David Macpherson
David Lewis Macpherson was a prominent Scottish-born Canadian politician and businessman, born on September 12, 1818, in Castle Leathers, Scotland. He immigrated to Canada at the age of sixteen, initially working in his brother's shipping company in Montreal, where he progressed from a clerk to a partner, amassing wealth through shipping and railroad ventures. In 1853, he moved to Toronto, where he played a crucial role in connecting Toronto to Sarnia via rail, marking a significant achievement in his career.
Macpherson's political journey began with his election to the provincial legislative council for the Saugeen Division in 1864, followed by an appointment to the Senate in 1867 after Canada’s Confederation. He held several notable positions, including vice president of the Montreal Board of Trade and speaker of the Senate. His contributions to public finance were recognized through his published works, including the influential pamphlet "Banking and Currency." He was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1884, reflecting his standing in society.
On a personal note, Macpherson married Elizabeth Sarah Badgley Molson in 1844, and they had a family of seven children. He passed away on August 16, 1896, while traveling back to Montreal from Liverpool. Macpherson's legacy is intertwined with Canada's development during a pivotal era in its history.
Subject Terms
David Macpherson
Politician
- Born: September 12, 1818
- Birthplace: Castle Leathers, Scotland
- Died: August 16, 1896
Contribution: David Macpherson was a financier and politician who emigrated from Scotland to Montreal in 1835. He later moved to Toronto, where he became a successful businessman in the railway industry. His political career began in 1864 with his election to the Parliament of Canada. He was nominated to the Senate in 1867, was appointed speaker of the Senate in 1880, and became minister of the interior in 1883.
Background and Early Life
David Lewis Macpherson was born on September 12, 1818, in Castle Leathers in Scotland, the youngest son of David Macpherson and Naomi Grant. After dropping out of the Inverness Royal Academy at the age of sixteen, he followed his older brother and sisters to Canada, where he started working for his brother’s shipping company in Montreal. Macpherson went from clerk to partner in the company, earning his fortune in shipping and railroad development. The turning point in his career came when he moved to Toronto in 1853 and, with his new partners, received a contract to connect Toronto to Sarnia—in Southern Ontario—by rail.
Political and Financial Career
In 1864, Macpherson was elected to the provincial legislative council for the Saugeen Division in Lower Canada. He was appointed to the Senate three years later, after the Dominion of Canada was established by the Constitution Act of 1867. The following year, while serving as vice president of the Montreal Board of Trade, he became arbitrator for Ontario in the official division of debts and assets.
Macpherson was also director of Molson Bank, the Western Canada Permanent Loan and Savings Company, and the Guarantee Company of North America, and served as president of the St. Andrew’s Society of Toronto. His pamphletBanking and Currency, published in 1869, was the first of several well-regarded pamphlets he wrote about public finance through 1882. He was speaker of the Senate from February 1880 to October 1883, when he resigned to take the position of minister of the interior.
Macpherson was knighted in 1884 by Queen Victoria. He resigned from politics in 1885, in ill health and following a difficult and unsuccessful bid to handle the North-West Rebellion in Saskatchewan.
Personal Life
In June 1844, Macpherson married Elizabeth Sarah Badgley Molson, daughter of a prominent Canadian businessman and granddaughter of the president of the Bank of Montreal. They had two sons and five daughters. Macpherson died while on his way from Liverpool to Montreal aboard the steamship Labrador on August 16, 1896.
Bibliography
Berchem, F. R. “Northward Growth.” Opportunity Road: Yonge Street 1860–1939. Toronto: Natural Heritage, 1996. 51–125. Print.
Cruikshank, Ken. “Sir David Lewis Macpherson.” Dictionary of Canadian Biography. U of Toronto, 2003. Web. 6 Aug. 2013.
Macpherson, David Lewis. Speeches on the Public Expenditure of the Dominion. Toronto: Williams, 1877. Print.
“Macpherson, The Hon. Sir David Lewis, P.C., K.C.M.G.” PARLINFO. Library of Parliament, n.d. Web. 6 Aug. 2013.
Myers, Gustavus. “Contest for the Pacific Railway.” A History of Canadian Wealth. Toronto: J. Lewis & Samuel, 1972. 218–43. Print.