James Ferrier (politician)

James Ferrier (22 October 1800 – 30 May 1888) was a Scottish-Canadian politician.

The Hon. James Ferrier
4th Mayor of Montreal
In office 1844–1846
Preceded by	Joseph Bourret
Succeeded by	John Easton Mills
Member of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada for Victoria
In office 1847–1867
Member of the Legislative Council of Quebec for Victoria
In office 1867–1888
Succeeded by	Hugh Mackay
Senator for Shawinegan, Quebec
In office 1867–1888
Appointed by	Royal Proclamation
Succeeded by	Hippolyte Montplaisir
Personal details
Born	22 October 1800 Auchtermuchty, Fife, Scotland
Died	30 May 1888(1888-05-30) (aged 87) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Profession	merchant

Life and career

Born in Auchtermuchty, Fife, Scotland,[1] Ferrier migrated to Canada in 1821 and established himself in Montreal, Quebec, as a successful Scots-Quebecer merchant. He served as a city councillor of Montreal from 1841 to 1848.

In 1842, Ferrier took the lead in establishing the High School of Montreal, supported by William Lunn, William Collis Meredith, the Rev. Henry Esson,[2] and others, one of their purposes being to provide a solution to the growing influence of Anglicanism in education at the time. The new school opened in 1843.[3]

Ferrier became the fourth mayor of Montreal, holding office from 1844 to 1847. He served on the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada from 1847 until Confederation, after which he was appointed to the Senate of Canada by Royal Proclamation on 23 October 1867. He sat with the Conservative group and represented the Senatorial Division of Shawinegan until his death in 1888. From 1867 until his death he also served on the Legislative Council of Quebec, sitting for the division of Victoria.

Ferrier was chancellor of McGill University from 1884 to 1888. He is commemorated by Ferrier Street in northwestern Côte-des-Neiges, Montreal.

Notes

1. Dobson, David (1998). Scottish-American Gravestones 1700-1900. Baltimore, MD: Geneological Publishing Co., Inc. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
2. Elizabeth Ann Kerr McDougall, “ESSON, HENRY”, in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, volume 8 (University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003), accessed 28 December 2017
3. Peter E. Rider, Heather McNabb, Kingdom of the Mind: How the Scots Helped Make Canada (McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP, 5 Apr 2006), p. 273

References

• "James Ferrier". Dictionary of Canadian Biography (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. 1979–2016.
• James Ferrier – Parliament of Canada biography
• "Biography". Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec de 1792 à nos jours (in French). National Assembly of Quebec.

Academic offices
Preceded by Charles Dewey Day	Chancellor of McGill University 1884–1888	Succeeded by Lord Strathcona