February 19th 1778

The McNab clan

The McNab chiefs had a long history of litigation, mainly unsuccessful, and when Francis, the sixteenth laird, became chief in 1778 he inherited the large family debts. His imposing form was well captured by the famous portrait by Raeburn, which now helps to sell a well known brand of whiskey.

Francis himself seemed unpurturbed by his many debts and continued to live the life of a feudal lord at Kinnell, treating with disdain his many creditors. He never married but was reputed to have thirty two children. When he died in 1816 his nephew Archibald became the new clan chief. He was unable to shrug off the debts that had caused such a minor inconvenience to his uncle. He discovered that his lands were mortgaged to the hilt, mainly to the Earl of Breadalbane.

With his creditors pursuing him from all sides Archibald fled to Canada and was given a grant of eighty one thousand acres in the valley of the Ottowa River to which he gave the name McNab. He built himself a fine house, calling it Kinnell, and sent back word to Glendochart of the fine prospects awaiting those kinsmen who would join him. Large numbers travelled to Montreal being met by the Chief and his piper. On arrival at McNab they were allocated ground and proceeded to clear the land of trees. But the winter was longer than they had expected and the Chief failed to keep his promise to provide them with a year’s food.

There was much grumbling among the settlers, more particularly when they discovered that other settlers living there had received their land free from the Government while they were paying rent to McNab. He by this time had been made a J.P. with authority to hold courts and sentence offenders. This, of course, also gave him the power to deal in a summary way with any complaints from his own tenants. At length an anonymous letter was sent to the Governor General complaining of McNab’s high handed behaviour. The letter was sent on to McNab who immediately assumed that it was written by a certain Alexander McNab. Alexander then received the following extraordinary communication.

Degraded Clansman,
You are accused to me by Sir John Colborne of libel, sedition and high treason. You will therefore compear before me at my house of Kinnell and there make submission; and if you show a contrite and repentant spirit and confess your faults against me, your legitimate Chief, and your crime against His Majesty King George, I will intercede for your pardon.
Your offended Chief, McNab.

Alexander McNab protested that he had not written the anonymous letter, but to no avail. He was convicted by his Chief and thrown in prison. Eventually, when Lord Durham became Governor General in 1838 a petition was sent to him outlining the grievances of the McNab settlers. An enquiry was held and Archibald McNab was ordered to pay back £35,000 to the settlers. He was now a ruined man but stayed on in Canada until 1853.

He finally died in France in 1860.