Peter Gow (politician) explained

Peter Gow
Office1:Ontario MPP
Term Start1:1867
Term End1:1876
Predecessor1:Riding established
Successor1:James Massie
Constituency1:Wellington South
Office2:10th Mayor of Guelph
Term Start2:1866
Term End2:1867
Predecessor2:William Clarke
Successor2:Nathaniel Higinbotham
Party:Liberal
Birth Date:20 November 1818
Birth Place:Johnstone, Scotland
Death Place:Guelph, Ontario
Occupation:Businessman
Children:6

Peter Gow (November 20, 1818  - February 24, 1886) was an Ontario businessman and political figure. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1867 to 1876.

Background

He was born in Johnstone, Scotland in 1818, the son of a shoemaker, and came to Brockville in Canada West in 1842. He later moved to Guelph, where he built mills on the Speed River, operated a tannery and produced shoes. He served on the school board and the town council in Guelph; he became reeve in 1857 and served as mayor in 1866 and 1867. He married Mary Maxwell Smith, in 1857 and they had six children.

In 1874, he was elected as the first president of the Ontario Branch of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club.[1]

Politics

In 1867, he was elected to represent Wellington South in the 1st Parliament of Ontario as a Liberal member; he was reelected in 1871 and 1875. In both those elections, the Conservative Party chose not to run a candidate and Gow was acclaimed. He served as Provincial Secretary and Registrar of Ontario from December 1871 to October 1872. During that time, the Mowat government made the decision to locate the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph.[2]

Cabinet positions

Later life

In 1876, he resigned for health reasons and was appointed sheriff for Wellington County, continuing to serve until his death in Guelph in 1886.

Notes and References

  1. https://www.curling.ca/hof/people/gow-hon-peter/
  2. http://www.electricscotland.com/canada/guelph/guelphbook.pdf