Duncan Dougall

DougaII, Duncan, B.A., Barrister-at-Law, Windsor, Ontario, was born on the 6th October, 1841 , at Rosebank, his father’s residence, situate on the Detroit river, between Windsor and . Amherstburg, about two miles above Amherstburg. He was the third son of James Dougall, son of John Dougall, and grandson of Duncan Dougall, manufacturers and merchants of Potter Hill House, near Paisley, Scotland. James Dongall was born there in 1810, and came to Canada in 1826 to join his brother, John Dougall (late of the Montreal Witness, and now of the New York Witness), in the wholesale dry goods business. After doing business for a short time in Quebec, they removed to Montreal, and in 1828 James Dougall opened a branch warehouse in Toronto, which establishment was the first wholesale store in that city. Having been burnt out in Toronto in 1830, he removed to Windsor and commenced business there, still retaining an interest in the Montreal enterprise. Peter Redpath subsequently joined the Montreal firm, which was afterwards known as Dougall, Redpath & Co. Windsor, at that time, was an important shipping point for the, west and north-west. James Dougall was, in addition to his other business, for many years agent of the Hudson Bay Company at Windsor, as well as agent for the Commercial Bank of Kingston. He afterwards acted for the Bank of Monteal, having sub-agencies at Amherstburg, Chatham and London under him, and he had likewise branch stores in these places. James Dougall took an active part as a magistrate in defending the frontier and suppressing the rebellion in 1836-7. There being neither arms, ammunition or provisions to supply the militia which the magistrates had decided to call out, he advanced $15,000 from his own private funds to purchase the necessary supplies in Detroit, the only place where they could be obtained in time to be of service. In 1840 be built Rosebank House, where be resided until 1854. He was engaged largely in agriculture and horticulture, having extensive nurseries at Rosebank, and afterwards at Windsor, whither he again removed in 1854. He was a Reformer in politics, and in 1856 was a. candidate for the Legislative Council for the Western Division, comprising the counties of Essex and Kent. He was opposed by Colonel Prince and by Colonel Rankin, the former of whom was elected. He was again a candidate for the Legislative Council for the same division in 1860, and was defeated by Sir Allan MacNab by a very small majority. He was mayor of Windsor for seven or eight years, being chief magistrate at the time of the Prince of Wales’ visit in 1860. James Dougall married, in 1832, Susan, youngest daughter of Francois Baby, who was for sixteen years a member of parliament for Essex. and who was appointed in 1807, by George III, lieutenant of the County of Essex, an office afterwards abolished. By this marriage he had. seven children, five sons and two daughters;. Duncan. Dougall, after attending for a time a private school at Amherstburg, went in 1852 to the High school at Montreal, where he remained until 1856. In 1857 he entered McGill College, where he graduated, taking the degree of Bachelor of Arts, in the spring of 1860. While at McGill he took two years of the law course connected with that university, but owing to his removal to Toronto in August, 1860, he did not take his degree in law. The Hon. John Abbott, Judge Torrance. Mr. Laflamme, Q. C., and Mr. Lafrenne, Q. C., were the law lecturers at McGill at the time of his attendance at that institution. In August, 1860, he commenced the study of law in the office of Robinson & McBride, at Toronto, and continued in the same office until he was admitted as an attorney and called to the bar in Michaelmas term, 1863. Immediately upon being called to the bar, Mr. Dougall entered into partnership with Robinson & McBride, and continued with them until 1867, when, owing to ill health, he retired from the firm, and gave up his practice for about a year, part of which time he spent in Boston. In 1868 be commenced practising at Windsor, and has continued to practise there ever since. While in Toronto in 1865, Duncan Dougall passed through the Military school, taking a certificate under Colonel Peacock, who was then the commandant of the school. Owing to ill-health, he has never since been able to take an active part in military affairs. He was elected deputy reeve of Windsor for the years 1874-75-76, but retired in the last-named year; and he has since declined the candidature for municipal honours. He has always, however, taken an active interest in municipal and county affairs. Mr. Dougall is a Reformer in politics, though very independent, and inclined to criticise the acts of his political friends, as well as those of his opponents, when he believes them to be wrong. He takes a warm interest in Canada, and holds strong views on most of the political questions of the day. Though brought up in the Presbyterian church, he has been for the past twenty five years an attendant and member of the Church of England. In 1883 he married Edith G., only daughter of J. W. Bloomer, o! Baltimore, Maryland.