John Taylor Gilmour
Encyclopedia
John Taylor Gilmour was an Ontario
physician, journalist and politician. He represented York West
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1886 to 1894 as a Liberal member.
He was born in Clarke Township, Durham County
, Canada West in 1855, the son of Thomas Gilmour. He studied in Port Hope
and at Trinity College
in Toronto
, receiving an M.D.
. He set up practice in King Township
, moving to Toronto Junction
in 1884 where he served as surgeon for the Canadian Pacific Railway
from 1885 to 1894. He established the Junction's first weekly newspaper, the York Tribune and served as its editor for two years. He also served as chairman of the high school board for Toronto Junction, and in this capacoty was instrumental in the town acquiring its first high school which later became Humberside Collegiate Institute
.
Following his stint in politics, Gilmour became active in prison reform
, being named warden for the Central Prison
at Toronto in 1896, a position he left to become Warden of the Ontario Reformatory at Guelph
. At the time of his death he was the Ontario Parole Commissioner, and had the distinction of being the only Canadian prison official ever to serve as president of the American Prison Association
(as Canada did not yet have its own prison association).
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
physician, journalist and politician. He represented York West
York West
York West is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1904 and since 1917.Its population was 110,384 in 2001...
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
from 1886 to 1894 as a Liberal member.
He was born in Clarke Township, Durham County
Durham County, Ontario
Durham County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was named from the English County and city.Durham County was created in 1792. It was composed of the townships of Cartwright, Manvers, Cavan, Darlington, Clarke and Hope, and portions of what is now Peterborough County,...
, Canada West in 1855, the son of Thomas Gilmour. He studied in Port Hope
Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, about east of Toronto and about west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County...
and at Trinity College
University of Trinity College
The University of Trinity College, informally referred to as Trin, is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1851 by Bishop John Strachan. Trinity was intended by Strachan as a college of strong Anglican alignment, after the University of Toronto severed its ties with the Church of...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, receiving an M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
. He set up practice in King Township
King, Ontario
King is a township in York Region north of Toronto, within the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada.The rolling hills of the Oak Ridges Moraine are the most prominent visible geographical feature of King. The Holland Marsh, considered to be Ontario's "vegetable basket", straddles King Township...
, moving to Toronto Junction
The Junction
The Junction is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that is near the junction of four railway lines in the area known as the West Toronto Diamond. The neighbourhood was previously an independent city called West Toronto, that was also its own federal electoral district until amalgamating...
in 1884 where he served as surgeon for the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
from 1885 to 1894. He established the Junction's first weekly newspaper, the York Tribune and served as its editor for two years. He also served as chairman of the high school board for Toronto Junction, and in this capacoty was instrumental in the town acquiring its first high school which later became Humberside Collegiate Institute
Humberside Collegiate Institute
Humberside Collegiate Institute is a public high school located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It serves the Bloor West Village, High Park North and Junction neighbourhoods. Humberside was established in 1892 and has an academic program for students in grades 9 through 12...
.
Following his stint in politics, Gilmour became active in prison reform
Prison reform
Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system.-History:Prisons have only been used as the primary punishment for criminal acts in the last couple of centuries...
, being named warden for the Central Prison
Toronto Central Prison
The Toronto Central Prison, also known as the Central Prison, Central Prison for Men, and more colloquially as The Toronto Jail , was a 336-bed facility located near the intersection of King Street and Strachan Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
at Toronto in 1896, a position he left to become Warden of the Ontario Reformatory at Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
. At the time of his death he was the Ontario Parole Commissioner, and had the distinction of being the only Canadian prison official ever to serve as president of the American Prison Association
American Correctional Association
The American Correctional Association , formerly known as the American Prison Association, is the oldest and largest international correctional association in the world. Approximately 80 percent of all state departments of corrections and youth services are active participants...
(as Canada did not yet have its own prison association).
Personal life
In 1878, Gilmour married Emma Hawkins with whom he had two children, including a son Charles who later became the Junction's coroner. Following her death in 1886, he married Margaret Edgar in 1889.Honours
When the Junction was annexed by Toronto in 1909, a street in the new ward was renamed "Gilmour Avenue" in his honour; it runs north-south from Maria Street to Woodside Avenue.External links
- Member's parliamentary history for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
- The Canadian men and women of the time : a handbook of Canadian biography, HJ Morgan (1898)
- Commemorative biographical record of the county of York, Ontario ... (1907)
- Spadunk : or, From paganism to Davenport United ..., WP Bull (1935)