Died 1833, Florence, Italy | ||
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Hugh MacDonell of Aberchalder (1753-1847) 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, as part of a major migration, 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, Ida Louise Ulrich (1800, Copenhagen-1880, Florence). He retired from that post to Florence, Italy where he died in 1847. He was buried in the Swiss-owned so-called 'English' Cemetery in Piazzale Donatello and the words engraved in the stone are: "Sacred to the memory of Hugh MacDonell ESQ Died at Florence on the 3rd June 1847" at 94 years old.