Thomas McIlwraith

Thomas McIlwraith (December 26, 1824 – January 31, 1903) was a Canadian ornithologist and businessman. The outdoor natural history organization McIlwraith Field Naturalists of London, Ontario was named in his honour in 1902. He was one of the founding members of the American Ornithologists' Union.

Biography McIlwraith was born in Newton upon Ayr, Scotland to Thomas McIlwraith, a weaver, and Jean Adair Forsyth. He was the seventh of ten children. In 1846 he moved to Edinburgh where he studied for three years and he returned to his hometown and briefly apprenticed as a cabinet maker before taking up work in the management of the Newton Gas Works. In October 1853 he married Mary, daughter of Baillie Hugh Park and moved to Hamilton, Canada the next month. He worked in the Hamilton Gas Light Company until 1871 after which he owned the commercial wharf and managed the coal transport business. Growing into a major businessman, he also held positions on the boards of banks and insurance companies. In 1878 he was a member of the Hamilton City Council.

He died in Hamilton in 1903. His collections are part of the Royal Ontario Museum.