John George Bowes

Canadian politician (1812–1864)

John George Bowes

9th Mayor of Toronto
In office
1851–1853
Preceded by| George Gurnett
Succeeded by| Joshua George Beard
In office
1861–1863
Preceded by| Adam Wilson
Succeeded by| Francis Henry Medcalf
Personal details
Born| ca. 1812
near Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland
Died| May 20, 1864
Toronto, Canada West

John George Bowes (ca. 1812 - May 20, 1864) was a railway promoter and politician in the Province of Canada.[1][2] He was also a member of the Orange Order in Canada.

He was born in Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland around 1812 and came to Upper Canada in 1833.[2] He worked for his brother-in-law in York, Upper Canada (later Toronto), then opened a dry goods business with another brother-in-law in 1838.

He was president of the Toronto and Guelph Railway and also served on the board of directors of several other companies.[1][2] In 1850, he was elected to city council and council selected him as mayor in 1851, 1852 and 1853.

His mayoralty of Toronto was clouded by claims of corruption.[3] In 1853 George Taylor Denison II, and several other alderman, resigned mid-term to protest what they described as Bowes corruption. Bowes and Francis Hincks had benefitted from a bailout of the Toronto, Simcoe & Lake Huron Union Railroad (later the Northern Railway. Hincks, in his capacity as the Province of Canada's Inspector General (effectively Finance Minister), had sponsored legislation to issue bonds to pay back the railway's investors, without revealing that he and Bowes had bought out a large block of the stock, at a discounted value. The pair netted a quick gain of 10,000 pounds - a fortune in those days.

Although he was cleared of any charges, Bowes was forced to pay the profit that he had made to the city.[2] In 1854, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada representing Toronto. He was elected to city council again in 1856 and served as mayor from 1861 to 1863. He died in Toronto in 1864.

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Allan Fotheringham (1989-05-22). "Protecting a city from its lake". Maclean's magazine. Retrieved 2019-06-08. "Lt.-Gov. Sir Francis Bond Head commissioned a study for the park plan but by 1850 (the true Toronto appears!), John G. Bowes was elected alderman on a platform of railway development. The population of the new centre of Upper Canada had zoomed to 30,000. Bowes also happened to be an owner of the Toronto and Guelph Railway, which obviously eyed the harbor for shipping and wanted its trains allowed into the centre of the city. By 1851, he was mayor and rich, selling his railway to the Grand Trunk Railway, and rail lines on the supposed park land easily got council approval."
2. ^ a b c d "John George Bowes". Dictionary of Canadian Biography (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. 1979–2016. W.G. Ormsby. "Bowes, John George". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Retrieved 2019-06-08. "As his prosperity and popularity increased, Bowes sought public office. In 1847 he was appointed a common school trustee by city council and three years later was elected an alderman for St James’ Ward. He was chosen mayor of Toronto by the city council in 1851, 1852, and 1853."
3. ^ David Gagan. "DENISON, GEORGE TAYLOR (sometimes designated as George T. Denison Jr, George T. Denison II, or George T. Denison of Rusholme, to avoid confusion with his father and eldest son)". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Archived from the original on 2019-04-16. Retrieved 2019-06-08. "George Taylor Denison’s grandfather, John, was among the first inhabitants of York. He established the family’s position as minor landed gentry, a status that was enhanced by his son G. T. Denison of Bellevue who, at his death in 1853, was reputedly the wealthiest private landholder in Canada West."

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Mayors of Toronto

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