1. Early Scottish Emigration (1784 to 1826): 

October 9, 2003:
Glengarry and Lanark Counties - Highlanders and Lowlanders.
Note: The above is in .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) format. 

Map of Scotland and its counties.
Map Source: http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/sct_cmap.html

October 4, 2003:

    
Early Scottish Emigration to the Ottawa area *


 
to Glengarry County
 
to Lanark County

Characteristics of Emigrants
2,500 subsistence farmers from the Scottish
Highlands to Glengarry County before 1815
4,000 weavers and artisans from the
Scottish Lowlands to Lanark County after
1815

Emigrant Organization
No financial assistance, organized by
families, led by Highland patriarchs.
Catholic and Presbyterian 
Financially assisted, organized by emigrant
societies.

Presbyterian and Anglican

Reasons for Emigration
Maintain cultural and lifestyle traditions (also Clearances)
Economic opportunity for politicized
emigrants
  
* Source: "Peopling Glengarry County" by Marianne McLean and 
Michael E. Vance "The Politics of Emigration: Scotland and Assisted
Emigration to Upper Canada, 1815-1826" (History 3500)

2. Duncan McNab (The Laird of McNab Township, Renfrew County)
Archibald McNab was the last chieftain of the McNab clan from the Loch Tay 
region in Scotland. In order to escape heavy debts, he fled to Upper Canada where 
he negotiated for land along the Ottawa River so that he might bring his clansmen 
from Scotland as settlers. He was empowered by the government to assign up to 100 
acres per family and was granted personally 1200 acres which could be increased 
upon completion of the development of the settlement. In 1825 eighty-four settlers 
were met on their arrival by McNab and his piper. From there, they travelled by 
boat or walked through the bush for three weeks until they reached their new 
settlement at Chats Lake. Under McNab, they endured many hardships. Provisions 
were scarce, and had to be carried long distances for the first three years. 
The already impoverished Scots were hounded for interest payments required on 
any money spent on their behalf and then forbidden the right to work outside 
McNab's "serfdom". Young children in the settlement came close to starvation; 
meanwhile, the Laird gave lavish parties financed by the money flowing in as 
income from his large timber interests. Petitions were drawn up by the settlers 
and sent to public bodies but McNab's strong support of the Family Compact, the 
ruling oligarchy of the time in Upper Canada, caused their pleas to fall upon deaf 
ears. At the time of the Rebellion of 1837, McNab was appointed "Laird Colonel of 
the 20th Battalion of Carleton Light Infantry". But his own clansmen, fearing that 
McNab would gain even more power over them in a time of military service, refused 
to serve under his command. Finally, the Crown Lands Agent at Perth was appointed 
to investigate, and, after surveying the settlers, concluded that all charges against 
McNab were valid. McNab, sensing trouble ahead, quickly offered to sell his lands to 
government for 9000 pounds but in the end he settled for 2,500. The government began 
issuing Crown grants to the settlers, removing the Laird's feudal powers. His fortunes 
continued to dwindle, and though he tried suing his clansmen for his losses, he was 
unsuccessful, and returned to Europe. He died in 1860 in a small village in France. 
The township retains his name. 

Source: Tour of Darling Township.

Read the story of Henry Airth, 1786-1870, one of the settlers 
whom the Laird of McNab met at Montreal and settled on the Laird's estate 
near Arnprior.
May 8, 2003:
The historic Auld Kirk and Cemetery near Almonte.

March 29, 2008:
Here is part of an 1879 map showing Kenyon Township, Glengarry County, east of the
City of Ottawa. As you can see by the names, these folks are all Scottish Higland 
immigrants. Loch Garry (not Garry Lake) is shown on the map.

Map Source: Digital Map Collection at McGill University


 April 29, 2008:
We usually associate the logging and timber trade with the PreCambrian Shield areas
to the north and west of the city of Ottawa. However, beginning in the early 1800's,
Glengarry Scots and French Canadians operated a profitable logging industry as the 
following photo shows. The Scotch River is a tributary of the Nation River which flows
into the Ottawa River ar Plantagenet. The Scotch River was written about in 1901 by 
Ralph Connor in his book The Man from Glengarry.

Loggers on the Scotch River, 1890's
Photo Source: Reflections of the South Nation Watershed, page 31


 
E-mail Al Lewis



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