(died 31 Oct. 1912, aged 78), man of local prominence. (Captain A. B. McLennan; as with several other Glengarrians of his time, he was commonly identified by his military title in private life; sp also Maclennan) Born presumably in Charlottenburgh Township, GC. Parents: Farquhar Ban McLennan and his wife Catherine Fraser. He was made a JP by John Sandfield Macdonald and an obituary noted he was “one of the few” J Ps not removed by the Whitney government of Ontario. He was a captain in the militia at the time of the Fenian Raids, and remained in the militia till 1884. Also, he was reeve of Charlottenburgh.
“He was the first to erect a cheese factory in this district [area not specified; perhaps Lancaster Village area], which he operated to the satisfaction of all his patrons for a number of years.” In the spring of 1881, he had a factory at McCrimmon, while in Alexandria he and a D. A. McDonald both had factories, or possibly had a factory in partnership. (Cornwall Reporter 14 May 1881) It is surprising to find him involved in business at McCrimmon (McCrimmons Corners ), on the far-away northern border of GC. The McCrimmon’s Corners columnist in the Glengarry Times of 10 Dec. 1881 reported that “Capt. A. B. McLennan made his final payment for the season to his patrons at his cheese factory here last week…” Earlier in the year the same column (25 June 1881) recorded the injury in a sawmill accident at McCrimmon’s Corners of a boy “engaged in learning cheese making, at one of Capt. A. B. McLennan’s cheese factories.”
Capt. A. B. McLennan died at his home at Glen Gordon, five children surviving him. Presbyterian. Mason. He was married to Janet McNaughton. At the time of his death, he was called “one of Glengarry’s prominent men.” He was the brother of Donald Ban Maclennan and John Ban Maclennan both of Cornwall and of Col. Duncan B. Maclennan of GC. He must be distinguished from a near contemporary, James Alexander Brown McLennan, known by the rather similar name of Capt. J. A. B. McLennan.
Cornwall Freeholder (QF) & Glengarry News both 8 Nov. 1912 * Fraser, Gravestones, I, 174 * biog. sketches of GC militia officers, repr. Glengarry Times 29 Oct. 1881 from Ottawa Free Press * Boss 46, 252 * mentioned as now reeve of Charlottenburgh Township, Glengarrian 11 Oct. 1889 * Ross & Fraser McNaughtons, II, 612, 637