John MacDonald was the first son and second child of William and Barbara MacDonald. He was born in the parish of Halkirk, Scotland in 1804. In 1831, at the age of 27, he came by ship with his family to Nova Scotia.
John married Margaret MacGregor and lived for approximately one year at Marshy Hope with a family named Grant. The couple settled their family on an adjoining farm to the north of his father and mother.
John and Margaret had several young children die of diphtheria. The surviving children were: Barbara, Alexander J.* John, and James.
*Relationship to John Alexander McDonald “Grampa Jack.” Alexander J. married Mary MacKay – they were the parents of “Grampa Jack.”
John MacDonald, son of William MacDonald, was the last Scottish born relative of the John Alexander McDonald “Grampa Jack” blood line.
John and Margaret both passed away in the Garden of Eden, Pictou Co., Nova Scotia. Margaret died on December 4, 1867 at the age of 57 , and John died in 1892 at the age of 88. They were married for 28 years.