Person:Alexander Macdonald (8)

From: "and they came to Mara...", p. 580

Alexander "Blacksmith" McDONALD and his family emigrated from Inverness-shire, Scotland. Several members of this family settled in Mara by circa 1833. According to family recollections, there were children in this family who could not be located with certainty among the census enumerations of Mara; it was therefore suspected that some children of Alex the Blacksmith may have settled elsewhere.

Living with Alexander and Mary in 1852 were: Donald, Robert, and Mary. Donald and Robert were employed by Alexander. In what appeared to be the ve ry next household, lived Alex McDONALD, his wife, Hannah, and Duncan, Mary and Duncan McDONALD. Young Duncan and Mary may have been children of Alex. and Hannah, or perhaps they were relatives of some degree. The other Duncan in that household was a young man and a tailor; it was surmised that he was Alexander's brother and that both Alexander and Duncan were sons of Alexander the Blacksmith and Mary.

As indicated by Mara Township deeds, Alexander the Blacksmith and his wife, Mary, sold part of LOT 25 CON 10 to Alexander McDONALD Jr., in May, 1856. Some three years later, Alexander McDONALD the younger and his wife, Hannah, sold this property to John HARAHY. At the same time that they sold land to Alexander Jr., Alex and Mary sold part of the North ½ of LOT 25 CON 10 to Donald McDONALD, tailor of Mara. In March of 1863, Donald McDONALD, tailor of Mara and his wife, Mary, sold their property to John HARAHY. Donald and family were living in Thorah Township according to the 1871 Census of Thorah. By the time of the 1881 enumeration, Donald and family, including his mother, Mary, appeared to be living in South Mara.

From "The Orillia Newsletter", November, 1900: Cemetery Tales, But Not Ghostly The first settler to face the primeval forest in north Mara was Mr. Alexander McDonald, who came here with his family In 1833. At that time he was the only settler between the "Narrows," near Orillia, and Point Mara - a distance of twenty miles the way the trail ran. Mr. McDonald, being a blacksmith by trade, was commonly known as "Blacksmith McDonald." The first ye ar he had neither door nor window on his log house. He came in by the chimney and went out the same way. This precaution was necessary, as both wolves and bears were about in large numbers. Mr. McDonald was most hospitable to those who come into Mara during his lifetime. He died in 1859, aged 76. His grandson, Captain A. B. McDonald, is well and favorably known to tourists on Lake Simcoe. Mr. Alex. McDonald's granddaughter, Miss Sarah McDonald, is the wife of Mr. Ewen McKenzie, assistant superintendent of the Toronto Railway. Mrs. McKenzie is widely known in Mara and much respected. Her grandfather may justily (sic) be called the pioneer and father of North Mara.

From "The Early Highland Settlers in Mara Twp", by George D. MacDonald, To ronto, 1909:

I am told that a man by the name of Alexander McDonald, a Blacksmith, and his family were the first Highlanders to settle in North Mara; they came from Uist [Outer Hebrides, Scotland], and settled in the Township in 1833. The family consisted of the parents, five sons and five daughters. Their names were John, Alexander, Duncan, Donald and Robert and the girls we re Rachel, Isabella, Christy, Mary and Anne. Mr. McDonald Sr. died May 10th, 1859 aged 76 years and his wife Mary died February 13th, 1883 aged 92 years. The rest of this family are all dead, but Mary, who lives in Toronto, and Anne who lives in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. [Alexander McDonald, the blacksmith, settled first in Georgina Township where his daughter Mary was born c.1833. Sometime between 1833 and 1837 he settled in Mara.]

1. ↑ They came to Mara: Pioneers of Mara Township, circa 1829-1900. (Brechin, Ontario: Corporation of the Township of Mara (Ontario), 1993)
   p 581.

   QUAY 3

2. ↑ newspaper article
   "The Highland Settlement of Mara Township".

   QUAY 3 "Mr. McDonald Sr. died May 10, 1859, aged 76 years..."