Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 35.djvu/53

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Macdonald
47
Macdonald

ceeding exhibitions. In the autumn of 1829 he exhibited in the Royal Institution, Edinburgh, his colossal group of ‘Ajax bearing the dead body of Patroclus and combating a Trojan warrior’ (see Scotsman, 28 and 31 Oct. 1829, where the group is engraved in outline) and other works; and he was second to his friend Charles Maclaren, editor of the ‘Scotsman,‘ in his bloodless duel with Dr. James Browne, editor of the ‘Caledonian Mercury,’ fought near Edinburgh on 12 Nov. 1829 (see ib. 11 and 14 Nov.), which arose partly out of an article in the ‘Mercury’ (6 Nov.) on Macdonald's works and the ‘Scotsman's’ criticisms upon them. In the same year he was elected a member of the Scottish Academy, where in 1832 he exhibited several busts, including those of J. Gibson Lochkart and the Earl Erroll; but he seldom contributed here, and resigned his membership in 1858. He appeared in the list of honorary members in 1867. In 1832 he returned to Rome, where he occupied a leading position as a sculptor, chiefly producing portrait busts, aided by his elder brother, John, and his son, Alexander. His bust of Philip Henry, fifth Earl Stanhope, is now at Chevening, Kent, and a copy is in the National Portrait Gallery, London. He also executed busts of Walter Scott (1831), Fanny Kemble, Sir David Baird. and James Gillespie Graham. Among his ideal works are ‘A Girl and a Carrier Pigeon,’ 1835, and ‘Eurydice,’ 1849. His ‘Ulysses recognised by his dog,’ shown in the Paris Exhibition of 1855, was much admired, and became the property of Lord Kilmorey. Macdonald died in Rome, 4 March 1878.

Redgrave's Dict.; Brydall's Art in Scotland; Catalogues of Royal Academy, Royal Scottish Academy, and Nat. Portrait Gallery: Drummond's Perthshire in Bygone Days.]

J. M. G.


MACDONALD, PATRICK (1729–1824), amateur musician, eldest son of Murdoch Macdonald, minister of Durness, Sutherlandshire, was born on 22 April 1729. He studied for the ministry at Aberdeen University, and, after acting for some time as a private tutor, was in 1756 licensed by the presbytery of Edinburgh, and ordained as missionary at Strontian, Argyllshire. In 1757 he became minister of Kilmore, Argyllshire, where he died, ‘father of the church,' on 26 Sept. 1824. He married Barbara Macdonald, a Roman catholic, ‘who attended neither public nor family worship with her husband’ (Soon), and by her had nine sons and four daughters. He was a well-informed writer on Scottish music, a composer, and a player of various instruments. He wrote the account of his for Sinclair's ‘Statistical Account,’ but his claim to remembrance rests on ‘A Collection of Highland Vocal Airs never hitherto published, etc.’ (Edinburgh. 1784), which he edited with the assistance of his brother, Joseph Macdonald and the Rev. Walter Young, who composed the basses and wrote the preliminary dissertation.’ This work, which was published by subscription and is now scarce, is valuable, both for its musical contents and the materials it offers to the historian of national melody.

[Scott's Fasti Eccl. Scot. ‘Synod of Argyll’, p. 50; Presbytery Registers; Johnson’s Scots’ Musical Museum. ed. 1853, i. 51; Glen's Coll. of Scottish Dance Music, Introd., Edinb. 1891.]

J. C. H.


MACDONALD, RANALD, D.D. (1755–1832), Scottish catholic prelate, born at Edinburgh, of highland peasants, in 1766, received his education in the Scots College at Douay, and after being ordained priest returned to Scotland in 1782. He was first stationed in Glengairn, Aberdeenshire; after some years he was transferred to Glengarry; and thence was sent to the island of Uist. He succeeded Dr. Æneas Chisholm [q. v.] as vicar apostolic of the highland district, his brief to the vicariate, and see of 'Æryndela, sub archiepiscopo Tarsen., in partibus infidelium,' being dated 24 Aug. 1819. In 1827 he became the first vicar-apostolic of the newly created western district of Scotland. He died at Fort William on 30 Sept. 1832.

[Brady's Episcopal Succession. iii. 437, 471; Catholic Directory, 1892, p. 81: Edinburgh Catholic Mag. 1832–3, i. l92; London and Dublin Orthodox Journal, 1837. iv. 121; Stothert's Catholic Mission in Scotland, p. 464.]

T. C.


MACDONALD, WILLIAM BELL (1807–1862), linguist, eldest son of Donald Macdonald, by Mary, daughter of William Bell of Rammerscales, near Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire, was born in Scotland in 1807, and was educated at the university of Glasgow, where he graduated B.A. 1827. After studying medicine he served as surgeon in Sir Pulteney Malcolm's flagship in the Mediterranean from 1828 to 1831, and was afterwards a commissioner of supply.

He was one of the greatest linguists of his time, making a special study of Coptic, and could translate an old Scottish song into German, Latin, Greek, or Hebrew. On the death of an uncle named Bell he succeeded to the estate of Rammerscales, where he collected a large and valuable library. For some years he represented the burgh of Lochmaben in the general assembly of the church of Scotland. He died at 114 West Campbell Street, Glasgow, 5 Dec. 1862, and was buried in Dalton churchyard. He mar-