James P. Boyd
Encyclopedia
James P. Boyd was an Ontario
businessman and political figure. He represented Prescott
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
as a Liberal
member from 1867 to 1871.
He was born in Limerick
, Ireland
in 1826 and came to Canada West in 1847, settling at Vankleek Hill
. He married Adelia Caroline Wells there. Boyd was a timber merchant and sawmill
owner. He also owned a gristmill
, carding
mill and general store. He served as a reeve of West Hawkesbury Township. He was also a minister of the Congregational Church of London, Ontario
. Boyd defeated Thomas D'Arcy McGee for the seat in the provincial assembly in 1867. In 1874, he ran unsuccessfully for the same seat in the House of Commons. In 1878, he was forced to sell his mills after encountering financial difficulties.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
businessman and political figure. He represented Prescott
Prescott (electoral district)
Prescott was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1953. It wasd located in the province of Ontario...
in 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...
as a Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
member from 1867 to 1871.
He was born in Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, 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...
in 1826 and came to Canada West in 1847, settling at Vankleek Hill
Vankleek Hill, Ontario
Vankleek Hill is a community in Champlain township in eastern Ontario, situated south of Hawkesbury on Highway 34.This agricultural based community became a thriving community in the 1890s and still retains many of the buildings and structures which were present then...
. He married Adelia Caroline Wells there. Boyd was a timber merchant and sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
owner. He also owned a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
, carding
Carding
Carding is a mechanical process that breaks up locks and unorganised clumps of fibre and then aligns the individual fibres so that they are more or less parallel with each other. The word is derived from the Latin carduus meaning teasel, as dried vegetable teasels were first used to comb the raw wool...
mill and general store. He served as a reeve of West Hawkesbury Township. He was also a minister of the Congregational Church of London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
. Boyd defeated Thomas D'Arcy McGee for the seat in the provincial assembly in 1867. In 1874, he ran unsuccessfully for the same seat in the House of Commons. In 1878, he was forced to sell his mills after encountering financial difficulties.