David Murdoch Macpherson
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David Murdoch "D.M." Macpherson (November 17, 1847 – February 4, 1915) was a
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
dairyman, inventor, manufacturer and political figure. He represented
Glengarry The Glengarry bonnet is a traditional Scots cap made of thick-milled woollen material, decorated with a toorie on top, frequently a rosette cockade on the left side, and ribbons hanging behind. It is normally worn as part of Scottish military ...
in the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...
as a Liberal-
Patrons of Industry The Patrons of Industry in Canada was a movement and political party based on the Patrons of Industry of Michigan that had formed in 1889. The party was dedicated to upholding and encouraging the moral, social, intellectual, political and financial ...
member from 1894 to 1898. His surname also appears as McPherson in some sources. He was born in Lancaster Township,
Canada West The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in British North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report ...
, the son of John McPherson, a native of Kingussie, Scotland, and Catherine Cameron, daughter of John Cameron "the Rich". He inherited the family dairy farm and in 1871 married Margaret McBean, daughter of Duncan McBean of Montreal and Lancaster, Ontario. He became a major cheese producer, owning a large group of factories known as the Allan Grove Combination, with factories in Ontario,
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
and upper
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state. He also manufactured cheese boxes at Lancaster and
Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
, where he partnered with
Jacob Thomas Schell Jacob Thomas Schell (December 27, 1850 – July 29, 1916) was a merchant and political figure. He represented Glengarry in the House of Commons of Canada from 1900 to 1908 as a Liberal member. He was born in East Oxford Township, Canada We ...
, and had patented a steel cheese box hoop. Macpherson invented several mechanical devices for use in cheese making. In 1871, he married Margaret McBean. Macpherson was commonly known as the "Cheese King". He was a commissioner to the Indian and Colonial Exhibition of 1886 in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. Macpherson served as president of the Dairymen's Association of Eastern Ontario in 1887 and became the first president of the Dairymen's Association of the Dominion of Canada in 1890. He was also president of the Dominion Cold Storage Company. He was defeated for the provincial seat in 1898 by Donald Robert McDonald. He died in
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
in 1915 and is buried at the Presbyterian churchyard in South Lancaster, Ontario.


References


External links

* *
''Main Street Glengarry County, 1905 - 2005 (pdf)''

''Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry :A History, 1784-1945'', J G Harkness (1946)

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macpherson, David Murdoch 1847 births 1915 deaths Cheesemakers Ontario Patrons of Industry MPPs People from the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry 19th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario