St. Ninian's Cemetery Stone #1 Captain Daniel McDonald Dimensions: 49”x22”x6 ½” Orientation: East/west Carver: Not identified Inscription: Capt. Daniel McDonald/ who departed this/ life Dec. 7 1882 in the/ 48^th year of his age/ In life he was an affection-/ ate husband a kind father/ and an enterprising man/ and died full of Christ-/ ian hope. I am the resurection and the/ life. He that believeth in me,/ altho he be dead, shall live. John XI.25 R.I.P. Material: Marble Condition: The stone has lichen and moss growth on all sides, some staining, and the inscription, especially the edges of the main text and the scripture at the bottom of the stone, is eroding to the point of illegibility. The headstone itself, however, is still standing on its base and there are no significant chips, cracks, or breaks compromising its structural integrity. Captain Daniel McDonald appears at first glance to have been a prominent man in the community of Antigonish. The physical location of his headstone – among the first along the front when entering the cemetery – as well as the praise within his inscription imply that he was at least well respected. In addition, the intricacy of the carving, which features among other types two large chestnut leaves at the bottom of the stone, from which the inscription appears to stem, attest to some level of wealth. However, what the family spent making the stone aesthetically pleasing appears to have been compromised by the inscription. There are a number of spelling errors and unusual abbreviations and the placement of the text is somewhat cumbersome. The man himself, frequently referred to as “Captain Dan,” was a master mariner, shipowner, husband, and father. An article published in 1857 in the Casket describes the launch of his 125-ton brigantine named “Margaret,” and similarly to his headstone, describes him again as an enterprising young man. He would have been approximately 25 at that time. Four years later, the Casket tells of a second of his ships being launched, a 107-ton schooner named the “John Bull,” which like the “Margaret” was bound for the Newfoundland fishery. The 1871 census indicates that Captain McDonald’s household consisted of 13 people, including two servants. Their home, built in 1858, was located on Main Street. (Building currently houses the Made in Nova Scotia Store and Tasia Jewelry.) Krista Farrell (edited by Christopher Greencorn) [ Back ]