About Canada's First Catholic Bishop, Alexander Macdonell-- Part 2

Before he came to Canada, Alexander Macdonell  raised a Catholic regiment to defend British interests during the Irish Rebellion in 1798.  The regiment would be disbanded and its men left destitute, but Macdonell  persuaded the Crown to give them land in Upper Canada in return for their loyalty. 

Macdonell first settled in Glengarry near Kingston.  He went to the Upper Canada capital in York in 1806 and found that Catholics were few and far between.  The town had a population of 200 of whom less than a quarter were Catholic.  In all of Upper Canada, there were only three Catholic churches and three Catholic priests.

Macdonell reported to his superiors on what he had seen at York and was given the task of acquiring more land for churches in the town.  (Of course, York eventually became Toronto.)

A plot on George on present-day Adelaide would be set aside "for the purpose of erecting a chapel for public worship."  But, it was destroyed by fire during the War of 1812.  (Likely burned by American troops when they torched the town.)

--Brock-Perry

War of 1812 Timeline-- April 1814: Reinforcing Fort Mackinac

APRIL 19TH, 1814: As already mentioned, on April 19th, Lt.Col. Robert McDouall and a contingent of British soldiers and sailors depart Glengarry Landing, Upper Canada, to reinforce the garrison at Fort Mackinac in Michigan territory. //// He left with two companies of the Royal Newfoundland Fencible regiment, a handful of Royal Artillerymen and agroup of Royal Navy sailors. They had been ordered from Kingston in February 1814 to reinforce and resupply the British garrison at Fort Mackinac. //// They at first traveled overland and then stopped at the forks of the Nottawasaga River in Upper Canada near Georgian Bay and spent two months constructing 29 large boats with which to carry supplies to the post on Michilimackinac Island. //// The clearing they made became known as Glengarry Landing. //// The expedition encountered ice-choked and often stormy waters in their journey over Lake Hurin to Fort Mackinac. Upon arrival on 18 May, McDouall assumed command of the post. //// --Brock-Perry