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Leitch, James, Barrister, Cornwall, Ontario, was born
on the 2nd June, 1850, at the South Branch, in the. township of Cornwall,
in the County of Stormont, Ontario, and is a son of William Leitch, who
was born at Ardrossan, Ayrshire, Scotland. William Leitch came to Canada
when sixteen years of age (1832), and served in the Stormont militia,
under Col. Vankoughnet, during the rebellion of 1837-8. He followed the
occupation of contractor on public works for a number of years, and
finally settled down to farming in the township of Cornwall. He took an
active part in municipal affairs, arid sat for a number of years in the
council of the township of Cornwall. His wife, James Leitch’s mother,
daughter of David Bryden, of WiIliamstown, was of Scotch extraction. James
Leitch was educated at the common school of the neighbourhood in which he
was born, and at the Williamstown and Cornwall Grammar school; and under
the private tutorship of J. Lawton Bradbury,
late principal of the Cornwall Grammar school.
He acquired most of his education in the winter months, being engaged in
the work of his father’s farm in the spring and summer. He was. admitted a
member of the Law Society of Ontario in Hilary term. 1871, and commenced
the study of law, in Cornwall, with the late James Bethune. In 1872 he
went to Toronto. and pursued his studies in the office of Crooks,
Kingsmill & Cattanach, of which firm the late Hon. Adam Crooks, then
treasurer of Ontario, was the head. He was called to the bar of Ontario in
Easter term of 1876. Mr Leitch commenced the practice of his profession in
June, 1876, in the town of Cornwall, and after practising alone till
February, 1877, entered in to partnership with R. B. Carman now junior
judge of the united counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. Upon Mr.
Carman’s appointment to the bench, Mr. Leitch entered into partnership
with R. A. Pringle, under the firm name of Leith & Pringle. Shortly after
he commenced. practice, Mr. Leitch was retained for the defence, in the
Smith murder trial, and being largely instrumental in securing the
acquittal of the prisoner, he established a reputation which at once
brought him a large practice. He has been retained in some of the most
important civil trials in the united counties of Stormont, Dundas and
Glengarry. Mr. Leitch was elected reeve of the town of Cornwall for the
year 1884, and was a candidate for the wardenship of the united counties
for that year, but was defeated by F.D. McNaughton, by a majority of one
vote. He was elected mayor of Cornwall, for the years 1885 and 1886, by
acclamation. Upon taking office, the finances of the town being in an
embarrassed condition, he at once formulated a scheme for the
consolidation of the debt of the town, which, upon being submitted to the
freeholders, was defeated by a small majority, but which was carried, upon
a second vote being taken, by a large majority. He succeeded then in
putting the finances upon a sound foundation He likewise instituted and
carried to a successful termination important drainage works in the town.
He has been a High School trustee for several years, and takes much
interest in educational affairs. He took an active part in promoting the
passing of a bylaw raising $25,000 to build a new public school in the
town of Cornwall. He married Elizabeth, third daughter of E. Strickland,
merchant, Buckingham, on the 18th October, 1876 Mr. Leitch is a
Presbyterian, and is a Conservative in politics. He has taken an active
part in promoting the temperance cause, as well as all other worthy public
movements. He is a man of marked energy and conspicuous natural talent.
There is, unquestionably, a future for him in a winder political field
that he has so far occupied. |
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