John Macalester

   Another name for John was John McAllister.

  General Notes:

Collingwood Bulletin November 3 1899 pg 1:
"Another native of Islay, Scotland, who came to Canada over half a century ago, and settled in the township of Nottawasaga, has, in the person of Mr. John McAllister, passed to his rest. The deceased sailed from Greenock in 1843, and after a voyage of nine weeks arrived on the Canadian shores. he came direct to Nottawasaga, and settled on a farm on the Tenth Line in the Back Settlement. About three years later he determined to go further into the forest, and in 1845 he moved to the farm on the Town Line, where he has since resided, and where he died on Friday afternoon. He was the third settler in the Township of Collingwood, his nearest neighbor being the mailcarrier, who resided at Craigleith, between seven and eight miles away. There was no Collingwood then. This busy town, with its mills, factories and stores being like the surrounding townships, a thick forest. Barrie, which was then a fair sized village, was the market for the settlers of Nottawasaga and the townships on the east side of the Blue Mountains. As this was eleven years before the railway came north of our present county town, the settlers then drove to market with their ox teams. Others, who were not so fortunate as to have teams which they could spare from the farm for their journey, which generally occupied from four to six days, packed their produce through the bush, and brought their goods back in the same way. The county was not then supplied with hotels, the many villages which are now met with not being in existence, consequently the travellers had to make the best of the nights which they were obliged to spend in the woods and judging from the oft repeated stories of such as the subject of this sketch, they did. The customs, we are told, was to gather around some large stump and spend the night in gossiping, and enjoy the pipe, which was always a source of pleasure.
It was under such circumstances as these that Mr. McAllister came into the country. During all the hardships of early settlement he was assisted by his wife, whom he married before emigrating. She died about eight years ago at an advanced age. Their family consisted of six sons and four daughters. Of the former two, John and Robert preceded their parents. John died in infancy, and Robert twenty-six years ago while in Parry Sound. Of the others Dougald and Donald are prosperous farmers on the Tenth Line of Nottawasaga, Archibald lives on the homestead and Godfrey on the adjoining farm on the Town Line. Of the daughters, Janet, Mrs. John Carmichael, lives in Nottawasaga, Catherine, Mrs. Albert Zeigel, lives in Collingwood Tp., near the homestead, Maria, Mrs. John Zeigel, lives in town on Sixth Street, and Maggie, who is unmarried, is at home.
In politics the deceased was a Conservative, but did nothing more than cast his ballot, never taking an interest, being of a particularly quiet disposition. In religion he was a Presbyterian.
The funeral took place on Sunday afternoon to the West Church Cemetery, and was largely attended. The services were conducted by the pastor of St. Andrew's Church, of which the deceased was a member."

  Events

• He has conflicting birth information of 1812 and Argyll, Scotland.

• He emigrated in 1843 from Isle of Islay, Scotland. Sailed from Greenock.

• He resided at McMurchy Settlement, Township of Collingwood on 28 Jan 1891 in Collingwood, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada.

• He was Presbyterian in 1899 in Collingwood, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada.

• He resided at the Town Line on 27 Oct 1899 in Collingwood, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada.

John married Maria Smith before 1843 in Scotland. (Maria Smith was born circa 1818 in Scotland, died on 28 Jan 1891 in Collingwood, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada and was buried on 30 Jan 1891 in Collingwood, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada.)