James Dougall

James Dougall (September 21, 1810 – April 5, 1888) was a Scottish-Canadian politician, a merchant and a horticulturalist.

Early life He was born in Paisley, Scotland in 1810. In 1826, at the age of 16, due to the economic conditions of Scotland at the time, James was sent to Canada by his father John. He and his brother John Dougall began by the selling of dry goods, first in Quebec, and later moving the business to Montreal and York, now known as Toronto. They were later joined by their father in 1828. in Windsor, near the ferry dock. Dougall helped in subsidizing the land of his father-in-law, and opened his store near the ferry dock. In 1837, he became a magistrate for the area. He purchased guns, and provided financial aid to the area. This is known as the Patriot War, or the Battle of Windsor.

After 1840, Dougall began funding nurseries in Windsor and the surrounding areas. His passion for horticulture grew from simple fruit trees, to small fruits and the plantation of flowers and plants in colder areas. Dougall funded several nurseries over the years.

Political career Dougall’s life in Windsor had a political aspect as well. Windsor attained Village status in 1854, and through this occurrence, Dougall became a member of the first council established in 1858. Six years later, in 1867, he was elected to a second term, and served until 1869.