John McDonald (1787-1860)
Encyclopedia
John McDonald was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada
and Canada West.
He was born in Saratoga, New York
in 1787, the son of John McDonald, a Scottish
immigrant. He set up in business at Troy, New York
but joined his older brother Charles
in the timber and grain trade at Gananoque
in 1815. They built a large water-powered flour mill on the Gananoque River
in 1826. Later that year, Charles died and John became the principal owner of the business. He was named a justice of the peace and postmaster for Gananoque in 1828. In 1831, he married Maria, the daughter of Benajah Mallory
. In 1836, he was named a commissioner for improving navigation on the Saint Lawrence River
; McDonald became president of the commission in 1838. In 1839, he was named to the Legislative Council of Upper Canada
and, in 1841, to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
. He was removed for non-attendance in 1848 after his business interests left him too busy to attend. In 1851, he passed control of the firm to his nephew, William Stone McDonald.
He died at Gananoque in 1860.
McDonald's former residence now serves as the town hall.
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...
and Canada West.
He was born in Saratoga, New York
Saratoga, New York
Saratoga is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,141 at the 2000 census. It is also the commonly used, but not official, name for the neighboring and much more populous city, Saratoga Springs. The major village in the town of Saratoga is Schuylerville which is...
in 1787, the son of John McDonald, a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
immigrant. He set up in business at Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
but joined his older brother Charles
Charles McDonald (Canadian politician)
Charles M. McDonald was a Canadian politician who served in the Saskatchewan legislature and in the Parliament of Canada. He has the distinction of having served in both the Canadian House of Commons and the Canadian Senate for less than a year.McDonald was a pharmacist by profession. He was born...
in the timber and grain trade at Gananoque
Gananoque, Ontario
Gananoque is a town in Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario, Canada. The town had a population of 5,287 year-round residents in the Canada 2006 Census, as well as summer residents sometimes referred to as "Islanders" because of the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River, Gananoque's most...
in 1815. They built a large water-powered flour mill on the Gananoque River
Gananoque River
The Gananoque River is a river in Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario which flows from Gananoque Lake near Delta, Ontario and empties into the Saint Lawrence River at Gananoque, Ontario in the Thousand Islands region....
in 1826. Later that year, Charles died and John became the principal owner of the business. He was named a justice of the peace and postmaster for Gananoque in 1828. In 1831, he married Maria, the daughter of Benajah Mallory
Benajah Mallory
Benajah Mallory was a farmer, merchant and political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in the Thirteen Colonies around 1764; he was living in Vermont at the start of the American Revolution and served with the local militia. He married Abia Dayton and settled in Burford Township in Upper Canada...
. In 1836, he was named a commissioner for improving navigation on the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
; McDonald became president of the commission in 1838. In 1839, he was named to the Legislative Council of Upper Canada
Legislative Council of Upper Canada
The Legislative Council of Upper Canada was the upper house governing the province of Upper Canada. Modelled after the British House of Lords, it was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791. It was specified that the council should consist of at least seven members. Members were appointed for...
and, in 1841, to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Council of the Province of Canada was the upper house 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 province of Ontario...
. He was removed for non-attendance in 1848 after his business interests left him too busy to attend. In 1851, he passed control of the firm to his nephew, William Stone McDonald.
He died at Gananoque in 1860.
McDonald's former residence now serves as the town hall.