 1804 seeking employment. In 1805, he was appointed assistant commissary general at Gibraltar
. He was appointed consul general in Algiers
in 1811, where he married the daughter of the Danish
consul. He retired from that post to Florence, Italy where he died in 1833.
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
.
He was born at Aberchalder Lodge
Aberchalder Lodge
Aberchalder Lodge is a country house in the Inverness-shire region of Scotland's Highland Council area.It lies at the centre of the 16,000 acre Aberchalder Estate close to Loch Oich....
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. In 1773, he came with his father and uncles to the Mohawk Valley
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....
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, settling on Sir William Johnson
Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet
Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet was an Anglo-Irish official of the British Empire. As a young man, Johnson came to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Admiral Peter Warren, which was located amidst the Mohawk, one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois League...
's estate near Johnstown
Johnstown
- Places :Canada* Johnstown, Nova Scotia* Johnstown, Ontario, United Counties of Leeds and Grenville* Johnstown, Hastings County, OntarioRepublic of Ireland*Johnstown, County Dublin*Johnstown, County Kildare*Johnstown, County Kilkenny...
. As a loyalist, he was taken prisoner by Major-General Philip John Schuyler shortly before the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
began. After escaping, he made his way to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1777 and joined the King's Royal Regiment of New York
King's Royal Regiment of New York
The King's Royal Regiment of New York was one of the first Loyalist regiments raised in Canada during the American Revolutionary War....
. After the regiment was disbanded in 1783, he settled in Upper Canada. From 1788 to 1794, he held an appointment as land surveyor in the Eastern District.
In 1792, Hugh and his brother, John McDonell
John McDonell
Captain John McDonell was a soldier, judge and political figure in Upper Canada following the American Revolution. He was elected as the first speaker for the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada.-Early years:...
, were elected to the 1st Parliament of Upper Canada
1st Parliament of Upper Canada
The 1st Parliament of Upper Canada was opened 17 September 1792. Elections in Upper Canada had been held in August 1792. All sessions were held at Navy Hall in Newark, later Niagara-on-the-Lake...
, representing Glengarry
Glengarry County, Ontario
thumb|right|Glengarry located within OntarioGlengarry County , an area covering , is a county in the Canadian province of Ontario, and is historically known for its settlement of Scottish Highlanders due to the Highland Clearances.Glengarry was founded in 1792 by Scottish loyalists, mainly from...
. In 1794, Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe was a British army officer and the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1791–1796. Then frontier, this was modern-day southern Ontario and the watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior...
appointed him first adjutant-general of militia for the province. He later served as captain in the Royal Canadian Volunteer Regiment and lieutenant-colonel of the Glengarry militia.
He travelled to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1804 seeking employment. In 1805, he was appointed assistant commissary general at Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. He was appointed consul general in Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
in 1811, where he married the daughter of the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
consul. He retired from that post to Florence, Italy where he died in 1833.