Samuel McDonnell

Who was Samuel McDonnell?

Samuel McDonnell was a Canadian politician.

Born in St. Andrews, County of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, the son of Donald McDonnell and Mary Macdonald, McDonnell studied law in Antigonish with William Alexander Henry. After being admitted to the Bar in 1862, he practiced law in Port Hood, Nova Scotia. In 1863, he was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in Inverness. He married Annie, the daughter of Peter Smyth in 1866 and was named Queen's Counsel the following year. In 1867 MacDonnell ran in Inverness for the Canadian House of Commons, but was defeated. He was elected to the provincial assembly again in 1871. In 1872, he was elected to Parliament as a member of John A. Macdonald's Conservative caucus. After the Pacific scandal, he switched parties to the Liberals in 1874. He was re-elected in 1878 and defeated in 1882, 1887, and 1891. He was later appointed by the Laurier Government an Inspector of Customs for Eastern Nova Scotia.

McDonnell died at Port Hood at the age of 76.