DESK
Datecirca 1775
Dimensions99 x 79 x 48 cm
Object numberHF.72.175.1
DescriptionDesk with two drawer and a two-section top. The top is hinged and opens to reveal a writing surface and pigeon holes. The upper drawer is flush with front and is decorated with an inlaid designs. The lower drawer sits out 2.5 cm and has a raised decoration. The inlaid design is of straight and arc shaped pieces on the upper drawer and front section above it.Narrative
This desk is thought to have belonged to Captain John MacDonald, the 8th laird of Glenaladale. In 1772, MacDonald founded the first Scottish Catholic settlement on PEI having previously purchased 20,000 hectares of Lot 36. MacDonald's colonizing efforts resulted in the largest group of settlers in the colony's history, creating a process of chain migration that impacted the colony's population for decades.
The original residence of MacDonald's early settlement was a log house on the shore of Tracadie Bay, on PEI's north shore. The family's larger second home, a Georgian-style wooden structure, was destroyed by fire in the 1860s. The scorch marks on the base of this desk make it likely that this was present in the house at the time of the fire.
The original residence of MacDonald's early settlement was a log house on the shore of Tracadie Bay, on PEI's north shore. The family's larger second home, a Georgian-style wooden structure, was destroyed by fire in the 1860s. The scorch marks on the base of this desk make it likely that this was present in the house at the time of the fire.
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