Alexander David Ferrier

Ferrier, Alexander David, Lieut. Col., ex-M.P.P., J.P., Fergus, Ont., was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on the 13th November, 1813. His father was Louis Henry Ferrier, of Belsyde, Linlithgowshire, Scotland, who died in Quebec, February, 1883, where he held the position of collector of customs, having removed with his family to Quebec in June,1830. His mother was Charlotte Monro, second daughter of Alexander Monro, professor of anatomy in the University of Edinburgh, who died in 1821. A. D. Ferrier was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and University. Upon his arriving at Quebec with his father, he entered a merchant’s office, where he remained till 1834, and after a visit to Britain came to Fergus, Ont, in June 1835. Here he worked upon his farm till 1846, when he went to Elora, as book-keeper to Ross & Co., mill owners. &c. In 1849 Mr. Ferrier was appointed clerk to the Wellington county council, which position be held till 1871, when he resigned. He removed to Elora in 1844, and to Guelph in 1849. In 1850 Mr. Ferrier married Magdalene Dingwall Fordyce, who died without issue in September, 1872. Mr. Ferrier returned to Fergus, to his old place in 1854; but sold out in 1875, and proceeded to Britain, and returned in 1878. In 1854 be did business in Fergus as accountant and conveyancer, &c., which occupation he gave up in 1875. He was a member of the old district council for four years, from 1845 to 1849, and in September, 1867, was elected M.P.P. for the Centre Riding of Wellington. He was a private in the Fergus volunteers in 1835, and served during the rebellion in 1837 and 1838. He obtained his commission as captain in the 13th Gore in 1839, and in 1859 was gazetted lieut.-colonel of the Fourth Wellington militia, which battalion he organized. Col Ferrier was a commissioner of the old court of requests, and was made a J.P. in 1843. He was secretary to two road companies Guelph and Arthur and Fergus and Owen Sound, till the county assumed them. He has not lately taken a very deep interest in politics, seeing that there are plenty of men for that business. He was a member of St Andrew’s Society of Fergus and also the Curling Club. Col. Ferrier has travelled from Land’s End to John O'Groat’s, and from Quebec to Winnipeg; and he declares that Dunkeld in Scotland is the prettiest place that he has seen, and his own native town of Edinburgh by far a more beautiful city than any in Britain or in this Dominion. His father was an elder in the church of Scotland, and he has been an elder in the Presbyterian church of Canada for over forty years. When he first visited Montreal, in September, 1830, the steamboat landed its passengers on a mud bank, as there was no wharf there of any kind. When Mr. Ferrier first saw York in 1834, there was a pool at the corner of Yonge and King streets covered with green shine, and a nice little creek at the west end meandering through the town. The leading hotel was not exactly equal to the "Queen’s." There was no decent road north of Dundas, and there wasn’t a tree cut between Fergus and Owen Sound. Tempera mutantur et nos rnutamur in illis! Colonel Ferrier was appointed a school commissioner for Nichol in 1836, then township superintendent in 1843, and in 1879 chairman of the school board for Fergus. He held the latter position for six years, when he declined re-election far the trusteeship.