He arrived in Canada in 1757, at the port of Halifax, on the naval ship the “Martello” as a soldier of the 78th Fraser Highlanders. He fought in the Battle on the Plains of Abraham of 1759 in Quebec City. When the 78th was disbanded he was discharged in October of 1763, as a Sergeant, and decided to remain in Quebec. On 30 April 1772 he married Angelique Demolier, daughter of Joachim Demolier and Marie-Josephte Auger in the Holy Trinity Anglican Church of Quebec City. They were married in a mixte ceremony (between persons of different religions or nationalities), because Alexander was Presbyterian and Angelique Catholic, but all their children were baptised Catholic at Notre-Dame-de-Quebec in Quebec City. Alexander was Angelique’s first husband and was 26 years older than Angelique.They lived in Berthier-sur-Mer, Montmagny County, Quebec, not far from Quebec City. Alexander MacKay Sr. was still alive in 1778 because he petitioned the Crown from Berthier sur-Mer for a Land Grant for a parcel of land in New Carlisle, Quebec. In this Land Petition of 1778 Alexander (Sr.) said he was a Clerk-Merchant-Vendor. Alexander MacKay Sr. was employed as a Clerk-Merchant-Vendor by Lord Cuthbert who owned both Berthiers commonly known then as Berthier-en-Bas and Berthier-en-Haut. Lord Cuthbert is a descendant of the famous Cuthberts of Castlehill from Inverness, Scotland. Alexander MacKay, Sr., was also born in the Castlehill area of Inverness. They must have previously known each other in Scotland. Sergeant Alexander Mackay, like all Sergeants who elected to stay in Canada when the 78th Highlanders disbanded in 1763, was allotted 200 acres of Land. After Alexander’s death in 1781, that land was inherited by his children, as Angelique forfeited it by her later marriage to Sergeant Ranald MacDonnell. We know Alexander died before Angelique Demolier remarried in 1782 to Ranald McDonnell. ®4162
“Alexander (William) MacKay (1724-c.1780) was born/baptized at home, on 08 September 1724, a Presbyterian, in the Aulde (Old) Cassellhill/Castlehill area, center of the town of Inverness, Inverness County, Scotland, the son of William MacKay and Margaret Fraser [1], [2]. He was a Miller by trade [3], [4] before being recruited as a soldier for Colonel Simon Fraser (1726-1782), Master of Lovat son of Lord Lovat.
Alexander (William) MacKay (Sr.) arrived at the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1757, on the naval ship the "Martello", [5] as a soldier for the 2nd Highland Battalion of Foot, also known as the "Fraser Highlanders". He later became Sergeant for the 78th Regiment, [6] in the command of Captain Hugh Fraser's Company [7]. Under the leadership of General Wolfe, the Fraser Highlanders defeated the French Forces of General Montcalm in several battles including the famous "Battle of the Plains of Abraham of 1759", in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
At the end of the Seven Years War (1757-1763), Alexander (William) MacKay (Sr.) was disbanded/discharged [8]. He decided not to return to Scotland but to start a new life in Canada. Alexander (William) MacKay (Sr.) settled, at first, in Quebec City, in the Province of Quebec, Canada. He was later married on 30 April 1772 (when he was 47 years of age) to 21 year old Angelique Desmouliers (1750-1815), daughter of Joachim Desmouliers (1710-1793) and Marie-Josephe Auger (1713-1793), in the (Anglican) Metropolitan Church of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada [9] by Reverend Francois-David Montmollin. Best man/witnesses at the wedding were Ranald McDonell/MacDonald (former Sgt. Fraser Highlanders) and James Thompson (also former Sgt. Fraser Highlanders). [10] Alexander (William) MacKay (Sr.) and Angelique Desmouliers had three (3) children, all baptized Catholic, in the Basilique Notre-Dame de Quebec Church, in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The family of Alexander (William) Mackay (Sr.) lived, at first, in Quebec City, but around 1778, they moved to Berthier (-sur-Mer) [22], Montmagny County, Quebec, Canada, where Alexander (William) MacKay (Sr.), at the time, worked as a Clerk-Merchant-Vendor. [23] Alexander (William) MacKay (Sr.) died estimated 1780, [24] being about 56 years old, most likely as a result of injuries suffered during the Seven Years War (1757-1763). He is buried in the St. Matthew's Protestant Cemetery in "Old Quebec" in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. [25]
Widow Angelique Desmouliers-MacKay was remarried in a Catholic ceremony in the Basilique Notre-Dame de Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, on 05 November 1782, [26] to widower Ranald (also known as "Rene"/"Rand") McDonell/MacDonald (1730-1809), who had previously resided in Montmagny, near Berthier (-sur-Mer), Montmagny County, Quebec. All the MacKay children, including Ranald McDonell/MacDonald's only child, a daughter by the name of Marguerite MacDonald (c.1769-????), from his first marriage to Marguerite Bouchard (1747-1770), [27] were raised by Angelique Desmouliers and Ranald McDonell/MacDonald.
The entire family, including Angelique Desmouliers' parents (Joachim Desmouliers and Marie-Josephe Auger), resettled in New Carlisle [28], Bonaventure County, Quebec, Canada, sometimes after 1784. Ranald McDonell/MacDonald died on 29 August 1809, [29] being approximately 79 years old, and is buried in the Bonaventure Catholic Cemetery. Angelique Desmouliers-MacKay-McDonell/MacDonald died on 29 September 1815 [30], being 65 years old, and was also buried next to her second husband, Ranald McDonell/MacDonald, in the Bonaventure Catholic Cemetery, Bonaventure, Quebec, Canada.

Researched/Revised by: Reg J. McCaie (Jr.), Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. December 05, 2012.

SOURCES
1. Cassellhill/Castlehill Area Presbyterian Parish Registers, Inverness, Inverness County, Scotland, 1717-1762. See also: IGI Individual Record for "Alexander MacKay", Family Search (TM) International Genealogical Index v5.0 Bristish Isles, Source Information: Batch no: C1109882/Dates 1717-1762/Source Call no: 0990667/Type: Film/Printout Call no: 6900013/Type: Film. Also confirmed by Scottish Genealogist Rhoda MacLeod from Inverness, Inverness County, Scotland. She stated the following on 01/03/2012: "Alexander MacKay... was born on 08 September 1724, in Castlelhill, Inverness... Rhoda MacLeod found only one "Alexander MacKay" in the Prebyterian Registers (1717-1762), with parents named "William MacKay" and "Margaret Fraser", in Inverness, Inverness Co., Scotland.
2. Interview with Henri McCaie, son of Francois X. McKay/McCaie and Helene Richard, held at 23 Steadman Street, in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, on Saturday morning 08 September 1962. Henri McCaie confirmed to Reg McCaie (Jr.) that Alexander MacKay (Sr.) was the son of William MacKay and Margaret Fraser, and that they were all from Inverness, Inverness, Co., Scotland.
3. Ibid.
4. Rhoda MacLeod, Genealogist, in Trainee for High Life Highland (Genealogical Services), in Inverness, Inverness County, Scotland, in 2012, stated that in the Castlehill area of Inverness there were Mills. Someone living there was more likely to have been a Miller.
5. Harper, J. R. various editions. The Fraser Highlanders. The "Martello", a brand new cargo ship, utilized to transport military personnel to Canada in 1757.
6. McKay, Alexander, Sgt. (78th), (Capt. Hugh Fraser's Co.) JRH95 disbanded in Canada, 125. See also: Muster Rolls (List of Soldiers): www.clanfraser.ca. Sergeant Alexander McKay, 78th Regiment, is the only "M(a)cKay" soldier, from the Fraser Highlanders, to be discharged/disbanded in Quebec, Canada, at the end of the Seven Years War, in 1763.
7. Ibid., Harper, J.R. 1995. The Fraser Highlanders./www.clanfraser.ca.
8. Ibid., Harper, J. R. 1995. The Fraser Highlanders./www.clanfraser.ca.
9. (Anglican) Metropolitan Church of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Church Records for the Metropolitan Church are from 1768-1786. Marriage Act no. 30, performed on 30 April 1772, between Alexander McKay and Angelique Demolier, found on Pages 255 and 256. The Metropolitan Church Records were later transferred to the Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral upon opening in 1793, in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It is unclear if Angelique Desmouliers retained her Catholic Status in this Anglican marriage. Henri McCaie testified in 1962 that Alexander MacKay (Sr.) was way older than his bride. It was not uncommon for Scottish soldiers to be 20 years or older than their brides as mentioned in clanfraser.ca.
10. See: Sergeant Ranald McDonell in Captain Alexander Wood's Co. and Sergeant James Thompson in Captain John MacDonell's Co. in Muster Rolls (List of Soldiers) at www.clanfraser.
26. Registre Notre-Dame de Quebec. 1782-1785. Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Page 1/2. See also: "Dictionnaire Genealogique Tanguay". Page 447.
27. Ranald McDonell/MacDonald was first married to Marguerite Bouchard (1747-1770), daughter of Pierre Bouchard and Marguerite-Cordule Caron, on 02 July 1767, in the parish of Saint-Thomas, Montmagny, Montmagny Co., Quebec, Canada.
28. Library and Archives Canada. Lower Canada Land Petitions. McDonell, Ronald, Captain of Militia for Douglastown/Gaspe [to protect early residents]. New Carlisle Town Lots. Microfilm C-2567. RG1 L3L. Transcribed 2009 by Marilyn M. Astles. [Note: Former Sergeants were allotted 200 acres of land for their service to the Crown].
29. Registre de St. Bonaventure. 1771-1811. Co. de Bonaventure, Quebec, Canada. Ranald McDonell/MacDonald died on the 29th of August 1809. His Death Record was only entered in the Catholic Register on 07 January 1810.
Note: Ranald McDonell/MacDonald (1730-1809) was born in Fort Augustus, Inverness County, Scotland, the son of Daniel/Donald McDonell/MacDonald and Angie McDonell/MacDonald as cited in the "Dictionnaire Genealogique Tanguay", Page 447. Ranald McDonell/MacDonald is believed to have been baptized in Inverness, Inverness County, Scotland, as found in: "Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, "index", FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XB9D-596: accessed 31 Oct. 2012, "MacDonald", Dec. 1730; citing reference, FHL microfilm 990666, 990667.
30. Registre de St. Bonaventure. 1771-1811/(1815 also included). Co. de Bonaventure, Quebec, Canada. Page 143.” ®4162

Reg says he was in the 78th Fraser Highlanders Regiment (1757-1763 French and Indian War) and in another said it was the 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants) (1775-1784 American Revolution) ®4162 He probably was not in the 84th as 3 of his children were born during 1775 to 1784.

Alexander Mackay, Sr, and Angeligue Demolier were married on 30 April 1772 at Holy Trinity Anglican or known at the time as Metropolitan Anglican of Quebec City. They were married in a mixte ceremony because she was Catholic. ®4162

Ranald was Alexander William Mackay’s witness when he married Angelique, and he later was a widower when he became Angelique’s second husband. He, like Alexander William Mackay, was a discharged soldier of the 78th Fraser Highlanders, and like all British Sergeants who decided to remain in Canada, he was allotted 200 acres of land when the 78th Highlander disbanded in 1763. He lived in the town of Montmagny, Montmagny County, Quebec, adjacent to Berthier sur-Mer prior to their marriage. They married on 5 November 1782 in the Parish of Notre-Dame de Quebec, Quebec. ®11933 He petitioned for a land grant in Douglastown. In 1784 the family re-settled in Bonaventure/Douglastown, Bonaventure County in the Gaspe pensinsula of Quebec. However many of the first settlers did not like their lots and some of them settled in New Carlisle town lots, instead. He was a Captain of Militia [to guard early residents of Douglastown/Gaspe]. ®4162
“On November five of seventeen hundred and eighty two, after the publication of one marriage band listed in the name of our Mother parish, the parties having obtained dispensations of two published bands on the second day of this present month, from Monsignor Bishop of Quebec, who having signed in advance and stamped with his seal, and counter-signed by her father and mother who had remained. In our hands today, between Rene McDonald, widower of Marguerite Bouchard, from this parish on one side, and Angelique Desmolier, widow of Alexander McKaye, also from this parish on the other side, there having been found no delay to the said wedding, I, undersigned vicar priest of Quebec, has given them my consent, and have married them according to the prescribed rite by our Holy Mother the Roman Catholic Church, and this, in presence of John Buchanan, friend of the groom, and of Joseph Ponsaint and of his wife Marie-Magdeleine Robitaille, and Marie-Magdeleine Cormier wife of Jean Doucet, whom all three have signed this day and a few have signed with our reading done. Signed By: John Buchanan, M. Doucet, M.M. Robitaille-Ponsaint, Rene McDonell, Angelique Demolier
Fr. Labaiye [LaBaie], priest” ®11934
Note: Rene McDonell and Angelique Demoliers signed the register in their own cursive handwriting and were therefore educated.
All the MacKay children, including Ranald McDonell/MacDonald's only child, a daughter by the name of Marguerite MacDonald (c.1769-????), from his first marriage to Marguerite Bouchard (1747-1770), [27] were raised by Angelique Desmouliers and Ranald McDonell/MacDonald.
“Rand. McDonell, capt., originally from Glengarry County, Scotland died age 70 years old in [New] Carlisle on 29 August 1809. Present:
Simon Jean Henry Gregoire Allain Placide Bujol H. F. FitzSimmons, MC.”

Check death date