| Wellington County GenWeb |
| return |
Pioneer - McEWING, James
Biographical Sketches of
Early Settlers of Wellington County
Information from: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario.
Toronto: Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906
|
McEWING, James
(d.), was b. in the parish of Borgue, Kirkcudbright, Scot., 1813, and d. in
1854, at 41. He came to Canada in 1844, and set. in the "Huron Tract," and
bought a farm from the Canada Co., in Tuckersmith Tp., of which he cleared a
part. He was a Presbyterian, and a Liberal. H m. Agnes Manson. Issue: Mrs.
Ferguson, Mrs. Laidlaw, Hugh, Samuel, Mrs. Gates, James and David.
Hugh McEwing, Police Magistrate, Palmerston, was b. in Inverness, Scot. in 1839, and came with his parents to Huron Co., in 1844. There he was raised. He was ambitious to succeed in the world; the country schools at that time were few and far between, as well as irregular, but nothing daunted young McEwing, he attended the schools when he could, and also obtained books, keeping up his studies and practically educating himself. He afterwards taught school, and followed this occupation until 1871, when he became one of the pioneer merchants in Palmerston. At this time there were not two score of people and half a dozen houses in the place, but the tide of emigration came in rapidly, and Palmerston was soon a bustling town. Hugh McEwing took a prominent interest in affairs from the beginning, the firm of McEwing & Jackson having the first large store there. Two years later Mr. McEwing purchased S. T. Jackson's interest, and carried on the business alone for some years, Jackson going to Ripley, where he later opened a bank. Mr. McEwing was the second Reeve and also the second Mayor of Palmerston. In 1876 he was appointed a Magistrate. In politics he is a Liberal, and has quite a reputation as a stump speaker. He m. for his first wife, Ann Watt. Issue: James and Alexander. Second wife, Ellen Moore. Issue: William, Hugh, and Mary at home. Mr. McEwing is a large property owner in Palmerston and outside of his magisterial duties has practically retired from active business. James, b. 1850, in Tuckersmith Tp., where he was raised. At 22 years of age he was a member of the School Board for his section, and at 25 was elected to the Township School Board, and was also a Director of McKillop Mutual Fire Ins. Co. He came to Maryborough in 1884, and bought the Nixon Walker estate of 188 acres, lot 17, con. 12, where he has since lived. In 1887 he helped to organize the Peel and Maryborough Mutual Fire Ins. Co. He was appointed Inspector when the charter was secured in June 1887, and has since held the office. At the first annual meeting, Jan. 1888, he was appointed a Director, and in 1892 was made Sec'y-Treas. and Gen. Manager. He has seen the company's business grow under his management from about $500,000 to over $3,000,000. He was for eleven years Trustee S.S. No. 6, and was the first President and for years Secretary of the West Wellington Farmers' Institute. In 1892 he was President of the Central Provincial Farmers' Institute, and is now President of the Farmers' Association. He was five years in the Tp. Council, and in 1905 he was elected Warden of the county. In 1902 he ran on the Independent Liberal ticket for the Provincial Legislature but was defeated. He has occupied all of the offices in the West Wellington Reform Association. He is a Presbyterian and an Independent Liberal. He m. Louisa S. Atkinson. Issue: Percival, Winnifred, Ross, Nellie, and Bertha all at home. From: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario. Toronto:Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906 |
© 2000 - 2004 Wellington County, Ontario GenWeb . All Rights Reserved.