William McDonell Dawson
Encyclopedia
William McDonell Dawson was a Quebec
businessman and political figure.
He was born in Redhaven, Banffshire
, Scotland
in 1822 and came to Nepean Township
near Bytown
around 1836. He served as Crown Lands agent at Ottawa
and was superintendent of the woods and forests branch in the Crown Lands department from 1852 to 1857. Dawson was founder and present of the North-West Transit Company. In 1858, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
for Trois-Rivières
; he was defeated there but elected for the County of Ottawa
in the 1861 general election. During his first term in office, he travelled to London
in an attempt to secure financing for a transcontinental railroad.
He died at Montreal
in 1890.
His brother Simon James
served in the Ontario legislature and the Canadian House of Commons. Another brother Aeneas McDonell Dawson was a priest and author at Ottawa.
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
businessman and political figure.
He was born in Redhaven, Banffshire
Banffshire
The County of Banff is a registration county for property, and Banffshire is a Lieutenancy area of Scotland.The County of Banff, also known as Banffshire, was a local government county of Scotland with its own county council between 1890 and 1975. The county town was Banff although the largest...
, 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 1822 and came to Nepean Township
Nepean Township, Ontario
Nepean Township is a historical township in Eastern Ontario, Canada.Originally known as Township D, it was established in 1792. In 1800, it became part of Carleton County and was incorporated as a township in 1850. The first settler in the township was Jehiel Collins, from Vermont, who settled in...
near Bytown
Bytown
Bytown is the former name of Ottawa, Canada's capital city. It was founded on on September 26, 1826, incorporated as a town on January 1, 1850, and superseded by the incorporation of the City of Ottawa on January 1, 1855. The founding was marked by a sod turning, and a letter from Governor General...
around 1836. He served as Crown Lands agent at Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
and was superintendent of the woods and forests branch in the Crown Lands department from 1852 to 1857. Dawson was founder and present of the North-West Transit Company. In 1858, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the legislature 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...
for Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières (electoral district)
Trois-Rivières is an electoral district in Quebec, Canada that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1892 and from 1935 to the present....
; he was defeated there but elected for the County of Ottawa
Ottawa (County of)
Ottawa was a federal and provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada, which was represented in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from 1830 to 1867, in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1892, and in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1867 to at least 1919.The...
in the 1861 general election. During his first term in office, he travelled to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in an attempt to secure financing for a transcontinental railroad.
He died at 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...
in 1890.
His brother Simon James
Simon James Dawson
Simon James Dawson was a Canadian civil engineer and politician.Born in Redhaven, Banffshire, Scotland, Dawson emigrated to Canada as a young man and began his career as an engineer...
served in the Ontario legislature and the Canadian House of Commons. Another brother Aeneas McDonell Dawson was a priest and author at Ottawa.