(28 or 29 Dec. 1883-11 Jan. 1972), clergyman. (Ewen J. Macdonald, E. J. Macdonald, “Father Ewen,” Mgr Macdonald, Major Macdonald) Born near Alexandria, in the 9th Concession of Lancaster Township, GC, presumably at his parents’ home on Lot 33. Parents: John K. Macdonald and his wife Isabel or Isabella MacMillan, who was from the McCrimmon area. He attended Alexandria High School, and he studied for the priesthood at the Grand Seminary, Montreal.

     He was ordained to the priesthood in St. James’s Cathedral, Montreal, on 17 Dec. 1910. Thereafter, he was priest at various parishes in the diocese of Alexandria; these included Lochiel 1920-1928, St. Finnan’s, where he was rector, 1928-1940; Dickinson’s Landing, for about a year beginning 1940, and Greenfield, 1947-1955.

     During the First World War, he went overseas as an army chaplain with the local regiment, which later became the SDG Highlanders. He received the Military Cross for bravery at the Battle of Amiens. (Glengarry News 15 Nov. 1918, Cornwall Standard 21 Nov. 1918) After the war, he continued his association with the SDG Regiment. In the Second World War, he again served as a chaplain overseas. He had the military rank of major.

     The much-honoured and much-respected Fr Ewen Macdonald was, over many years, the most highly-regarded authority on GC history and genealogy. Indeed, to many he was a living legend. His personal knowledge was vast, but he himself wrote little. He did however publish an article in The Catholic Historical Review in 1933 on the pioneer priest Fr Roderick Macdonell, and some of Fr Ewen’s writings appear also in the historical collection called Sinnsearchd. He was also a diligent collector over the years of documents relating to the history of GC. His collection of manuscripts is now in the Ontario Archives, where it is prized as a valued resource by researchers. (A microfilm is available; also, there is a good typescript inventory of the collection.) Included are papers of Fr John Macdonald (1782-1879) and Fr Aeneas Macdonald (1779-1859). A collection of books from his library was acquired by St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, N, S. A ten-page typescript list of the books prepared by the university records 195 titles amounting to 269 volumes. Mainly, the books are on Scottish history. Some Gaelic items are included. As a historian, he was personally known to Ewan Ross and Hugh P. MacMillan, both of whom have recorded in print their debt to him. Both, indeed, while recording that he was generous in lending documents from his collection, have speculated that he did not always succeed in getting the materials back again. Writing in 1928 to invite Col. Alexander Fraser, the archivist of Ontario, to give an address at a St. Andrew’s concert in Alexandria, he expressed his own wish to have an archives established for GC, preferably with its own building, and he noted that Bishop Couturier shared his interest in commemorating the achievements of the Highlanders. The Cornwall Standard-Freeholder of 16 Feb. 1943 printed a letter from Fr D.A. Kerr to his mother describing a recent tour of Scotland by himself and Fr Ewen Macdonald, both army chaplains.

     While parish priest at Lochiel, troubled by the then-current difficulties of GC farmers and the migration from the land, he supervised the setting up of a demonstration farm at Lochiel to instruct farmers in better and, it was hoped, more profitable, farming techniques. To help finance the project, he had his parishioners stage, in Sept. 1927, a pageant based on the life of Bonnie Prince Charlie; this was probably the best-remembered dramatic production in the whole of GC history. Among those who admired it was John E. McIntosh (“Sandy Fraser”) who warmly praised it in the Glengarry News of 16 Sept. 1927. Fr Macdonald was deeply interested in fishing, hunting and wildlife, and was one of the pioneers of conservation in the GC area, the idea of conservation being highly innovative at that time and in that place. In 1926 he was instrumental in getting the Loch Garry game Preserve established. His long article in the Glengarry News of 1 Oct. 1943 on fishing in northern British Columbia would be well worth reprinting even today, and he wrote interestingly also on the history of shad fishing in the Ottawa River (Rod and Gun, Feb. 1938, repr. GN 18 Feb. 1938).

     In his early years he had been a lacrosse player, and as a priest, among his public services, he took a lead in encouraging this game in GC.

     In 1955, he was made chaplain of the Precious Blood Monastery at Alexandria, and vicar-general of the diocese. (GN 27 Oct. & 24 Nov. 1955) He was made a domestic prelate in 1956 and a prothonotary apostolic in 1960. He lived to celebrate the 60th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. His death came at MacDonell Memorial Hospital in Cornwall. Burial was at St. Finnan’s cemetery, Alexandria. As a 6-year-old, he was one of the pages who carried the train at the installation of Bishop Macdonell, the first bishop of the diocese. Thereafter, he was present at the installation of the next four bishops of the Alexandria diocese, up to the installation in 1967 of Bishop Proulx.

     We have it on the good evidence of his own statements, as recollected from his conversation by Angus H. McDonell (GN 15 Nov. 1989), that in WWI, when he was billeted with Dr John McCrae, Dr McCrae showed him the manuscript of “In Flanders Fields” before it was published, and Fr Macdonald told Dr McCrae that if he did not send it to a publisher, he would take it and do so himself on McCrae’s behalf.

     When Fr Macdonald won the Military Cross, a mistaken report circulated identifying the winner as another clergyman of similar name, Ewan Macdonald the Presbyterian husband of the Canadian writer Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Glengarry News 13 (with portrait) & 20 Jan. 1972 * biog. prepared for Glengarry Sports Hall of Fame by Angus H. McDonell, GN 16 May 1984, with line portrait by Douglas A. Fales * “Glengarry Priest-Historian Receives New Papal Honors,” Standard Freeholder 10 Sept. 1960, biog. information, with good portrait * Macdonald, St. Finnan’s * Ostrom 267 * Boss 67, 251 * Villeneuve * Butternuts and Maple Sugar 196, 201, 282-283, with portrait * MacGillivray & Ross 302, 501-505 (with portrait), 672 * Bibliography of Glengarry: index * Ewan Ross in conversation * Sinnsearchd 11, 89, 123, 124 * Ross, Lancaster, 391-392 * Fraser (1959) 13, 193, 214, 253 * remembered by Hugh P. MacMillan, GN 17 Aug. 1972, GHS 11th Annual Volume (1971-1972) * the Loch Garry Game Preserve (Reserve), Angus H. McDonell on history of, GN 17 Sept. 1986, & 2 Sept. 1987 * letter 18 Oct. 1928 to Col. Alexander Fraser, printed GN 16 Sept. 1976 from Archives of Ontario-F * Lucy Maud Montgomery: her My Dear Mr. M.– Letters to G. B. MacMillan (1980) 98; Rev. Donald N. MacMillan, “Echoes from Glengarry’s Past,” in GC Highland Games programme 1999 * appointed army chaplain, GN 20 Oct. 1916 (with portrait) * text of his letter to a mother, Mrs P. Boisvenue, of Maxville, on the death of her son in the war, GN 11 Oct. 1918; for this family, see Maxville (1991) 468 * makes research trip to Albany, N. Y., GN 4 July 1924 * visits Rome, Europe, the Middle East, GN 2 Jan. & 2 March 1931 * promotes farmers’ study groups, GN 2 Oct. 1931 * officer of SDG Historical Society, SFH 7 Feb. 1934 * has again offered his services as chaplain, GN 15 Sept. 1939 * appointed chaplain, arrives in U. K., returns to Canada, GN 31 Oct. 1941, 4 Sept. 1942, 5 March 1943