James Gordon "Jim" "Moses Oats" Mowat^[1]

1850 - 1906  (56 years)

• Name	James Gordon "Jim" "Moses Oats" Mowat
  Born	1850	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
  Gender	Male
  Residence	1861	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	FC
  Occupation	1871	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Schoolteacher
  Residence	1871	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Presbyterian
  Occupation	1875	The Reformer Newspaper, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	newspaper publisher The Reformer
  		The Reformer Newpaper office in 1897 From 1897 Jubilee Souvenir of Galt
  Occupation	1875	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	printer
  Occupation	1875	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Publisher of the Galt Reformer
  Residence	1875	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	Presbyterian
  Occupation	1881	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Editor
  Died	21 Apr 1906	Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada
  Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region	Bef 2012	, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	journalist
  Interesting	newspaper, weather
  Name	J. G. Mowat
  Name	Moses Oates
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-100781
  Buried	Prospect Cemetery, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada
  Person ID	I100781	Generations
  Last Modified	30 Sep 2024

  
  

  Father	Alexander Henderson Mowat,   b. 1813, Lerwick, , Shetland, Scotland ,   d. 18 Oct 1902, , Lanark, Scotand  (Age 89 years)
  Mother	Barbara Campbell Cairncross,   b. 27 Jul 1823, Birsay, , Orkney Islands, Scotland ,   d. 11 May 1902, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 78 years)
  Family ID	F30044	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Fannie Elizabeth Simpson,   b. Jun 1854, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1944, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 89 years)
  Married	4 Feb 1875	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1, 5]
  Children	1. Laura Elizabeth Mowat,   b. 22 Dec 1875, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   2. Alexander Galt Mowat,   b. 7 Mar 1878, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	1 Oct 2024
  Family ID	F25925	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  James Gordon Mowat from Waterloo Region Hall of Fame

  
  

• Notes

  Samuel Hutchinson was proprietor and publisher of the Reformer for only a short time. The Anderson Brothers appeared as editors and proprietors of the newspaper for the first time as of the January 7, 1874 issue. Before the year was up, there was to be yet another change in the ownership of the newspaper. The Anderson Brothers announced in the December 23, 1874 issue of the Reformer that effective, January 1, 1875, James Gordon Mowat and Company would take over proprietorship of the newspaper. James G. Mowat was well known, not only as the editor and proprietor of the Reformer, but as a weather prophet for the Toronto Globe, and as an author of many humorous sketches under the pseudonym of "Moses Oates." He is reported also to have published almanacs. The acknowledgment of the new ownership of the Reformer on the mast head of the publication began as Mowat & Co., Publishers, to be changed in December 1876 to J.G. Mowat & Co., Editors and Publishers, and then changed again in February 1881 to the first designation of Mowat & Co., Publishers. Another change took place during Mr. Mowat's ownership in December 1879 when the name of the newspaper became just the Dumfries Reformer, the name no longer bearing the extension of and Waterloo County Commercial and General Advertiser. Ownership of the Reformer by Mowat & Co. ceased as of Thursday, May 19, 1881 when James Young, who had been owner and publisher from 1853 to 1863, once again acquired ownership of the newspaper. THE DUMFRIES REFORMER"Public Opinion is the Great Pillar that Upholds the Commonwealth" Rosemary Ambrose, Kitchener, Ontario 2001 _____________ Mowat, J. G. & Co., editors and proprietors Dumfries Reformer. The firm is composed of J. G. Mowat and John Collis, the former of whom was born here, 1851, and the latter in Scotland, 1858. Illustrated Atlas of the County of Waterloo, H. Parsel & Co., Toronto - 1881 __________________ The first editor of The Canadian Magazine (which later ceased publication) was J.G. Mowat, a native of Galt, whose family later moved to Berlin where he attended Central School and the Berlin High School. His literary interests and abilities led him to become a journalist and from 1874 to 1881 he was editor of the Galt Reformer . He then joined the staff of the Toronto Globe and in 1893 became associated with the Canadian Magazine . Mowat's humorous sketches, which he published under the pen name of " Moses Oates," were widely read. He also became known as a weather prophet, publishing a number of almanacs. Waterloo Region Hall of Fame _________________ King Street, Kitchener Cedar to Albert Street. At the corner Enoch Ziegler's carriage factory, a good-sized and well-known shop which continued for many years. A brick building, one story and a half, lengthwise with King Street, occupied by Yost Stroh as shoemaker shop and dwelling. Later this was made into a two story building. Next an open space, A two story frame building, crowned with a bell tower, with a boiler house and engine in the rear. The bell is said to have been cracked on a New Year's night by too violent ringing. In any event its sound was impaired. The building as a factory was at one time operated by Cornell & Bowman. It changed tenants from time to time and occasionally was idle. In 1867 Henry Strieker used it as a woolen mill and William Simpson used it at one time. The building was unpainted. It was eventually destroyed by fire. Another factory building with gable toward King Street and a one story veranda in front. A two story brick dwelling, well back from the street, occupied by A. H. Mowat, general agent and Deputy Clerk, He was the father of Jim Mowat, known as Moses Oates and, as a weather prophet, active on the Toronto Globe for some years. Jim Mowat was a school mate of Jacob Stroh at the Central School. He published almanacs and was known throughout the province. REMINISCENCES OF BERLIN (NOW KITCHENER) By JACOB STROH Contributed by Joseph M. Snyder. Part I. Settlement - Early Villagers and Buildings, Waterloo Historical Society Annual Volume 1930 _________________________ "MOSES OATS" PASSES AWAY GORDON MOWAT, FORMERLY OF BERLIN, SUCCUMBS PNEUMONIA IN TORONTO. Toronto, April 22. J. Gordon - Mowat, probably better known by his pen name, "Moses Oates," died or Saturday at the General Hospital, after only a few days illness from pneumonia. Twenty years ago he was a prominent figure in literary and journalistic circles in and about Toronto. His funeral, this afternoon at 2.30 o'clock, takes place to Prospect Cemetery from 282 Borden street Rev. W. G. Wallace, of Bloor Street Presbyterian Church, will conduct the services. The late Mr. Mowat began his journalistic career in Galt, where he ran The Galt Reformer, while he was also connected with The Berlin 'Week ly Telegraph and The Waterloc Chronicle. He came into prominence in 1878 by his work for Sir John Macdonald in articles on the possibilities of the cotton industry. He was parliamentary reporter on The Globe and was also an editorial writer ol the staff of The Empire. The late Mr. Mowat was the founder of The Lake, a magazine which afterwards merged into the Canadian Magazine and wrote considerably on meteorology, a subject of great interest to him and from which he gained quite a local reputation as a weather prophet. He was 55 years old. A son and daughter, resident in Toronto, survive. The late Mr. Mowat was well am favorably known in Bertin, having taught school here in the early seventies, as well as taking an active interest in the Y.M.C.A., which was in a flourishing condition at that time. He was a son-in-law of Mr. Willin Simpson, of Berlin. The Chronicle Telegraph 26 Apr 1906, p. 10

  
  

• Sources

  [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 11 Feb 1875. 04 Feb 1875 By Rev. C. Cookman, Berlin, James Gordon Mowat, publisher of the Galt "Reformer", was married to Fanny Simpson of Berlin. [S336] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1881, Galt Division 1 Page 46. [S313] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1851, Div 1 Pg 8. [S229] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1871, Div. 2, Pg. 33. [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration. James Gordon Mowat (editor of Galt), Presbyterian b. Canada Age: 23 born abt 1852 father: Alexander A Mowat mother: Barbara Mowat married Fanny Elizabeth Simpson (resident of Berlin), Methodist Age:: 19 born abt 1856 b. Canada father: William Simpson mother: Elizabeth Simpson married 4 Feb 1875 Marriage Place: Waterloo, Berlin [S123] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1861, Div. 2 Page 12. [S220] Waterloo Region Hall of Fame Waterloo Region Hall of Fame.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 1850 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - FC - 1861 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Schoolteacher - 1871 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Presbyterian - 1871 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - printer - 1875 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Publisher of the Galt Reformer - 1875 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Presbyterian - 1875 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 4 Feb 1875 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Editor - 1881 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 21 Apr 1906 - Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region - journalist - Bef 2012 - , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Prospect Cemetery, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth