ried in 1839 Helen, third daughter of Thomas Johnstone of Underwood.
Macdonald published: 1. ‘Lusus Philologici. Ex Museo Gul. B. Macdonald,’ Rammerscales, 1851. 2. ‘Ten Scottish Songs rendered into German,’ 1854. 3. ‘Sketch of a Coptic Grammar adapted for Self-Tuition,’ 1856. To the Ray Society in 1846 he communicated reports on zoology and botany translated from the German.
[Gent. Mag. March 1863, p. 390; Inglis's Dramatic Writers of Scotland, 1868, p. 71; Dumfries and Galloway Standard, 17 Dec. 1862, p. 64.]
MACDONALD, WILLIAM RUSSELL (1787–1854), miscellaneous writer, was born in 1787. In early life he was editor and part proprietor of ‘Bell’s Life in London,’ the ‘Sunday Herald,’ the ‘British Drama,’ and the 'Literary Humourist,’ besides contributing largely to other periodicals. ‘An entire change of opinion and sentiment,’ as his biography, ‘subsequently induced him to seek other channels for the exercise of his varied literary talents.’ He wrote ‘Christianity, Protestantism, and Popery, compared and contrasted,’ 8vo, London, 1829 [anon.], and the following: ‘A Paraphrase of Dodsley's “Economy of Human Life,”' 1817; ‘Mechanical Tales;’ ‘Fudges in Ireland,’ ‘Fables of the Day;' ‘The Comic A1phabet;’ and many others of an ephemeral character. But the most useful of Donald's productions were numerous books for the young, to which labour of love he devoted the latter period of his life until prevented by the loss of sight. Among them were ‘The Book of Quadrupeds,' 1838; ‘The Nursery Book;’ ‘First and Second Lessons for the Nursery;’ ‘Simple Tales;’ ‘Parley's First Present,' and ‘The Child's Cheerful Companion.’ Macdonald died on 30 Dec. 1854 in Great James Street, Bedford Row, London, leaving a widow and two sons.
[Gent. Mag. 1865. pt. i. p. 211.]
MACDONELL or MACDONALD, ALEXANDER or ALESTAIR of Glengarry (d. 1724), surnamed ‘Dubh’ from his dark complexion, Jacobite, was the eldest son of Ranald or Reginald Macdonell, second of Scotus or Scothouse, by Flora, daughter of Alexander Macleod of Macleod. On the death in 1680, without male issue, of his relative Æneas Macdonell of Glengarry, lord Macdonell and Aros, he succeeded to the estate of Glengarry, but not to the peerage, which became extinct. With four hundred of his clan he joined Graham of Claverhouse at Lochaber in 1689. Next to Lochiel he was personally the most notable of the highland chiefs who took part in the rising. The author of ‘Memoirs of Ewan Cameron’ states that ‘with his superiors and equals he lived in constant emulation and jealousy, and governed his clan with the authority and state of an independent prince’ (p. 260). He supported the proposals for a rising in a strong speech (Philip, Grameid, Scottish Historical Society, pp. 100–5), and displayed the fiery cross from the loftiest turrets of his castle (ib. p. 100). Although respect for ‘the customs of his predecessors’ made him among his own people ‘negligent of his person,’ and addicted to simplicity in his manner of living (Memoirs of Ewan Cameron, p. 261), he on the occasion of joining Dundee appeared at the head of his clan mounted on a foaming steed, clad in glittering arms and a cloak shining with gold (Grameid, p. 123).
When General Mackay attempted to win over Glengarry to the government he ‘returned him a civil answer, but instead of heartening to his proposal proposed to him the example of General Monk to imitate, who restored King Charles’ (Mackay, Memoirs, p. 19). Glengarry's Jacobitism was of an almost fanatical type, and this answer was intended as serious and solemn counsel. The slaughter of one of his clansmen during a raid of the Camerons on the Grants, see however, to those unacquainted with his idiosyncracy, likely on one occasion to cause an outbreak between the Macdonalds and the Camerons in the camp of Claverhouse. Glengarry in simulated fury went to Claverhouse demanding summary vengeance on Lochiel and the Camerons; but Lochiel took the matter very coolly, and the biographer of Lochiel states that Glengarry really ‘meant nothing more by the great noise he made than to ingratiate himself with his people' (Memoirs, p. 256; Macaulay, Hist. ii. 581). Glengarry was the first chief to eagerly counsel an immediate attack on Mackay at Killiecrankie, and in the battle he was the leader of the first line on the right, marching in the van accompanied with thirty horse (Grameid, p. 167).
Chiefly from his strong enmity to the Campbells and the Marquis of Breadalbane, Glengarry was specially reluctant to give in his submission to William III's government, and even ‘stood out obstinately against the voice of all the other chiefs.’ On 15 May 1691 Colonel Hill reported that he was ‘fortifying his house with an earthwork and a pale, and is the most bigoted man alive' (Leven and Melville Papers, p. 613); and he succeeded in so strengthening it that it could not have been taken ‘without great
