Biography.guide
Home › People › Politician › James Somerville
Portrait of James Somerville

James Somerville

1826 – 1898

Canadian politician

Politician ConveyancerFactory owner
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About James Somerville

Lived 1826 – 1898 (aged 72). James Somerville was a Canadian politician, conveyancer, factory owner and notary.

James Somerville (January 31, 1826 – September 19, 1898) was an Ontario businessman, notary public and political figure. He represented Bruce West in the House of Commons of Canada as a Liberal member from 1882 to 1887.

He was born in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland in 1826 and came to Dundas, Upper Canada with his family in 1841. In 1849, he married Mary Bennett. He was named a magistrate in 1854. He founded the village of Lucknow, where he bought a sawmill and erected a gristmill and wool carding mill. He also helped organize a petition to have Lucknow incorporated as a police village in 1863 and donated the land for the town hall. Somerville also served on the township councils for Wawanosh and Kinloss and was commissioner in the Court of Queen's Bench. He was First Principal in the Royal Arch chapter of Freemasons.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Positions held
Member of the House of Commons of Canada

People in James Somerville's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped James Somerville's

Frequently asked questions

Who was James Somerville?

Canadian politician (1826-1898)

When was James Somerville born?

James Somerville was born on 30 January 1826.

When did James Somerville die?

James Somerville died on 19 September 1898.

What was James Somerville's occupation?

James Somerville was a politician, conveyancer, factory owner and notary.

What nationality was James Somerville?

James Somerville was Canadian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: James Somerville

· Wikidata: Q6143401

· DBpedia: James Somerville (Bruce County politician)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). James Somerville. https://biography.guide/james-somerville-politician/

MLA: "James Somerville." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/james-somerville-politician/.

Chicago: "James Somerville." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/james-somerville-politician/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:24 UTC