This info is copied from material given to me by my cousin Francis Ross McDonald UE 5th great-grandson of Roderick Rory McDonell "Ardnabie" .
This memorial is in honour of Roderick "Rory" McDonell, Loyalist, who was born at Wester Cullachy, Inverness shire Scotland 1732 . He was the son of Captain John "Dhu" McDonell 1702 -1785 , of the family "Ardnabie" a branch of the "MacDonells of Glengarry" Scotland ,and Mary MacDonald 1704 - 1789 of Drynachan Inverness shire Scotland .
Roderick or "Red Rory" as he was called (by his contemporaries). His father and uncles and other kin fought as Jacobites at Culloden in the '45 Rising under "The Bonnie Prince Charles" . Roderick fought with the 78th Fraser Regiment at Louisburgh Cape Breton and at Quebec under Hugh Montgomerie's Company 1757 - 1763 , in the 7 years War .After which returning home to Scotland he married Isabel Grant 1734 - 1777 of "Cromdale"and raised a family at Laggan Achadrom . Later he came to America aboard the ship "Pearl" with others of his kin in 1773 , (nearly all 260 families related) who left Glengarry to settle among others, on Sir William Johnson's Lands in then Province of New York .
Rory settled on Lot 17 south side Charlotte River [ J's Note:beside Spanish John McDonell] , Tryon County , (near present day Davenport NY) in the 2nd Patent of Sir William Johnson's Land . He was a strong loyalist and bore arms for the crown . His wife and two children were captured by the Rebels and died at Albany , when "Rory" went off to join 84th Regt. (RHE) under General Burgoyne at Saratoga whereby he was captured and made a prisoner .
He later escaped with others , returned home to find his family dispersed , his wife Isabel , son Donald , daughter Isabel, were made prisoners by John Harper at "Harpersfield", while he was away . Rory was made prisoner and sent to Philadelphia with his brother Allen "Bhuide" McDonell [J's Note: this Allen Bhuide McDonell b. 1730 - 1807 is my line] ,later both escaped . His home was burned to the ground on 1st May 1777 and household goods sold at venue , he lost his all .
Appointed Scouts and Secret Service , in 1777 - 1781 he went skulking in the woods, with his son John Roy McDonell Sr. UE 1768 - 1846 . Meanwhile, he joined with Sir John Johnson on 12th August 1777, in the King's Royal Regiment of New York (KRRNY) 1st Battalion , as a private soldier [J's Note : as did Allen Bhuide McDonell his older brother] . He later served under his relative Captain Angus McDonell with his company 1781 - 1783 .
In 1784 after the American Revolutionary War , he settled on his land , awarded to him by the Crown at west half Lot 19 in 2nd Con, South side River Aux Raisin , in Charlottenburgh (South Branch Road [J's Note : his younger brother Donald Bhoir McDonell KRRNY b. 1736 settled the east half of this Lot 19 South Branch Road] .
More J's Notes: Roderick Rory's son John Roy McDonel Sr settled with his father on said W1/2 Lot 19 SBR and next west was my ancestor Duncan Grant UE on Lot 20 SBR , in the early 1800s this John Roy and Duncan had their names inserted on the UE List in a joint Petition with others that they were affiliated with the Scouting Services of the KRRNY , and their Petition was accepted by the government of the day , and their children received land as sons/daughters of UE .
Further Notes: My Allen Bhuide McDonell KRRNY b. 1730 - 1807 was also held prisoner by the Americans [probably several times] , his wife [name unknown to me ] may well have died in similar curcumstance to her sister in law Isabel Grant McDonell [Roderick Rory's wife] and their 2 children . He later settled as a Widower with his son Alexander Bane McDonell on Lot 23 Con 9 Charlottenburg . Recently it has been pointed out to me that in 1818 this Alexander Bane McDonell filed Petition to have his name distinguished from others on the United Empire Loyalist list , from all the other Alexander McDonell that are also on that list ; he asked that he be designated as Alexander Ben Beg McDonell and it now appears on UELAC list as Alexander Ben Bog McDonell !! His sister whom I think was Nancy McDonell may have married another Alexander McDonell who served in the Queen's Rangers Rev War and may have settled Cornwall Twp . Another sister [my line] Flora McDonell had made her way from the Kingsborough Patent NY to Long Island NY where she married Robert Young Queen's Ranger in 1782 , and they were resettled to E 1/2 of Lot 12 Con 2 Charlottenburg by 1791 .
Further Note : I often seem to mix the KRRNY with the 84th , but do to the fog of war and the frequent capture and escape of these soldiers , I think they simply hooked up with whichever gang they could , probably flowing from one to the other .