BROUGHTON McDONALD, a retired farmer and prominent resident of Ridgetown, County of Kent, Ontario, was born in Utica, New York, in 1830, a son of William and Margaret McDonald.

William and Margaret McDonald were natives of Scotland, who, in 1730, emigrated to New York State, where they resided for three years, the father following his trade of a weaver.  The family then came to the Dominion.  Mr. McDonald purchasing 100 acres in Howard township from the government at $2.50 per acre.  this land was situated in the woods, and these worthy people suffered many hardships during their pioneer life.  As the sons grew to manhood's estate, the work of clearing the land and cultivating it was turned over to them, and the father spent his time weaving and spinning flax for the neighbours who gradually took up land about the McDonald property.  The father lived a useful and happy life, dying in 1869, on this farm, his wife surviving him until 1878, when she, too, passed away, in Ridgetown.  These two most excellent people became the parents of eight sons and one daughter:  Donald died on his farm in Howard township; John, born in Scotland, settled in the County of Kent, where he died, leaving a family; William, born in Scotland settled in Orford, County Kent, where he died; Isabel, born in Scotland, is the wife of Alexander McKinney, of Howard, and has a family; Robert is a farmer in Howard township, and the father of a son, William; Broughton; James, a farmer of Orford, County Kent, has a large family; Hugh, born in the Dominion, died in 1896 , in Ridgetown, where he was engaged as a hardware merchant (he left no family); and Alexander, born at the homestead in Howard township, purchased a farm in Orford, where he died in 1896, leaving no family.

Broughton McDonald grew to manhood on the old homestead, working on the farm in summer, and attending the district schools in winter, as do most country boys.  In 1863, Mr. McDonald married Miss Margaret, daughter of Kenneth and Margaret (Douglas) McLean, natives of Nova Scotia, who came to the Dominion in 1851, settling as farmers at Aldborough, County Elgin.  Kenneth McLean was the son of William McLean, a native of Scotland, who died in Nova Scotia.  Of the family born to Kenneth McLean and wife, four are now living:  Donald, of Glencoe, Ontario; John, of Abercrombie, County Elgin; Margary, married to Christopher McRae, of Michigan; and Mrs. McDonald, born in Nova Scotia, in June, 1843.

After their marriage, Mr. McDonald and his wife settled on a farm in Howard township, and on it Mr. McDonald erected all necessary buildings, including a comfortable dwelling house.  They resided there until 1900, when he rented his farm and purchased a house on Johns street, Ridgetown, to which the family removed that same year.  Mr. McDonald owns other valuable real estate in this city and is quite well-to-do.  To Mr. & Mrs. McDonald were born the following children:  (1) Kenneth, born in County Kent, in 1864, lives in Howard township on the homestead farm.  He married Hannah Brown, of the same county, and has six children:  Jean, Henry B., Kenneth N., Thomas B., Hugh A. and Lewis.  (2)  Margaret, born in 1866, married Thomas Price, a farmer of County Lambton, and has six daughters, Margaret, a student of Ridgetown high school; Margary; Ida M.; Eliza J.; Anna E.;  and Thelma J.  (3)  Margary, born in 1870, married William Howey, of Howard township, and has three children, Bella, Kenneth P. and Edna M.  (4) Jennett, born in 1874, married William Cudmore, a farmer of Howard township, and has one son, Broughton.  (5)  Bella, born on the old homestead, unmarried, resides at home.

Mr. and Mrs. McDonald, as well as the members of their family, are consistent members of the Presbyterian Church, in which body they have worshipped for a number of years.  Politically, Mr. McDonald has always been identified with the Liberal party.  Having spent his life in hard work, the ease Mr. McDonald is now enjoying is but a just reward of his successful endeavours, and by his earnest efforts to take care of his interests, and at the same time not interfere with the rights of others, his pleasant and kindly disposition, and his charitable acts, he has endeared himself to many, and gained the respect and esteem of a large circle of warm friends.