Draft:Glenaladale Estate

Glenaladale House is a historical property on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Situated on a 530-acre estate on Tracadie Bay, it was first settled in 1772 by the young Laird of Glenaladale and Glenfinnan, Captain John MacDonald, following the Jacobite Uprising in Scotland.

The "Glenaladale Settlement" was the earliest large Scottish emigration scheme to what we now call Canada. Being central to Prince Edward Island history, Glenaladale played a pivotal role in the Island's "Land Question", was home to two Individuals of National Historic Significance to Canada, and saw the growth of agriculture,, and  on PEI.

The Estate was sold to the MacKinnon family in 1905, and when in 2012 the House was shuttered and property listed for sale, a group of community volunteers formed the Glenaladale Estate Heritage Trust in order to purchase, preserve, and maintain the Estate using sustainable development. They successfully purchased the property in 2018, and in 2023 appointed Jason MacGregor CD as the Estate's first executive director.

Pre-British History
Prior to being settled as Glenaladale, land where the Estate is located today was used by Mi'kmaq to portage between the Hillsborough River and Tracadie Bay as it provided the shortest route between PEI's north and south shores.

During the French Regime, Acadians, who had strong relations with Mi'kmaq, settled in the area, although were later forcibly removed from the Island during the Grand Dérangement.

Battle of Culloden
When in the 1740s, Bonnie Prince Charlie led the Jacobite uprising to re-install the House of Stuart to the Scottish Throne, Major Alexander MacDonald, Laird of Glenaladale and Glenfinnan (father of Captain John), allied with the Prince – as did many Highland families who would eventually emigrate to Prince Edward Island (then called St John's Island).

Several close relatives of the MacDonalds who fought alongside Bonnie Prince Charlie were also directly involved in protecting him during his escape after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. They escorted him to the Isle of Skye from which he left Scotland. (See Skye Boat Song). Following the failed uprising, everyday life for the Young Pretender's supporters became extremely difficult.

Glenaladale Settlement
In 1766, at the young age of 24, John MacDonald inherited his father's estates and thus became the 8th Laird of Glenaladale and 7th Laird of Glenfinnan. By this time, life for Catholic Highlanders in Scotland had become untenable and the young laird saw an opportunity to give his people a new life on St John's Island.

In 1770, John MacDonald mortgaged his Scottish estates and purchased the 20,000-acre Lot 36 on St John's Island (PEI). In May 1772, under the leadership of John's brother, Donald, 214 Catholic men, women and children from the Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland, sailed out aboard the brig Alexander, arriving in late June.

The "Glenaladale Settlement" of 1772 became the earliest large Scottish emigration scheme to what we now call Canada.

John followed the first settlers the following year, 1773, but spent most of the rest of the 18th century away from his new home. He first fought for the British in the American Revolution, where he became "Captain John", then with the Colonial Government in London as a representative of the proprietors of St John's Island during their fight to retain title to their lands.

In 1790 and 1791, four ships brought 864 of the Glenaladale settlers' close relatives and friends from Scotland to PEI. The majority of Scottish Catholics on the Island today can trace their ancestry to one of these two settlements.

In 1792, twenty years after Glenaladale's settlement, Captain John purchased the adjoining Lot 35, bringing his lands to 40,000 acres, thus becoming one of the largest landowners on St John's Island.

One of the conditions for early proprietors of St John's Island was that they bring only Foreign Protestants to settle the colony. Captain John ignored this condition and ensured the Catholic needs of his people were met by bringing his cousin, Father James MacDonald, with them. The multi-lingual Father James became the first non-French priest to tend to Catholics of the Island, including Acadians and over time some of the Mi'kmaq.

It was not until 1829 that Catholics on Prince Edward Island received the rights accorded to the Protestants — almost 20 years after Captain John's death.

Three Siblings, Loyal to the Crown
Even though Glenaladale Settlers had painful memories of what the British Crown did to them after the Jacobite Uprising in Scotland, they maintained their loyalty to the Crown.

When, with the onset of the American Revolution, duty called – John MacDonald raised a battalion from among his tenants, other early settlers to St John's Island, and settlers in neighbouring Nova Scotia. He received the commission of Captain and spent 1776-1783 protecting these new British Colonies.

John's brother Donald was also commissioned as a lieutenant in a different battalion. He later died during the Battle of Porto Playa in the Cape Verde Islands, off the coast of Africa.

Meanwhile, one woman who played a key role in the successful settlement of St John's Island, was Captain John and Donalds' sister, Helen "Nelly" MacDonald. Following her brothers' commissioning during the American Revolution, Miss Nelly (as she was commonly known), was given the responsibility of managing Captain John's Estate.

Nelly oversaw the needs of the tenants, ensured the rents were paid (as best as they could be), the Estate had enough income to meet its obligations, and that government officials on the Island were kept at bay. This would have been a difficult task for anyone during this time, but that it was taken on by a woman—when women were seen as property rather than equals—makes it more noteworthy. . Nelly never married. It is said that she lost the love of her life in a duel with a rejected suitor.

In 2012, Captain John MacDonald was designated by the Government of Canada as a Person of National Historic Significance.

The Family Compact and Monaghan Settlers
When Captain John's son of the same name became a priest, Father John's first posting was to a working-class neighbourhood in Glasgow, Scotland. By this time he had inherited a large part of Lots 35 and 36, and seeing his mostly Irish labourer parishioners struggling so badly in Scotland, he arranged to bring some out to his land in PEI. These people became known as the "Glasgow Irish" and were joined several years later by a large group known as the "Monaghan Settlers", also brought to the Island through Father John's efforts.

Meanwhile, when Captain John's eldest son, the Honorable Donald MacDonald, married Matilda Brecken of a prominent English family in Charlottetown, he attained a measure of success and privilege few Scottish Catholics could even dream of at that time.

In 1839, Hon Donald was appointed to the Legislative Council for PEI and thus became a member of the "Family Compact", an interconnected select group of citizens who controlled much of Island life. A colourful character, well-known but not particularly well-liked, Hon Donald was the father of Hon John Archibald MacDonald and Sir William Christopher MacDonald.

Sir William C MacDonald

Captain John's grandsons, William Christopher and his brother Augustine founded MacDonald Brothers and Company—one of the largest tobacco businesses in the world.

After several years in business, William C took full ownership and eventually became one of Canada's richest men. He served as governor of the Montréal General Hospital, was a director and the largest shareholder of the Bank of Montréal, and was a director of the Royal Trust Company.

William was knighted for his philanthropic endeavours, focussed primarily on education. His strong interest in agriculture and rural sciences education and ecology led him to co-found the Macdonald Movement for Rural Education, with Macdonald Consolidated schools built in Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. His name is most often attached to Macdonald College at McGill University but his generous donations also brought about the founding of the University of British Columbia and the University of Guelph Agricultural College and Domestic Sciences program. It was Sir William who commissioned the house that currently stands on the Estate, gifted to his brother John Archibald. Though his agricultural interests came to the fore, as the house cost a minor $9500 compared to $22,000 spent to build the accompanying barn. Unfortunately, the mammoth barn was lost to a fire in 1907.

In 1974, Sir William Christopher Macdonald was designated a Person of National Historic Significance to Canada – joining the ranks of his grandfather, Captain John.

The MacKinnons

In 1905, title to Glenaladale Estate was transferred to only the second family to call it home, a MacKinnon family who moved to Tracadie from Lot 16 in the west of PEI. The MacKinnons' contributions to the community were varied: farmers, silver fox breeders, rum runners, bootleggers, and early members of the Island tourism industry when they ran the home as a lodge in the 1930s.

Eight members of the MacKinnon family shared ownership of the property in 2012 when the House was shuttered and the 530 acre property listed for sale.

The Trust
When the property was put on the market in 2012, a group of dedicated community volunteers formed the Glenaladale Estate Heritage Trust in order to purchase, preserve, and maintain the Estate using sustainable development. Primarily led by Mary Jeanette Gallant-MacDonald and Aggi-Rose Reddin, the Trust secured ownership of the Estate in 2018.

The House
Glenaladale House has undergone a slew of improvements since the Trust purchased the estate in 2018, including plaster repairs throughout the House, a new slate roof on the privy extension, and exterior bricks repointed and acid washed.

Two of the chimneys were repaired with a combination of rebuilding and repointing with new metal caps installed. Painting was done by local volunteers, the Construction Association of PEI's Newcomers in Trades students built a new back deck and an outside power outlet was added. Door hardware was restored on the pantry and main doors by a volunteer trained in heritage restoration and new window blinds were created by a local volunteer.

The Estate
Glenaladale Estate Heritage Trust is bringing a working farm back to Glenaladale using acreage not currently leased to local farmers. Sadie's Barn, a tribute to Sadie MacLean MacKinnon, the matriarch of the Glenaladale MacKinnons, was constructed to house two horses, two Highland cows, a donkey, a few of goats, sheep, pigs, and poultry.

In collaboration with Creative PEI and Confederation Centre of the Arts, the Sculpture Forest at Glenaladale was developed by ten local artists using themes of "Home" and "Who we were".

Disc golf quickly gained popularity on PEI in recent years, and Glenaladale Disc Golf Course, a 20-hole course, sees a lot of users.

Panels placed to help visitors interpret the property are found outside, while inside displays detail the history of Glenaladale and the Celtic diaspora on PEI. Some panels are listed in English, French, Gaelic and/or Mi'kmaq thanks to the Office of Gaelic Affairs Province of Nova Scotia, and Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey.

The Schoolhouse
Since the Trust purchased the Estate, the largest change has been the rehabilitation of Glenaladale School after it was moved to the Estate's main entrance. ("Rehabilitation" as a conservation standard retains the recognized exterior features of the building while allowing for significant changes to the interior ).

The School opened in time for the late June celebrations marking 250 years since the arrival of Glenaladale Settlers to the area