The namesake of the late downtown High School Patterson C.I., taken from From Frederick Neal’s “The Township of Sandwich” published in 1909:
- HON J.C. PATTERSON
Represented Essex in the Ontario Legislature in 1875; was warden of Essex in 1878 and was also first elected to the Dominion Parliament the same year. He was Minister of Militia during the regime of John A. Macdonald.
James Colebrooke Patterson was born in Ireland in 1839 and died in Ottawa in 1929. The land where the high school bearing his name stood, was donated to the school board by Mr Patterson. His obituary in the Border Cities Star makes no mention of being in John A Macdonald’s cabinet however…
It says, he was secretary of state under Sir James Abbott, and minister of militia in the cabinets of Sir John Thompson and Mackenzie Bowell. He was elected to the Ontario legislature in 1874 and served for 4 years. In 1878 he was elected to Ottawa as the member for Essex County and held that office for 13 years. He moved and was elected in 1892 as the member for West Huron.
While in Windsor he was a lawyer, and served as reeve of Windsor (according to his obituary he served in this position for 10 years – but I can see no record of this) and was appointed county warden along with a stint as the inspector of schools.
He was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba in 1895 and held that post until 1900.
We treat all these political crooks like rockstars, naming roads and schools after them.
What in the above story say he was a crook?
He served in various government positions, donated land for school.
Richard McKintyre, I beg to differ !!! What politician isn’t a crook ???I know a politician is lying when his lips are moving….They are all crooks trying to find ways of separating you from your money…
And thats a fact Jack…..
Sad but true… maybe back in his time they were more gentleman like and had the greater good in their minds, but doubtful.