- James Lesslie (publisher)
James Lesslie (
November 22 1802 –April 19 1885 ) was anOntario businessman and publisher.He was born in
Dundee, Scotland in 1802, the son of a bookseller, and came to Kingston,Upper Canada with a brother and sister in 1822 as part of a plan to relocate the family business to Canada. Lesslie and Sons operated stores in York (laterToronto ), Kingston and Dundas. In 1826, James took over the operation of the York store. The stores expanded from books and stationery to include pharmaceutical products. In 1834, Lesslie was elected to the first city council for the city of Toronto.He supported
William Lyon Mackenzie and the Reformers. In 1835, he helped establish theBank of the People , serving as general manager and later president afterJohn Rolph . Although he appears to have taken no part in theUpper Canada Rebellion , he was arrested in December 1837 but released two weeks later. Disenchanted, he became part of a plan by a number of Reformers to relocate toIowa . After hearing of possible changes following Lord Durham's assignment as governor general, Lesslie decided to remain in Upper Canada.In 1842, he took over the operation of the Toronto "Examiner" from
Francis Hincks . After George Brown established "The Globe" in 1844, the "Examiner" began to take a more radical stance, later aligning itself with theClear Grits . The paper lobbied for the abolition of theclergy reserves and the separation of church and state. In 1855, after a number of competing newspapers had been established, Lesslie sold the "Examiner" to George Brown.Lesslie sold off his business interests around the same time. He served several terms as school trustee and also served as a justice of the peace.
He died in the village of Eglinton, now part of Toronto, in 1885.
External links
* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=5655 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]
* [http://www.lostrivers.ca/points/willows.htm Historic homes along lost rivers (of Toronto)]
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