Allan "Ailean Mac Eachainn" MacNeil

From page #087 "History of Christmas Island Parish":

Allan McNeil settled on the land of the late Neil Ban McNeiI, near Cooper Pond. He married Mary Beaton, of East Bay, who was a relation of Donald McDonald “Gorm,” — a man who played an important part in the taking of Quebec in 1759. Issue: John, Hector, Joseph, Rory, Alex, Mary, Sarah, John C. and Kenneth.

Allan McNeil, blacksmith (Ailean Mac Eachainn) was undoubtly the best blacksmith that ever lived in these parts. Apprentices came to him from far and near, and one of them was John CarroI, of Margaree, the father of William Carrol, M.P. Customers came to him from nearly every settlement along the shores of the Bras d’Or Lakes. Farming implements, axes, hoes, horseshoes, etc., were not imported ready-made, in those days, but made of rough, tough iron and steel by hand-work in the shops of the country blacksmiths, and Allan McNeiI used to turn out, every year, large quantities of those indispensible articles.

Like all his brothers he was noted for his great strength and he could make good use of it when circumstances demanded stern action. Shortly after he went to Arichat to learn his trade, he and a friend were taking a walk one afternoon when they met a number of men, among whom was a noted French buIIy, who was in the habit of acting in certain ways in the presence of Scotsmen to insinuate that they needed a remedy for the itch.

McNeil didn’t know at first what the Frenchman meant by his actions; but when his friend told him what the Frenchman was driving at, McNeil’s blood began to boil. He coaxed his friend, who was an able man, to trounce the bully, but he would not venture. When the bully heard them talking, he went where they were and said to McNeil: *‘Can you play the Scotch fiddle’’? For a reply he got a blow in the side of the head which knocked him senseless and made the blood pour from his ears. His comrades left him on the ground where he fell; and McNeil had to go to work to revive the bully.

It is safe to say that this incident taught him a lesson as to the danger of insulting a Scotchman, and it is said also that he governed himself accordingly ever afterwards.