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Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Kent, Ontario
Captain Allen H. McDonald


CAPTAIN ALLEN H. McDONALD, a retired farmer of Camden Gore, owns a fine farm of 160 acres in Lots 2 and 3, 3rd Concession, on which he erected a handsome brick house in 1899.  He came to the property that year from near the old homestead of his family, on which he had resided for 25 years.

Capt. McDonald was born March 18, 1849, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and comes of a family descended from the one-time rebel chief, McDonald of Glencoe.  His parents, Allen and Annie (Laing) McDonald, were also natives of Aberdeenshire, the father born May 12, 1812, the mother in 1817.  They came to Canada in 1853, and settled in Goderich township, County of Huron, where Mr. McDonald carried on a tailoring business, moving to the County of Kent, on the banks of the Sydenham river, near the town of Dresden, in 1866.  Mr. And Mrs. McDonald had children as follows:  Elizabeth, Mrs. William Bolton, of Dresden; Jessie, Mrs. John McKay, of Camden township; Annie, deceased wife of John Whtison; Allen H.; Jennie, deceased, wife of Murray Creamer, of Dresden; Andrew, who is on the old farm; and Capt. John, of Dresden.  The mother of this family died in 1892, the father surviving until August 4, 1902.  They were Presbyterians in religious faith.  Mr. McDonald was a Reformer in politics.

Capt. Allen H. McDonald has been married twice, his first wife, whom he married in Wallaceburg, in 1879, bearing the maiden name of Larency Houctwith.   Two children were born of this marriage:  Claud, of Windsor, Ontario; and Orville, who is on the old homestead in Camden Gore.  On October 25, 1886, in Port Huron, Capt. McDonald married Jessie Atkins, and their children are:  Etta G., Mary B., Lillie G., John L. and William B., all at home.  Mrs. McDonald was born in Chatham township, October 23, 1862, daughter of Joseph and Lillie (Bryden) Atkins, natives of England and Scotland, respectively, who were  married in Newbury, Ontario.  Mr. Atkins was a shoemaker by trade.  The children born of their union were as follows:  David died young; Anna, of Toronto, married James Dobie; Isabella, of Seattle, Washington, married Fred Singleton, and, later Benjamin Freed; Jessie is Mrs. McDonald.  After the death of the father Mrs. Atkins married a Mr. Barefoot, and by him had one child, Benjamin, a machinist, of Ohio.

Allen H. McDonald came to the County of Kent with his parents in 1866, and was reared upon a farm, continuing there until he was nineteen.  He then began to sail upon the lakes, and followed that calling until 1882, when he commenced farming in Camden Gore, near the old homestead, remaining there until 1899, and then moving to his present farm.  In addition to other interests he has considerable town property in Dresden, and was one of the promoters of the Standard Cement Company, Limited, capital stock $300,000.  He is one of the prosperous and solid retired farmers and business men of his neighbourhood, and his success in life has come to him through his own unaided efforts, directed intelligently along legitimate lines.  Fraternally the Captain is a member of the I.O.O.F.  In politics he is a Reformer, but never desired office.  Both he and his excellent wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, of which he is an elder.


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