James Irvine (Quebec businessman)
Encyclopedia
Lt.-Colonel The Hon. James Irvine J.P., M.P. (1766 – September 27, 1829) was a businessman and political figure in Lower Canada
.
James Irvine was born in England
in 1766, the son of Adam Irvine (1736-1776) and Elizabeth (1731-1818), daughter of John Johnston (1696-1757), 4th laird
of Outbrecks, Orkney. Irvine was a nephew of Joshua Johnston (1720-1794) N.P., of Coubister (ancestor of the Halcro-Johnston family of Orphir
) and Lt.-Colonel James Johnston (1724-1800) J.P., of Quebec, grandfather of Lady Meredith
.
His father, a merchant, came to Quebec City
soon after his birth. He formed a retail firm in partnership with John Munro that operated until 1797, when Irvine returned to England. The following year, he formed an import/export company with John McNaught and later James Leslie.
In 1801, he married Anne, the daughter of John George Pyke
M.P., of Halifax (Nova Scotia), by his wife Elizabeth, sister of John Allan (colonel), two of the children of Major William Allan (1720-1790). Their son, Lt.-Colonel John George Irvine (1802-1871), served as A.D.C. to the Governor-General and was chosen to be acting adjutant-general to attend on the Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII of the United Kingdom
) during his visit to Canada in 1860/61. James and Anne Irvine were the grandparents of George Irvine (Canadian politician)
, Acheson Irvine
and Commissary-General Matthew Bell Irvine (1832-1889) C.B., C.M.G., of the British Army. Deputy Controller Matthew Bell Irvine, C.B., C.M.G., second son of Lieut.-Col. J. G. Irvine, Dominion A.D.C. to the Governor-General,Matthew Bell Irvine married Charlotte Feodore Louisa Augusta, daughter of Rev. Narcisse Guerout, rector of Berthier, P.Q., June 2nd, 1875.
Irvine served as chairman for the Quebec Committee of Trade from 1809 to 1822, and was President of the Agricultural Society of Quebec. He also was warden of Trinity House
of Quebec. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
for the Upper Town in 1810 and served until 1814. He was a member of the Executive Council
from 1808 to 1822. Irvine served as a member of the Legislative Council of Lower Canada
from 1818 to 1829. In 1824, he represented Lower Canada in the arbitration for the sharing of customs duties with Upper Canada
. He was a member of the local militia, serving during the War of 1812
and eventually attaining the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and also served as justice of the peace. Irvine was a member of the Quebec Fire Society, serving as vice-president in 1807.
He owned a number of properites in Quebec and extensive farmland in the surrounding area. He lived with his family at his Sainte-Foy estate, Belmont House, which he bought for £4,000 in 1817 from his relation Sir John Caldwell (seigneur)
6th Bt., of Wellsburrow, Co. Fermanagh and Caldwell Manor, Quebec. Irvine was related to many of the foremost Anglo-Quebec families from the time of the British conquest of Canada. He died in Quebec City in 1829.
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
.
James Irvine was born in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1766, the son of Adam Irvine (1736-1776) and Elizabeth (1731-1818), daughter of John Johnston (1696-1757), 4th laird
Laird
A Laird is a member of the gentry and is a heritable title in Scotland. In the non-peerage table of precedence, a Laird ranks below a Baron and above an Esquire.-Etymology:...
of Outbrecks, Orkney. Irvine was a nephew of Joshua Johnston (1720-1794) N.P., of Coubister (ancestor of the Halcro-Johnston family of Orphir
Orphir
Orphir is a parish and settlement in Mainland, Orkney. It is averagely southwest of Kirkwall, and comprehends a seaboard tract of about 7 by 3½ miles , and includes Cava and the Holm of Houton...
) and Lt.-Colonel James Johnston (1724-1800) J.P., of Quebec, grandfather of Lady Meredith
William Collis Meredith
The Hon. Sir William Collis Meredith, Kt., Q.C., D.C.L. was Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec.-Early life:...
.
His father, a merchant, came to Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
soon after his birth. He formed a retail firm in partnership with John Munro that operated until 1797, when Irvine returned to England. The following year, he formed an import/export company with John McNaught and later James Leslie.
In 1801, he married Anne, the daughter of John George Pyke
John George Pyke
John George Pyke was an English-born merchant and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Halifax County from 1785 to 1799 and Halifax Township from 1799 to 1800 and from 1802 to 1818 in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly .He was the only child of John Pyke and Ann Scrope of Yorkshire...
M.P., of Halifax (Nova Scotia), by his wife Elizabeth, sister of John Allan (colonel), two of the children of Major William Allan (1720-1790). Their son, Lt.-Colonel John George Irvine (1802-1871), served as A.D.C. to the Governor-General and was chosen to be acting adjutant-general to attend on the Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
) during his visit to Canada in 1860/61. James and Anne Irvine were the grandparents of George Irvine (Canadian politician)
George Irvine (Canadian politician)
George Irvine was a Quebec lawyer, judge, professor and political figure. He represented Mégantic in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1867 to 1876 and from 1878 to 1884 and in the 1st Canadian Parliament as a Conservative.He was born in Quebec City in 1826, the son of Lt.-Colonel John...
, Acheson Irvine
Acheson Irvine
Acheson Gosford Irvine served as Commissioner of the North-West Mounted Police from November 1, 1880, to March 31, 1886....
and Commissary-General Matthew Bell Irvine (1832-1889) C.B., C.M.G., of the British Army. Deputy Controller Matthew Bell Irvine, C.B., C.M.G., second son of Lieut.-Col. J. G. Irvine, Dominion A.D.C. to the Governor-General,Matthew Bell Irvine married Charlotte Feodore Louisa Augusta, daughter of Rev. Narcisse Guerout, rector of Berthier, P.Q., June 2nd, 1875.
Irvine served as chairman for the Quebec Committee of Trade from 1809 to 1822, and was President of the Agricultural Society of Quebec. He also was warden of Trinity House
Trinity House
The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and other British territorial waters...
of Quebec. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
The Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada was the lower house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The legislative assembly was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791...
for the Upper Town in 1810 and served until 1814. He was a member of the Executive Council
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
from 1808 to 1822. Irvine served as a member of the Legislative Council of Lower Canada
Legislative Council of Lower Canada
The Legislative Council of Lower Canada was the upper house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The upper house consisted of appointed councillors who voted on bills passed up by the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada. The legislative council was...
from 1818 to 1829. In 1824, he represented Lower Canada in the arbitration for the sharing of customs duties with 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...
. He was a member of the local militia, serving during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and eventually attaining the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and also served as justice of the peace. Irvine was a member of the Quebec Fire Society, serving as vice-president in 1807.
He owned a number of properites in Quebec and extensive farmland in the surrounding area. He lived with his family at his Sainte-Foy estate, Belmont House, which he bought for £4,000 in 1817 from his relation Sir John Caldwell (seigneur)
John Caldwell (seigneur)
Sir John Caldwell was a businessman and politician in Lower Canada and the only son of Henry Caldwell, the receiver general of Lower Canada from 1794....
6th Bt., of Wellsburrow, Co. Fermanagh and Caldwell Manor, Quebec. Irvine was related to many of the foremost Anglo-Quebec families from the time of the British conquest of Canada. He died in Quebec City in 1829.