Donald MacPherson is described in ‘Cairm’, volume 25, page 207. He was born in Laggan, Badenoch, about 1788 (MS.14891, page 124). He served in the 75th Regiment for fourteen years, and reached the rank of sergeant. On leaving the army he married Mary Stacey, a native of Richmond-on-Thames, and entered business as a bookseller at 54 Upper Ebury Street, Pimlico. In 1824 he published some of his English poems as ‘Melodies from the Gaelic’. This achieving some success, he proposed another work, describing it thus (MS.14894, folio 127);: “Poems and Songs in the Gaëlic Language; with English songs adapted to Gaelic Melodies … To which will be annexed as many of the Gaelic Works of Lachlan Macpherson Esq. of Strathmashie, as can be now recovered”. This was never published. Much of the material seems to survive in MS.14894, but only one poem by Strathmashie is included.

Most of Donald MacPherson’s compositions are romantic and pastoral in nature. In addition he was an amateur historian, and hoped to publish a two-volume ‘History of the Clan-Chattain’ (MS.14895, folio ii). Again, this never appeared, but MS.14895 consists largely of materials for it.

The flyleaves etc., of the notebooks bear numerous names and addresses. MacPherson was Gaelic secretary to the Highland Society of London while James Logan, author of ‘The Scottish Gael’, was English secretary.