The fonds consists of fifteen letters received and sent by John McDonald between 1816 and 1845, and a miscellaneous group of documents. One letter, from his brother Charles, is dated prior to McDonald's arrival in Canada; the remainder are from the period 1834-1845. Seven letters written by McDonald to his wife during the month of April 1839 give an account of the parliamentary session he was then attending in Toronto; among the topics are the Union and Clergy Reserve deabates, the Durham Report, school legislation and a Governement House dinner. A further letter to Mrs. McDonald (Dec. 14, 1839) refers to the sitting at which the Legislative Council (with McDonald in the Chair) voted approval of Union. There are two letters from political associates, Charles Bockus, M.L.A. for Prince Edward and James Morris, M.L.C., and two concerned with St. Lawrence Canal business. Finally, there is a cicular to shareholders in a steamship enterprise and a letter from McDonald's nephew, J.B. Baker, concerning the great fire of May 28, 1845, at Quebec. Also included is a writ of summons to the Legislative Council, to John McDonald, signed by Lord Sydenham and Thomas Amiot (June 9, 1841), and a four page holograph memorandum by Herbert Stone McDonald, describing a visit to a fortune-teller near Farmersville, Leeds County (Dec. 6, 1860).