Morton, James

Person

Morton, James

1808-1864

James Morton was born in Killalea, County of Armagh, Ireland, August 24th, 1808 and died in Canada in 1864. Not much of Morton's early life in Ireland is known. Morton came to Kingston the 24th of June, 1824, and was a bookkeeper to Thomas Molson until 1831 when he partnered with a Mr. Drummond to form the Kingston Brewery and Distillery. After the death of Drummond in 1834, Morton became the sole owner of the business and continued it in his own name -- "Morton's Proof", a whiskey, was known and consumed all over Canada. In addition to the Distillery Morton had other business ventures. In conjunction with John R. Dickson he built the Kingston branch of the Grand Trunk Railway, and he established the Ontario Foundry and the Kingston Locomotive Works to build locomotives. He also utilized the labour of convicts from the Kingston Penitentiary to manufacture furniture by steammachinery.

Morton's business success was interrupted when he received a contract for the construction of a Southern Ontario Railway from Buffalo and Fort Erie to Windsor and Detroit. The contract became a matter of legal dispute and an adverse decision by the Court of Chancery was a severe blow to Morton's prosperity.

Although financially struggling, Morton was still well liked in Kingston. With encouragement from his close friend, Sir John A. MacDonald, Morton became a member of the Legislative Assembly for Frontenac in 1861. Morton became ill during these years and rarely sat in the House. He passed away in 1864, survived by his wife, Margaret Morton.

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