James Johnston (Upper Canada politician)
Encyclopedia
James Johnston was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada
.
He was born in Ireland
and came to Canada
in 1815, moving to Bytown
in 1827. He worked as an auctioneer and merchant there. He was a member of the Orange Order
and for a short time, operated a newspaper, the Bytown Independent, and Farmer’s Advocate, which he used mainly as a platform to criticize a number of prominent political figures of the time. In 1837, he suffered a number of attacks from organized Irish thugs known as Shiner
s. Johnston had complained to Lieutenant Governor Sir Francis Bond Head
against their leader, Peter Aylen
, because of his apparent immunity to the law. Aylen's men attacked him in his home and then attempted to kill him while he was returning home at night. These incidents helped establish the need for police services in the town.
In 1841, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
representing Carleton
and he was reelected in 1844. He helped promote the interests of his area and lobbied for the selection of Bytown as a capital. Although he originally considered himself a Reformer, he opposed responsible government. In 1846, he resigned; he ran unsuccessfully in the resulting by-election.
He died in Bytown in 1849.
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
.
He was born in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and came to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1815, moving to Bytown
Bytown
Bytown is the former name of Ottawa, Canada's capital city. It was founded on on September 26, 1826, incorporated as a town on January 1, 1850, and superseded by the incorporation of the City of Ottawa on January 1, 1855. The founding was marked by a sod turning, and a letter from Governor General...
in 1827. He worked as an auctioneer and merchant there. He was a member of the Orange Order
Orange Institution
The Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...
and for a short time, operated a newspaper, the Bytown Independent, and Farmer’s Advocate, which he used mainly as a platform to criticize a number of prominent political figures of the time. In 1837, he suffered a number of attacks from organized Irish thugs known as Shiner
Shiner (Ottawa)
Shiners were gangs of Irish immigrants that formed in the early days of Bytown, later Ottawa, mainly active during the 1830s.After the completion of the Rideau Canal in 1832, many Irish workers were left unemployed...
s. Johnston had complained to Lieutenant Governor Sir Francis Bond Head
Francis Bond Head
Sir Francis Bond Head, 1st Baronet KCH PC , known as "Galloping Head", was Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada during the rebellion of 1837.-Biography:...
against their leader, Peter Aylen
Peter Aylen
Peter Aylen was a timber producer and later public official who was, for a time, known as "King of the Shiners"....
, because of his apparent immunity to the law. Aylen's men attacked him in his home and then attempted to kill him while he was returning home at night. These incidents helped establish the need for police services in the town.
In 1841, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the legislature for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as Canada West and later the...
representing Carleton
Carleton County, Ontario
Carleton County is the name of a historic county in Ontario, Canada. In 1969 it was superseded by the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton. In 2001 the Regional Municipality and the eleven local municipalities within it were replaced by the current City of Ottawa.-History:Carleton County was...
and he was reelected in 1844. He helped promote the interests of his area and lobbied for the selection of Bytown as a capital. Although he originally considered himself a Reformer, he opposed responsible government. In 1846, he resigned; he ran unsuccessfully in the resulting by-election.
He died in Bytown in 1849.