Alexander Macdonell of Greenfield

Alexander Macdonell of Greenfield
Member of the 8th and 9th Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada for Glengarry
In office
January 31, 1821 – June 24, 1828
Preceded byJohn Cameron
Succeeded byAlexander Fraser
Member of the 12th Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada for Prescott
In office
January 15, 1835 – February 23, 1835
Preceded byDonald Macdonell
Succeeded byJohn Chesser
Sheriff of the Ottawa District
In office
1822 – February 23, 1835
Personal details
Born(1782-11-20)November 20, 1782
Greenfield, near Aberchalder, in Inverness-shire, Scotland
DiedFebruary 23, 1835(1835-02-23) (aged 52)
Toronto, Canada West
SpouseSuzette/Josephte (Cree)
RelationsMiles Macdonell, cousin and brother-in-law
John Macdonell, brother
Donald Macdonell, brother
ChildrenCaptain George Macdonell of Greenfield, Q.C., M.P. for Dundas County[1][2]
Lieutenant Angus John Macdonell of Greenfield [1]
John Macdonell of Greenfield[3]
Margaret Macdonell of Greenfield.[4]

Alexander Macdonell of Greenfield (20 November 1782 – 23 February 1835)[5] was a Canadian businessman and politician. He was the fourth son of Alexander Macdonell of Greenfield and Janet Macdonell of Aberchalder (a sister of John Macdonell of Aberchalder and Sir Hugh MacDonell of Aberchalder). He was also the cousin and brother-in-law of Miles MacDonell, the first governor of the Red River Colony.

Alexander worked as a fur trader and became a partner of the North West Company becoming very interested in the rights of the Métis (so called "Half Breeds") with whom he worked as well as having 4 métis children.[6] He was the first to refer to the Métis as becoming a nation when he wrote to Duncan Cameron that “The New Nation under their leaders are coming forward to clear their native soil of intruders and assassins”.[7] Additionally Alexander played a role in the development of Métis identity by "giving them shape and direction".[8] Alongside Cameron he was also instrumental in Cuthbert Grant initially being appointed as one of the "captains of the Métis", and eventually “Captain-General of all the Half-Breeds.” According to writer George Woodcock, prior to 1814 there was nothing to suggest that Grant saw the Métis as a nation, or gave any thought to their cause, or even identified himself with them.[9] During the Pemmican War Alexander dispatched Cuthbert Grant and 25 Métis to plunder the Hudson's Bay Company's Brandon House.

It is a common story that Macdonell gave the Métis flag to the Métis in 1815. However, this is based on a reading of one account, provided by James Sutherland, in which he stated “it is said” that the North West Company gave the Métis peoples the Métis flag as a gift for their actions against the Red River Colony in Spring 1815, but made no mention of Macdonell as the source of the flag.[10] However, there is no corroborating evidence for this rumour, and it is potentially contradicted by contemporary eyewitness accounts from Colin Robertson, Lieutenant General Sir John Coape Sherbrooke, and Macdonell himself that do not describe a flag being given among the gifts given to the Métis by the North West Company before the flag was first recorded by Sutherland as being flown in October 1815.[11][12][13][14] All other historical contemporary accounts of the flag do not include details of where the flag originated.[15][16][17] Moreover, Métis oral tradition tells that the Métis developed the infinity flag for themselves, and called the flag Li Paviiyoon di Michif in the Michif language.[18]

In 1819 a book titled A Narrative of the Transactions in the Red River Country from the commencement of the operations of the Earl of Selkirk till the summer of 1816 was published in London, United Kingdom under his name.[19]

In 1821, following the forced merger of the North West Company with the Hudson's Bay Company, Alexander returned to Upper Canada, becoming a political figure.[20] He served in the 8th Parliament of Upper Canada and 9th Parliament of Upper Canada in the riding of Glengarry and in the 12th Parliament in the riding of Prescott.

Another Alexander Macdonell also served in the riding of Glengarry during several parliaments, including the 6th Parliament; he succeeded Alexander MacDonell of Greenfield's brother, John MacDonell.

In 1822 Alexander became the Sheriff of the Ottawa District, a position he held until his death in 1835.

Through his daughter Margaret he is a great-great-grandfather of Métis Elder George R. D. Goulet.[4]

  1. ^ a b "Obituaries". The Cornwall Observer. 23 March 1843.
  2. ^ "Local News of All Sorts" (PDF). Glengarry County Archives. The Alexandria News. June 14, 1912. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 12, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  3. ^ "Obituaries". Bytown Gazette and Ottawa Advertiser. August 1840.
  4. ^ a b Ancestors of George R. D. Goulet. The Saint Boniface Historical Society, 1991. p. 18.
  5. ^ Halpenny, Francess G (1988). Dictionary of Canadian Biography Volume VI, 1821-1835. University of Toronto Press, Les Presses de l'université Laval. pp. 445–6. ISBN 0-8020-3436-5.
  6. ^ Laudicina, Nelly (November 24, 2012). "3" (PDF). Droit et Metissages, Evolution et usages de la loi à la colonie de la Rivière Rouge, 1811-1869 (Doctoral). Université Paris IV-Sorbonne et Université D'Ottawa. p. 65. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-07-10. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  7. ^ The Red River Colony - A Chronicle of the Beginnings of Manitoba by Louis Aubrey Wood. Glasgow & Brook, 1915. p. 91.
  8. ^ Woodcock, George (1985). Dictionary of Canadian Biography Volume VIII, 1851-1860. University of Toronto Press, Les Presses de l'université Laval. ISBN 978-0802034229.
  9. ^ Blake, Raymond B (2017). Conflict and Compromise: Pre-Confederation Canada, Volume 1. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-1-4426-3556-2.
  10. ^ Sutherland, James. "Report or a narrative of outrages committed against The Hudson's Bay Company's Servants by the North West Company at Qu'Appelle House during winter 1815–1816.". Selkirk collection, Vol. 5 (MG19-E1, microfilm reel C-2). Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk. pp. 1946–47. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  11. ^ Robertson, Colin. Colin Robertson diary. pp. 211–2 (fo. 109d–110). Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  12. ^ Goulburn, Henry, ed. (12 July 1819). "No. 37.—Copy of a Letter from Lieut. General Sir John C. Sherbrooke to the Earl Bathurst, K. G.; dated Quebec, 20th July 1818:—One Inclosure; viz. A general Statement and Report relative to the disturbances in the Indian Territories of British North America, by W. B. Coltman, Special Commissioner for inquiring into the Offences committed in the said Indian Territories, and the circumstances attending the same.". Papers Relating to the Red River Settlement. London: The House of Commons. pp. 172–3. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  13. ^ Macdonell, Alexander (1819). Narrative of Transactions in the Red River Country: From the commencement of the operations of the Earl of Selkirk, till the summer of the year 1816. B. McMillan. pp. 33–4. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  14. ^ Macdonell, Alexander (1819). Narrative of Transactions in the Red River Country: From the commencement of the operations of the Earl of Selkirk, till the summer of the year 1816. B. McMillan. pp. 41–2. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  15. ^ Fidler, Peter. "A Narrative of the re-establishment, progress and total destruction of the Colony in Red River 1816, with a concise account of the conduct and proceedings of the N.W.Co. in their effecting it, by P. Fidler". Selkirk collection, Vol. 6 (MG19-E1, microfilm reel C-3). Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk. pp. 2515–16. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  16. ^ Fidler, Peter. "A Narrative of the re-establishment, progress and total destruction of the Colony in Red River 1816, with a concise account of the conduct and proceedings of the N.W.Co. in their effecting it, by P. Fidler". Selkirk collection, Vol. 6 (MG19-E1, microfilm reel C-3). Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk. p. 2521. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  17. ^ Fidler, Peter (1 June 1816). Brandon House post journal (photograph). Hudson's Bay Company Archives. p. 36. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  18. ^ Fauchon, Joseph Jean (2020). The Métis Alphabet Book Study Prints (in English and Michif). Translated by Fleury, Norman. Illustrated by Mauvieux, Sheldon. Saskatoon, SK: Gabriel Dumont Institute.
  19. ^ "Manitoba Historical Society". Memorable Manitobans: Alexander Greenfield MacDonell. Archived from the original on 2009-09-08. Retrieved 2008-11-05.
  20. ^ Lords of the North. General Store Publishing House, 1997. p. 60.