Lachlan McCallum was born in Tiree, Argyleshire, Scotland in 1823. He emigrated to Canada with his family in 1842. McCallum settled in Stromness, in Monck County, Ontario, where he remained for the rest of his life. He began his career as a businessman, but later became involved in politics, serving in the House of Commons and Senate. His early enterprises included building vessels for the Lakes, which he maintained ownership of and used for a freight-carrying business, He also operated flour mills, was involved with lumbering operations, and at one point owned one of the most extensive farms in Ontario. Ina addition to these professional activities, McCallum founded, and was Captain of, the Dunnville Naval Brigade. The Brigade was called into service in June, 1866, when the Fenians invaded at Fort Erie. McCallum's tugboat, the W. T. Robb, transported the men to Port Colborne to pick up troops being assembled to fight the Fenians. They were brought to Fort Erie where an attack had occurred the previous day and took several Fenians prisoner, but found that most of the enemy had moved on. However, another band of 1000 Fenians were approaching Fort Erie at the time, and McCallum and some members of his brigade fought with the Fenians before meeting up with the W. T. Rob, which had embarked with the prisoners and volunteers. For his service, McCallum was presented with a sword by the County of Welland (along with Captain King), and their men were awarded medals.

His first political office was a reeve of the united Townships of Moulton and Sherbrooke. In 1863, he unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the legislative Assembly, narrowly being defeated by David Thompson. He ran again in the first general election after Confederation, and was elected for the Dominion Parliament and the Ontario Legislature as the representative of Monck (which consisted of certain townships from Welland County, Lincoln County, and Haldimand County). After the abolishment of dual representation, McCallum resigned his seat in the Legislature. he ran for a seat in the House of Commons in 1872, was defeated, but won the seat after an election in 1874. He held this position until 1887, when he was appointed to the Senate. During his career, McCallum was a vocal advocate for the enlargement of the canals, the building of an all Canadian railway, and a supporter of the National Policy.

In addition to his business and political activities, McCallum was a member of the Masonic fraternity for nearly forty years. He was initiated into Amity Lodge No. 32, Dunnville, in 1863. In 1864 he filled the Chair of Senior Warden, and in 1866 was installed Worshipful Master. He was exalted to the Degree of the Holy Royal Arch in Mount Moriah Chapter, St. Catharines, and was one of the Charter members of McCallum Chapter No. 29, which opened at Dunnville in 1867.

McCallum married Priscilla Thewlis in 1854. They had eight children. Lachlan McCallum died at his residence in Stromness in 1903, predeceased by his wife and four of his children.

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Recent Submissions

  • Welland Telegraph, Vol. IV, No. 38, 19 September 1867

    1867-09-19
    An issue of the Welland Telegraph from 19 September 1867. Included in this issue: The Legend of Tannhauser, Mr. Brown Convicted, An Iron Clad Jack-Ass, The Elections, Statement, A Bright Prospect, The Alabama Claims, The Assassination of Lopez, Exceedingly Arbitrary, A Prophecy and Its Fulfilmens, The Next Governor General, Mr. Brown VS. Mr. MacDougall - A Case of Veracity, Foreign and Provincial Summary, 1st Division Court - County of Welland, Carnochan, Fire Meeting, The New Suspension Bridge At Niagara Falls, Return of Convictions Made by Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace within the County of Welland, Advertisements.
  • St. Catharines Constitutional, Vol. XX, No. 26, 1 July 1869

    1869-07-01
    An issue of the St. Catharines Constitutional 1 July 1869. Included in this issue: Connor (To the memory of Patrick Connor), Ministers' Salaries, The Work of the Session, The New Regent of Spain, The new Registration Act, The Royal Canadian Bank, Baggage Arrangement on the Pacific Railroad, Emigration Talk, Twelve Men Poisoned, The Ontario Rifle Match - Alleged Infraction of Rules, The Suez Canal, The Pope Delivered an Allocution at Rome, A Costly Mistake, The Ocean National Bank, The Masonic Grand Lodge New York city, News of the Week, Dominion Day, The Ontario Rifle Match, St. John's Day, The Horticultural Exhibition, Fire, Strawberry Festival, Immigration Clubs, Agriculture and Horticulture - The Farmer's Luxuries, How to Ripen Tomatoes Early, Canning Fruit, To Make Cows Give Milk, Advertisements.
  • St. Catharines Constitutional, Vol. XX, No. 25, 24 June 1869

    1869-06-24
    An issue of the St. Catharines Constitutional 24 June 1869. Included in this issue: Singular Scene at a New Orleans Wedding, Adventure in the Astor House, The Royal Canadian Bank, Fenian Movement in Cork, Dominion Parliament, Destructive Fire at Brantford, Close of the Session, Justice at Last, Melancholy Suicide, Desperate Affray on Board a Vessel, The Clifford Case, Louth Vigilance Society, Masonic, The Lady's Friend, St. George's Lodge No. 15, Serious Accident, Criminal Assault, Change of Business (Dry Goods), Coming (Stephenson House), Horticultural Society, Strawberry Festival, The Late Richard Johns - Coroner's Inquest, St. Catharines Market, Advertisements, The Time to Farm, Seasonable Hints to Fancy Farmers, Crumbs for all kinds of Chickens, The Merchants' Protective Union.
  • St. Catharines Constitutional, XVIII, No. 49, 5 December 1867

    1867-12-05
    An issue of the St. Catharines Constitutional 5 December 1867. Included in this issue: A. Head's Courtship, Murphies vs. St. Clair, Banking, The Postal Question, A Lucky Cooper, The Ocean Steamers in One Day, The Grain Trade in P.E. Island, A Fenian Funeral, Parliament of Canada, Niagara Election, Newspaper Postage, Party Processions, The President's Message, The North-West, County Council, Who is to Blame?, Marriage in High Life, A Flourishing Institution, The New Dominion Monthly, Napoleon and Victoria, Important Arrest of Coiners, City Missionary Wanted, Cold Snap, List of Vessels Passing through the Welland Canal, Advertisements, Forest Influence Upon Climate, The Profits of a Small Place.
  • St. Catharines Constitutional, XVII, No. 32, 9 August 1866

    1866-08-09
    An issue of the St. Catharines Constitutional, 9 August 1866. Included in this issue: The Fenians in Canada, The Cholera In New York, The Slider and Needle Gun, Rice as Food in Cholera Season, Melancholy Accident, Anecdote of Her Majesty, Provincial Parliament, Hard on Seward, News from Europe, Close of the Session, The Bishops Folied, Resignation of Mr. Galt, The Fenian Raid, Return of Captain King, The Cholera in the States, Town Council, Excite, The Fenians, The Hospital, New Music, Horticultural Exhibition, A Lucky Volunteer, Emigration, The Princess of Wales, As Others See us, Grantham Township Council, List of Vessels passing through the Welland Canal, Labor (poem), Crumbs for All Kinds of Chickens, Caution Against Counterfeits, Advertisements.
  • The Evening Journal (St. Catharines), 14 June 1881

    1881-06-14
    An issue of The St. Catharines Evening Journal from 14 June 1881. Included in this issue: Under the Midnight Lanp., We Believe, Farmers and Mechanics, A Wonderful Discovery, Indigestion, Zopesa, Department of the Interior, Timber for Setters, Sales of Lands to Individuals or Corporations for Colonization, Pasturage Lands, Chancery Sale, The Exodus from Europe, Scriptural Revision - A Sensible View, Killed by Lightning: Terrible Havoc Amongst a Party of Berry Pickers, Terrible Storms (Topeka, Kansas), Poisoned, Plot to Kill Forster, Murder and Robbery, The Nihilists, Disturbances at Pekin, the Green Treasury Frauds, Loss of Life By an Earthquake, Midhat Pasha on the Late Sultan, Nearly a Casualty, Juvenile Crooks, A Veteran Volunteer, For Camp, The Camp At Niagara, A Fine Work, Evening Excursion to the Camp, Admitted - Rev. Dr. Wilde, Terribly Crushed, Everybody's Column, For Montreal, List of Vessels Passing Lock No. 3 Welland Canal, Weather Predictions, The Victoria Investigation, To Prevent Diptheria, The Grimsby Camp, Military Matters, Knights of Pythias, Strawberry Festival, Advertisements, News Items.
  • Durham Chronicle, 12 March 1868

    1868-03-12
    An issue of the Durham Chronicle from 12 March 1868. Included in this issue: Remember the Poor, Mind the Hole in Your Sleeve, One of Nature's Noblemen, British North America, Odds and Ends, Latest News by the Cable, The Mackenzie Request, Legislature of Ontario, News Items, Advertisements.
  • The Daily Spectator, 28 October 1869

    1869-10-28
    An issue of The Daily Spectator, 28 October 1869. Included in this issue: Home News, General News, The Woman's Parliament, Slander Refuted, Reciprocity, Terrible Accident in Brooklyn, Burning of the Toronto Distillery, Thanksgiving Day, City News, Two Evenings at Beamsville, Canadian Bank of Commerce, The Rumored Changes, Facts and Fancies, Extensive Conflagration - Whiskey Detective Mason, Privy Council Meeting - Reconstruction of the Ministry - Sir Francis Hinks' Canvass, Death of Jean de Francisco Martin, Austria and Turkey, All Tranquil in Paris, The Emperor returned to Compeigne, The Treasury Department (US), Railway Accident, Advertisements.
  • The Daily Spectator, 16 December 1867

    1867-12-16
    An issue of The Daily Spectator, 16 December 1867. Included in this issue: Poetry (A Leaf), Progress of Canada, Milton Correspondence, The Alabana Claims -- Mr. Chandler's Chinese Thunder, Job Printing, Fenianism, Parliamentary, Latest from Ottawa, Latest from Montreal, Latest from Guelph, Latest from Quebec, City News, Volunteer Soldiers, Count Court and Court of Quarter Sessions for Wentworth, Land Grants to Railways, Latest by Telegraph, Advertisements.
  • The Daily Spectator, 19 November 1867

    1867-11-19
    An issue of The Daily Spectator for 19 November 1867. Included in this issue: American Watches, Fruit Canning Notice, Mr. McGee's Great Speech, Annexation in Disguise, A Humbug, Parliamentary, Latest from Quebec, Latest from Montreal, Latest from Ottawa, The Condition of Mexico, City News, Latest by Telegraph, List of Letters, Lands for Sale, Advertisements.
  • The British Canadian, 3 July 1878

    1878-07-03
    An issue of The British Canadian for 3 July 1878. Included in this issue: MacLeod of Dare, Wit and Humor, More Incendiarism, The Hagersville Tragedy: Full Details of the Sad Affair, The Berlin Congress, Advantages of Protection, Advertisements.
  • The Empire (Toronto), 6 September 1888

    1888-09-06
    An issue of The Empire (Toronto) for 6 September 1888. Included in this issue: Mr. Gladstones Speech at Wrexham, French Advice, Proposed Ship Canal, Yellow Fever News, Buffalo Show Booming, Roasted to Death, Peterboro Notes, The Chinese Bill, The Retaliation Question, Ruin of the British Empire, Forced to Do and Suffer, It is a Painful Retrospect, But These Unpleasant Things, The Action of the Senate, The Budget From Ottawa, The Kootenay Indians, Maritime W.C.T.U., Hanging and almost Dead, In the Dominion of Sport, From Belleville, Public Wedding Shows, The Canadian Wimbledon, News from Winnipeg, Kincardine Notes, The Pitcher Case, From Brantford, Kemptville News, Two Lively Fights, Diseased Peaches, Canada Not Crippled, The Queen in Scotland, Local Board of Health, The Trade of Toronto,Trade and Finance, In and Around the City, Q.O.R. Drill, Cox Still in Jail, The New Court House, The Victoria School, Kingston Advices.
  • The Toronto Mail, 8 April 1876

    1876-04-08
    An issue of The Toronto Mail from April 8th, 1876. Included in this issue: Great Britain, Imperial Parliament, Continental News, Egypt, Despatches from all Quarters of the Union, Sir John Macdonald - The Committees- Redpath & Son - The Lachine Works - The Campbell Case - The Hill Robbery, Mr. Young's Death - The State of Trade - Montreal Telegraph - The Money Market, The Assembly - The New Brunswick Subsidy - Public Printing - Gun Accident, The Eastern War Cloud Again, An Expensive Prisoner, The Militia, Prince Arthur's Landing, The Election of Benchers, City Matters, Sports and Amusements, Dominion Parliament, Dominion Accounts, Police Court.
  • The Globe (Toronto), 14 February 1872

    Toronto : G. Brown, 1844-1936., 1872-02-14
    An issue of The Globe Toronto from February 14, 1876. Included in this issue: Latest by Telegraph, The United States Claims, The Wood Slander Case, Teachers' Superannuation Fund, Dr. Norman MacLeod and Dean Stanley, Prince Bismark on Public Education, Dual Representation, Baker's Bread, Copyright in the States, The American Press and the Geneva Arbitration, Letters to the Editor, A Strange Case, Legal Intelligence, Yorkville Municipal Council, Another Husband Pioneer, A Race for Life, Parliament of Ontario, The Wood Slander Committee, Former Royal Thanksgiving, United States, Police Court, Advertisements.
  • Dunnville Gazette, 23 January 1903

    Gazette; Dunnville gazette, Haldimand and Monck County advocate and general advertiser., 1903-01-23
    Dunnville Gazette, vol. XIX, no. 51. January 23, 1903. Contains a lengthy obituary for Lachlan McCallum on the first page.
  • Dunnville Luminary. Monck County Advocate. Vol. I, No. 51. November 6, 1868.

    1868-11-06
    An issue of the Dunnville Luminary Monck County Advocate and General Advertiser for Friday, November 6, 1868. There is a G.A. McCallum, M.D. mentioned in the business directory. Also included are several advertisements, poetry, Great Britain column, Drainage By-Law, etc.
  • Dunnville Chronicle, 23 January 1903

    1903-01-23
    An issue of the Dunnville Chronicle, vol. VII, no. 22, 23 January, 1903. The issue contains a lengthy obituary for Lachlan McCallum on the first page.
  • History of Stromness Church

    n.d.
    A history of Stromness Church near Dunnville. It is a handwritten history of the Stromness Methodist Church.
  • St. Catharines Constitutional, Vol. XVIII, No. 47, 21 November 1867

    Seymour, James (1867-11-21)
    An issue of St. Catharines Constitutional dated November 21, 1867. Included in the issue are articles concerning the Parliament of Canada, Napoleon on European Affairs, The New France Minister, Peace and War.
  • Photograph - Lachlan McCallum home, Stromness

    n.d.
    A photograph of the home of Lachlan McCallum in Stromness. Lachlan McCallum is seated outside the house with four women.

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