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Beattie, John, J. P.,
Fergus, Ont., was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on April 22, 1821 . Re
is a son of William and Elizabeth (McDonald) Beattie, his parents being
both natives of Aberdeenshire. Wm. Beattie pursued the calling of a
farmer, and emigrated to Canada in 1839, settling in the township of
Nichol, Wellington, taking up a farm there, and continuing upon the same
until his death in 1862. John Beattie received a common school education
in Scotland, and came, to Canada with his parents in 1839. He
remained for a while with his father upon the farm, but afterwards took up
land for himself, which he continued to farm until 1807, in which year he
was appointed agent of the Royal Canadian Bank, at Fergus. This position
he held until the suspension of that institution in 1870. He shortly
afterwards opened an office for himself as private bankers in which
avocation he has continued ever since. He was lieutenant in the old.
Canadian militia at the time Sir Edmund W. Head was governor. In 1851, Mr.
Beattie was elected to the township council of Nichol, and continued to
sit in that body until 1860, when he was elected reeve of the township.
This office be held until 1867 , when he resigned. In 1871 he was
appointed clerk of the County of Wellington, and this office he still
holds to the entire satisfaction of the cornmunity. Mr. Beattie was among
one of the first J. P.'s appointed in his county. He has been secy.-treasurer
of the Nichol Mutual Fire Insurance Co. since 1860; and he is a member of
Mercer lodge, No. 347, Free-masons, of Fergus, and is treasurer of the
same. In politics, Mr. Beattie is a Conservative, and he is a member of
the Conservative Association of Wellington. He has visited the greater
portion of Canada, having a large interest in lands in the North-West
territories. In religion he is a steadfast Presbyterian. Mr. Beattie
married in 1850, Janet, daughter of Thomas Wilson, a farmer of the
township of Garafraxa, Wellington, and a native of Lanarkshire, Scotland;
and he has by this union a family of thirteen children, eleven of whom are
living. |
