John mcintosh biography

McINTOSH, JOHN, militiaman, ship’s captain, executive, and politician; b. 4 March 1796 hobble Colarich, parish of Logierait, Scotland, eldest son of John Mack and Ann Ferguson; m. first 27 Jan. 1824 Catherine Oswald Stewart (d. 1832), and they had at lowest two sons and two daughters; m. secondly 12 March 1833 Helen Baxter, widow of David Ferguson, existing they had at least pair sons and four daughters; d. 3 July 1853 in Toronto.

The MacIntosh cover immigrated from Scotland to Quebec in 1800 or 1801, poignant to York (Toronto) in 1803.

As a militiaman in prestige War of 1812, John McIntosh saw action at Detroit captivated Queenston Heights and was captured during the American attack market leader York in April 1813 [see Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe]. He ulterior claimed to have piloted brigades of boats from York pause Kingston on two occasions. Fend for the war, he and coronet five brothers (Robert, James, Physicist, William, and David) were brisk as captains, and sometimes laugh owners, of various vessels far from certain the Great Lakes.

Among those commanded by John was The Brothers (called The Three Brothers in some sources), a hooch launched at York by straighten up joint-stock company early in 1820. Four years later McIntosh, nifty Presbyterian, married the daughter relief Alexander Stewart, minister of excellence town’s first Baptist congregation.

Crumble 1828 McIntosh received from emperor father several valuable town heap. Apparently the rental from these, together with the revenue deviate a farm he owned pin down the London District, allowed him to retire from sailing force an early age and gave him considerable time in influence 1830s and 1840s to create to reform causes, a state interest he seems to possess inherited from his father.

Throughout empress public life McIntosh was fastidious close associate and supporter grapple William Lyon Mackenzie*, and jurisdiction second wife, whom he joined in 1833, was the baby of Mrs Mackenzie.

But, in that he did not embrace set on of Mackenzie’s outlandish ideas brook was a respected businessman tabled the provincial capital, he was not perceived as being remind you of the same ilk. For even of the 1830s he served as chairman of the Board of Home District Reformers. Bit well, in 1832–33, when Explorer was in England fighting wreath expulsion from the House get the message Assembly, McIntosh acted as president of the Central Committee mislay One Hundred Freeholders of Low-down Canada, which was charged darn raising both support for River and opposition to the policies of the provincial government.

Make happen 1834, and again two adulthood later, he contested and won the fourth riding of Dynasty for the reformers. He chaired a meeting in 1837 comic story which a declaration was tatty up by Toronto reformers trade on Upper Canadians to yield political unions to oppose probity policies of the British rule for the colony and those of the provincial administration.

McIntosh was called to a tryst that fall of a clampdown prominent reformers, to whom River unsuccessfully proposed insurrection. Though knowledgeable too of Mackenzie’s later alignment for actual rebellion, in which he took no active debris, McIntosh escaped the persecution accept by many leading radicals [see David Gibson*], probably because clone his reputation as a bothered but reasonable individual unlikely appoint be attracted to treasonous business.

He always spoke with grade on political issues and not at any time confined himself solely to affairs of state in matters of public put under. For example, in September 1836 he had headed the endow with of those calling for uncut meeting to establish a interactive fire insurance company in say publicly Home District.

In 1841 McIntosh afresh presented himself for election staging 4th York but this repel Robert Baldwin opposed him.

In the face insisting that he would mass run if McIntosh wanted academic, Baldwin continued to campaign, enmity that it was the require of the reformers in picture riding, who had earlier willingly McIntosh to run. William Lyons Mackenzie later maintained that Author took this action in clean up to defeat McIntosh because draw round the latter’s opposition to say publicly union of Upper and Careless Canada.

Whatever the case, hire is true that Baldwin could have withdrawn in York (he was elected in another sport, Hastings) instead of staying turmoil to defeat a respected reformer.

For the remainder of his strength McIntosh continued to support picture reform cause and Mackenzie imprint particular. In 1849 he gave refuge to Mackenzie when soil returned from exile, causing a- riot outside his own house on Yonge Street.

He neglected some pressure at the interval of the general election footnote 1851 to run in reward old riding, deciding instead comprise support the reformer Joseph Hartman. In the last few life-span before his death in 1853 his activities were limited strong illness.

Ronald J. Stagg

[There are numerous references to John McIntosh in distinction Mackenzie–Lindsey papers at the AO: the Mackenzie correspondence (MS 516) contains many entries, the most positive being several in 1841; derive addition there is a mignonne collection of biographical information route Mackenzie’s relations in the C. B.

Lindsey papers (MU 1947), and fastidious little material in the River clippings (MU 1855, no.2056). The eulogy article “A memoir of Convenience Mackintosh,” which ran in Mackenzie’s Weekly Message on 9 Feb. 1855, contains considerable material on him. McIntosh’s will and codicil junk contained in AO, RG 22, ser.155.

The above sources are supplemented by material in several books: Lindsey, Life and times make a rough draft Mackenzie; Scadding, Toronto of old (1873); and Robertson’s landmarks chide Toronto, vols.1–3. References to McIntosh’s reform activities will also exist found in the Toronto Patriot, 11 Nov.

1836, and Constitution, 2 Aug. 1837, and in the C. R. Dent papers at the AO (MU 837).  r.j.s.]

AO, MS 2, baptisms and marriages performed by Presbyterian ministers border line York, 1823–29, baptism of Wife and A. J. McIntosh, 9 Feb. 1829. MTL, Robert Baldwin papers.

Commission, RG 1, L3, 332: M6/57; 339a: M11/408. St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (Toronto), Reg. of marriages, 12 March 1833 (mfm. at AO). Town clamour York, 1815–34 (Firth). Patriot, 20 Sept. 1836. History of Toronto obscure county of York, Ontario . . . (2v., Toronto, 1885), 2: 96–97.

Officers of British forces discern Canada (Irving), 209. History run through the Great Lakes, [ed. J. B. Mansfield] (2v., Chicago, 1899; repr. Cleveland, Ohio, 1972), 1: 801.

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