John MacLachlan, son of Peter MacLachlan Sr., was born in the year 1787 in the Island of Islay. In the year 1808, a young man of twenty-one, went to Glasgow and secured work as a weaver. There was great unrest and dissatisfaction in Great Britain at this time. Times were very hard, a weaver's wage for a week being less than $2.00. The introduction of machinery was throwing men out of work. A tax on corn prevented wheat coming into the country as it otherwise would and increased the price of bread. Then the French Revolution had created a demand for freedom and equality and the wars with Napoleon had brought a burden of taxation.
John MacLachlan with others were discovered plotting, supposedly, against the Government. A spy by the name of Richmond had gotten into the Society that had been formed. Grand Father was the secretary; he hurriedly threw the papers into the stove and thus destroyed incriminating evidence. They were taken to Edinburgh Castle. While there it was said that one day they saw a man being whipped in the yard of the Castle and they raised such an outcry against it that the man was released. They were tried and released. It is claimed that their lawyer was Wilberforce, the great anti-slave champion.
After much agitation the Government took steps to assist people in Glasgow and the neighborhood to emigrate to Upper Canada. Emigration societies were formed. John was given charge of two of them (archives in Ottawa) (Transatlantic-Bridgeton societies). Together with another man he went to London to interview the Colonial Secretary. They found him in a humble room, at his dinner. Arrangements were completed for the journey to Canada. On Sunday July 8th, 1820, grand John, his wife Christina Ann McDonald (Jack), together with five young children set sail from Greenock (Glasgow) in the ship "Broke" to Ontario.
The farm chosen was so rocky that after ten years, as John could not sell it, he simply left it and bought a farm about a mile and a half from Middleville, toward Lanark.His leased land is the W ½ Lot 16, Con 4, issued 1861. Also in 1837 he has the W ½ of Lot 13, 5 as a Queens Grant.
About the year 1844 grand Father (John) sold his farm to his son James and moved to another in the Township of Elmsley, about four miles east of Perth. (Source: Rev. AJ.)