Lachlin McCallum (March 15, 1823 – January 13, 1903) was a Canadian

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...

 politician.

McCallum, born in Isle of Tiree, Argyllshire, Scotland

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...

, was a contractor and shipowner before entering politics as a Liberal-Conservative. He represented the riding of Monck in the Canadian House of Commons

Canadian House of Commons

The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...

 from 1867 to 1872, when he was defeated by James David Edgar

James David Edgar

Sir James David Edgar, PC, KCMG was a Canadian politician.In his twenties, Edgar was a law student, legal editor of the Toronto Globe, an alderman on Toronto's city council, and an organizer for the Liberal Party in Ontario. He was also rare among English Canadians of the time for his sympathy for...

. However, in 1874, McCallum defeated Edgar by a margin of just 34 votes, and was returned to Parliament.

Due to the closeness of the result, McCallum was unseated on May 12, 1875. In the subsequent byelection, McCallum again defeated Edgar, this time by a mere 4 votes.

McCallum was an unsuccessful candidate for a seat in assembly for the Province of Canada in 1863. He was also a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Legislative Assembly of Ontario

The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...

 having been elected in the 1871

Ontario general election, 1871

The Ontario general election of 1871 was the second general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on March 21, 1871, to elect the 82 Members of the 2nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....

 election in the riding of Monck. He was a member of the Ontario Conservative Party

Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario

The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...

.

He served as reeve for the United Townships of Sherbrooke and Moulton in Ontario.

McCallum remained in the House until 1887, when he was appointed to the Senate; he served in the Senate until his death at the age of 79.

McCallum was the founder and Naval Captain (Colonel) of the Dunnville Naval Brigade 1861-1866. During the Fenian Raid he commanded the 'war tug' WS Robb and fought with his men against the Fenians in Fort Erie on the afternoon of June 2. Outnumbered 10 to 1, McCallum and sixteen other men fought their way out of Fort Erie before being rescued by the Robb.

McCallum lived in Stromness, Ontario. In 1854, he married Priscilla Dawson Thewliss. He died in office in Stromness in 1903.