Adam Ferrie
Encyclopedia
Adam Ferrie was an early Canadian
businessman and political figure who lived much of his life in Ireland
.
Ferrie was born in Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland
in 1777 and set up a cotton printing shop there in 1792. He moved to Glasgow
in 1799. After expanding rapidly until around 1815, his business experienced some financial setbacks. While rebuilding his business, he set up an import-export business with William Cormack in Montreal
; he also built a ship to handle the company's trade. He moved to Montreal
with his family in 1829 so that he could keep better control of the business. Ferrie opened a branch in Hamilton
in Upper Canada
; his sons, Colin Campbell
and Adam Jr., managed the operation there. Additional branches were opened in Preston
, Brantford
, Nelson and Dundas
. Ferrie was a member of the Montreal Committee of Trade and helped form its successor, the Montreal Board of Trade, in 1842. He was appointed to the municipal council for Montreal in 1840 and, in 1841, to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
. Besides his involvement with politics, he also invested his time in the less fortunate members of the community, helping to aid victims of cholera
, mainly new immigrants, and forming a cooperative bakery so that bread could be purchased at reasonable prices.
Ferrie helped form the City Bank of Montreal and held shares in the Gore Bank at Hamilton. He left Montreal for Hamilton in 1853 and died there in 1863.
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...
businessman and political figure who lived much of his life 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...
.
Ferrie was born in Irvine, Ayrshire, 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...
in 1777 and set up a cotton printing shop there in 1792. He moved to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in 1799. After expanding rapidly until around 1815, his business experienced some financial setbacks. While rebuilding his business, he set up an import-export business with William Cormack in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
; he also built a ship to handle the company's trade. He moved to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
with his family in 1829 so that he could keep better control of the business. Ferrie opened a branch in Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
in Upper Canada
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...
; his sons, Colin Campbell
Colin Campbell Ferrie
Colin Campbell Ferrie was a Canadian merchant, banker, and politician.Born in Glasgow, the son of Adam Ferrie and Rachel Campbell, he came to Montreal from Scotland in 1824 to work in new wholesale and forwarding company belonging to his father...
and Adam Jr., managed the operation there. Additional branches were opened in Preston
Cambridge, Ontario
Cambridge is a city located in Southern Ontario at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the City of Galt, the towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair.Galt covers the largest portion of...
, Brantford
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
, Nelson and Dundas
Dundas, Ontario
Dundas is a formerly independent town and now constituent community in the city of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. It's nickname is the Valley Town. The population has been stable for decades at about twenty thousand, largely because it has not annexed rural land from the protected Dundas Valley...
. Ferrie was a member of the Montreal Committee of Trade and helped form its successor, the Montreal Board of Trade, in 1842. He was appointed to the municipal council for Montreal in 1840 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...
. Besides his involvement with politics, he also invested his time in the less fortunate members of the community, helping to aid victims of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
, mainly new immigrants, and forming a cooperative bakery so that bread could be purchased at reasonable prices.
Ferrie helped form the City Bank of Montreal and held shares in the Gore Bank at Hamilton. He left Montreal for Hamilton in 1853 and died there in 1863.