Donald Macintosh

Donald Macintosh (Scottish Gaelic: Domhnall Mac an Tòisich) (1743–1808) was a Scottish clergyman, a nonjuror of the Scottish Episcopal Church, known as a scholar of Scottish Gaelic.

Life Born at Orchilmore, near Killiecrankie, Perthshire, Macintosh was son of a cooper and crofter. After attending the parish school, and acting for some time as a teacher, he went to Edinburgh. In 1774 he was acting as one of Peter Williamson's penny postmen; he next found employment as a copying clerk, and was subsequently tutor in the family of Stewart of Gairntully. For some years from 1785 he was employed in the office of Mr. Davidson, deputy-keeper of the signet and crown agent.

On 30 November 1786 Macintosh was elected to the honorary office of clerk for the Gaelic language to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and held it until 1789. In 1789 James Brown, the sole representative of the nonjuring episcopal clergy of Scotland, made Macintosh as his successor, ordaining him deacon in June 1789, and later priest.

The catalogues of Gaelic manuscripts belonging to the Highland Society, and others given in vol. iii. of the London Highland Society's Ossian, were compiled by Macintosh, who also transcribed some of the manuscripts. He collected old poetry; a piece from Lochaber in 1784, Ceardach Mhic Luin, appeared in the Sean Dain (1786) of the Perth bookseller John Gillies (p. 233).