Alexander Macdonell (bishop of Kingston)

This article is about the bishop of Kingston. For the bishop of Alexandria–Cornwall, see Alexander Macdonell (1833–1905).

Alexander Macdonell
MacDonell c. 1823 by Martin Archer Shee
Born(1762-07-17)17 July 1762
Glen Urquhart, Scotland
Died14 January 1840(1840-01-14) (aged 77)
Dumfries, Scotland

Bishop Alexander Macdonell (17 July 1762 – 14 January 1840) was the first Roman Catholic bishop of Kingston, Upper Canada.

He was born in Glen Urquhart, Inchlaggan, Scotland and served a chaplain with the Glengarry Fencibles during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. His presence insured that the regiment "distinguished itself by its humanity". When the regiment was demobilized, most of the soldiers found themselves unemployed and destitute. He led them to Canada, where they received a grant of land for their service.

When Macdonell arrived in 1804, he found three priests and three churches in Upper Canada. By his energy and perseverance he induced a considerable immigration to the province, and left at his death forty-eight churches attended by thirty priests, plus a seminary and a college.

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