(12 July 1881-4 Feb. 1967), South African War veteran, farmer, barn framer. (birth 1882 also found) Born on his parents’ farm at Kirk Hill, on Lot 27, 7th Concession of Lochiel Township, GC. Parents: Donald Rory MacGillivray (1838-1936) and his first wife, Henrietta MacMillan (1848-1890). Education: local primary school. While still in his teens Donald John volunteered at Golden, B.C., for service in the South African War (the Boer War, as Glengarrians called it). In Jan. 1900, he sailed from Halifax for Cape Town as a member of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Mounted Rifles. He served with his unit in South Africa for two years. “On his return home he operated the family farm and worked as a carpenter, building many barns in the area.” Altogether, he framed about fifty barns, in an area defined as being based on Kirk Hill, with none farther away than Vankleek Hill. Also, he made cedar chests, and was a noted raconteur and wit in a community where the traditional verbal skills were still honoured. He was married at Ottawa, 16 Sept. 1902, to Sarah (Sally) MacLeod (1882-1958). (four children) In 1947 he was one of at least two Boer War veterans who attended the dedication of the war service plaques in Kenyon Presbyterian Church, Dunvegan. He belonged to St. Columba Church, Kirk Hill. Burial was at the Kirk Hill West cemetery. He was a Mason.

     His children included (1) William (Bill) MacGillivray (b. 1917, d. 22 Sept. 2007), a well known Glengarrian, who was the 6th generation of the family to farm their land at Kirk Hill, conducting his farm despite the loss of an arm in early life, and (2) Muriel MacGillivray (20 Dec. 1905-18 April 1987), who over many years taught in the Ontario primary and high school system, and was a high school teacher of French. It was remembered that while teaching at Maxville, she lived with a French family to improve her command of the spoken language. She had a B. A. from the University of Toronto and an M.A. (1947) from Columbia University. She was unmarried.

Marion MacMaster, St. Columba Men in Three Wars (1990), biog. sketch, with early portrait * Glengarry News 9 Feb. 1967 (QF) * private information * recollected by Hugh P. MacMillan: Fleming 186 * Hugh P. MacMillan, Adventures of a Paper Sleuth (2004) 33 * Robert McGillivray and George B. Macgillivray, A History of the Clan MacGillivray (1973) 225 (two refs.) * father dies at Kirk Hill, GN 17 Jan. 1936 * MacMillan, Kenyon Presbyterian Church, 87 * has contract to build a barn, GN 3 July 1914 * his son Bill MacGillivray: interview-article by Sandra Berry GN 8 July 1998 (portrait) * Muriel MacGillivray: GN 7 March 1947 (degree), 29 April 1987 (obituary); private information * obituaries of his sons Evans and William MacGillivray, GN 16 Nov., 7 & 14 Dec. 2005, 26 Sept. 2007, VKHR 16 Nov. 2005, 26 Sept. 2007