James Taylor Middleton (November 28, 1840 – 1926) was an
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
businessman and political figure. He represented
Hamilton East 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 ...
from 1894 to 1898 as a
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist.
* An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...
member.
He was born in
Alloa
Alloa (Received Pronunciation ; Scottish pronunciation /ˈaloʊa/; , possibly meaning "rock plain") is a town in Clackmannanshire in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It is on the north bank of the Forth at the spot where some say it ceases to ...
,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, the son of Arthur Middleton, and educated in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
. Middleton came with his family to
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 ...
in 1851 and studied in
St. Catharines
St. Catharines is the most populous city in Canada's Niagara Region, the eighth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2021, St. Catharines has an area of and 136,803 residents. It lies in Southern Ontario, south of Toronto ac ...
and
Stamford. His uncle G.W. Taylor was mayor of Clifton (later
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York (s ...
) and also served as warden for
Welland County
Welland County (area, excluding cities was 226,970 acres) is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario.
The county was formed in 1845 from Lincoln County. The county was named from the Welland River. The river got its name from Joh ...
. He worked on his uncle's farm, before being employed as a clerk in several stores and then becoming partner in a store in
Smithville with one of his former employers. He later became partner and then sole owner of a wholesale business involved in the sale of marble and granite for construction. Middleton served on the council for
Grimsby Township and was also active in
temperance organizations. In 1865, he married Catherine Olivia Eastman. Middleton was an unsuccessful candidate for a seat in the House of Commons in 1891.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Middleton, James T
1840 births
1926 deaths
Ontario Liberal Party MPPs
People from Alloa
People from Grimsby, Ontario
British emigrants to Canada
19th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario