James Ferrier

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James Ferrier

James Ferrier (born October 22, 1800 in Fife , Scotland , † May 30, 1888 in Montreal ) was a Canadian politician and businessman . From 1844 to 1846 he was Mayor of Montreal. He then served as a MP for the Province of Canada for twenty years . He served as a Canadian Senator from 1867 until his death .

biography

After working for several years in a trading company in Perth , Scotland , Ferrier emigrated to Canada in 1821 and settled in Montreal . Two years later he opened his own department store on Rue Notre-Dame and subsequently made a large fortune. In 1836 he withdrew from the trading business and began to work as a financier. From 1837 he was a board member of the Bank of British North America , in 1855 he was one of the co-founders of Molson Bank . Together with Hugh Allan , he founded the Montreal Credit Company in 1871 , and was the director of three insurance companies.

From 1847 to 1851 Ferrier managed the Saint-Maurice ironworks near Trois-Rivières . Financially, he was instrumental in the construction of the Montreal and Lachine Railroad , which opened in 1847 and which, after several mergers, finally merged into the Grand Trunk Railway in 1857 . Ferrier was a member of the board of directors of Grand Trunk until his death. There was also substantial participation in other transport projects: International Bridge Company, Canadian and West Indian Royal Mail Steamship Company and Waterloo, Magog and Stanstead Railway.

From 1841 Ferrier was a member of the Montreal city council, from 1844 to 1846 he was mayor of the city. He was also a justice of the peace and a lieutenant colonel in the city militia. In 1847 he was appointed a member of the Legislative Council, the Lower House of the Province of Canada , of which he served for twenty years on the Conservative side. After the founding of the Canadian Confederation followed on October 23, 1867 by royal proclamation the appointment to senator . He was a member of the Canadian House of Lords for over two decades until his death. In parallel, he was also an appointed member of the Legislative Council of Québec .

Ferrier was very religious and supported the Methodist Church financially, as well as numerous charitable organizations. From 1845 to 1852 he was chairman of the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning , which in later years developed into the management of McGill University . Restoring the university's financial stability after several difficult years is largely attributed to his efforts. In 1884 he was appointed chancellor of the university.

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personal data
SURNAME Ferrier, James
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian politician and entrepreneur
DATE OF BIRTH October 22, 1800
PLACE OF BIRTH Fife , Scotland
DATE OF DEATH May 30, 1888
Place of death Montreal