(25 June 1826-15 April 1918), pioneer. Born at Laggan, Glengarry County. Parents: Duncan McLennan and his wife Annie Campbell. Taught school in his early years. He left in 1859 for the gold fields of California, travelling by way of New York and the Isthmus of Panama. In 1860, on a contract, he constructed a trail from New Westminster to Vancouver, which has been described as the first trail into Vancouver. In 1863, he took part in a trip to explore the Squamish River (north of Vancouver) with Byron Johnson, author of Very Far West Indeed. Besides being a prospector in the Cariboo intermittently in the years 1861-1864, McLennan took part in CPR explorations and surveying. Later he was involved in steamboating for some 18 years and in hotel-keeping in Vancouver for many years, two brothers of his being also associated also with the hotel, Finlay D. (d. Vancouver, 28 Jan. 1908) and Neil (d. 1907). The three men together, according to the obituary of their nephew Duncan G. McLennan the contractor, were known “amongst pioneers as the ‘Scots Greys’.” The name no doubt derives from the British dragoon regiment known as the Scots Greys. Probably most Scots of the McLennans’ era had seen a reproduction of Lady Butler’s once famous painting, “Scotland for Ever,” of 1881, which depicted the charge of the regiment at the Battle of Waterloo.

     At the time of his death in Vancouver, John McLennan had been a B. C. resident for over half a century, and of Vancouver for about half that period, and was said to have been “famous through two generations as a British Columbia pioneer.” He appears to have left no children. The death certificate describes him as “retired,” and gives his former occupation as “Merchant– Steamboating.” His interests included Highland games and Highland sports in the Vancouver area. “Needless to say, he had complete command of the Gaelic language.”

     John McLennan was married on 1 July 1879, when he was in his 50s, to Mrs Emily Augusta Ward (“Aggie”), who has been described as “Vancouver’s first novelist.” She was the author, as E. A. McLennan, of the novel Love’s Divine Alchemy (Vancouver & Montreal, John Lovell & Sons), reviewed in the Vancouver Daily World of 7 April 1894. She is believed also to have written a work called Snatched from Neptune’s Bosum.

     He was probably the John McLennan, described as well-connected at Ottawa and a “relative” of the Hon. D. A. Macdonald, who ran unsuccessfully for New Westminster constituency in the federal by-election of 9 March 1882.

Cornwall Standard 25 April 1918 & Glengarry News 17 May 1918 (both from Vancouver Daily Province (QF1-2) * Vancouver Voters, 1886 (B. C. Genealogical Society, 1994) (QF-3): includes biog. note on the three brothers * marriage: Mainland Guardian [New Westminster], 9 July 1879, Colonist 6 July 1879 (“Mr. McLennan is a man whom everybody knows and likes”), & marriage license dated 28 June 1879 * by-election campaign: Mainland Guardian [New Westminster], 28 Jan. 1882, 4 Feb. 1882 (his election manifesto; is well acquainted with public men of Eastern Canada), 25 Feb. 1882 (career and influential connections), 15 March 1882 (thanks his supporters) * information kindly supplied by City of Vancouver Archives, B. C. Archives, & Ms Margaret Waddington (via B. C. Archives) * B. C. death certificate Reg. No. 1918-09-152413 * Finlay D. McLennan: short obituary, GN 7 Feb. 1908; B. C. death certificate (two parts) Reg. No. 1908-09-125570