James William Cook (January 11, 1820 – May 21, 1875) was a lumber merchant and political figure in

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 ...

. He was born in Williamsburgh Township in

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in 1820. His family operated a timber business along the South Nation and Castor Rivers in the eastern part of the province. The firm's main office was in Morrisburg. The business expanded to include operations near

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

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and

Barrie Barrie is a city in Central Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay. Although it is physically in the county, Barrie is politically independent. The city is part ...

. In 1857, he was elected to the

6th Parliament of the Province of Canada The 6th Parliament of the Province of Canada was summoned in January 1858, following the general election for the Legislative Assembly in December 1857. Sessions were held in Toronto in 1858 and then in Quebec City from 1859. The Parliament was di ...

representing Dundas. His uncle John Cook had earlier represented Dundas in the Legislative Assembly. His brother Hermon Henry served in the federal and provincial legislatures and his brother

Simon Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...

served 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 ...

. Both his father George and uncle

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, had served in the Dundas Militia during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

, receiving the

Military General Service Medal __NOTOC__ The Military General Service Medal (MGSM) was a campaign medal approved in 1847 and issued to officers and men of the British Army in 1848.Including officers and men of the King's German Legion, Brunswick Oels and Chasseurs Britanniqu ...

with clasp for Crysler's Farm. He died at Morrisburg in 1875. His daughter Ella later married

Joseph Philippe Baby Casgrain Joseph Philippe Baby Casgrain (March 1, 1856 – January 6, 1939) was a Quebec surveyor, civil engineer and political figure. He was a Liberal member of the Senate of Canada for De Lanaudière division from 1900 to 1939. He was born at Quebec ...

, a land surveyor and politician from Quebec.

External links

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, James William James William Cook 1820 births 1875 deaths Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from Canada West 19th-century Canadian businesspeople Baby family (Canada) Beaubien–Casgrain family