Alexander MacGregor

1830 - 1889  (59 years)

• Name	Alexander MacGregor
  Born	1830	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	1859	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	merchant
  Occupation	1861	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Grocer
  Residence	1861	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Free Church
  Elected Office	1867	, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Councillor - Waterloo County
  Elected Office	1867	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Deputy Reeve - Galt
  Elected Office	1868	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Councillor - Galt
  Elected Office	1871	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Deputy Reeve - Galt
  Occupation	1871	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Accountant
  Elected Office	1872	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Councillor - Galt
  Interesting	fire, politics, public service, life story, business
  Occupation	1881	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	insurance agent
  		Alexander MacGregor Image from Cambridge Archives
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-68182
  Died	24 Nov 1889	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	Cause: Apoplexy 1 year
  Person ID	I68182	Generations
  Last Modified	3 Mar 2025

  
  

  Father	Rev. John Gibson McGregor,   b. 1799, Alva, Stirlingshire, Scotland ,   d. 21 Dec 1881, Elora, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 82 years)
  Mother	Jane Stirling,   b. 1803, Tillicoultry, , Clackmannan, Scotland ,   d. 7 AR 1891, Elora, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 88 years)
  Family ID	F19655	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Catherine McMillan,   b. 1839, , Scotland ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	26 Apr 1859	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3, 5]
  Children	1. Ellen McGregor   2. Alexander Stirling MacGregor,   b. CALC 22 Jul 1860, , USA ,   d. 24 Feb 1864, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 3 years)   3. Jane MacGregor,   b. CALC 16 Dec 1861,   d. 10 Mar 1861   4. John Thomas MacGregor,   b. 21 Mar 1865, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 6 Sep 1943, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 78 years)
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2025
  Family ID	F17823	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  MacGregor, Alexander, official assignee and general agent; also Justice of the Peace for the county. Mr. Macgregor was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, 1831, and removed here, 1850. Was formerly Reeve of the town. Illustrated Atlas of the County of Waterloo, H. Parsel & Co., Toronto - 1881 _________________________ DEATH OF MR. ALEXANDER MACGREGOR The not unexpected death of this old townsman occurred on Sabbath evening last. For many months, nay we may say for years, Mr Macgregor has been a severe sufferer, and it was very painful to his many friends to see the change which ill-health was making in his naturally buoyant and happy temperament. Mr Macgregor was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the year 1830. The family when first coming to Canada settled in Nova Scotia, where they spent some years. Removing to what was then Upper Canada, they went to Guelph, the subject of this notice coming to Galt to enter the employ of the late Peter Cook in 1840. He continued with Mr Cook for some time and was with him when the disastrous fire destroyed the row of wooden buildings on the south side of Main Street, the corner store of which Mr Cooke occupied as a grocery. Shortly after, the firm of Osborne, Spiers & Co. was formed, Mr Macgregor being a member of the firm. For many years this firm did a large business, but was ultimately dissolved and Mr Macgregor afterwards confined himself to the business of many agencies which he held, conveyancing, etc. He was an expert penman and bookkeeper and thoroughly reliable and trustworthy, and enjoyed not alone an extensive business, but the public confidence in the fullest degree. Few men in Galt discharged so many Municipal duties as the deceased. He was Councillor, Deputy Reeve , Reeve, School Trustee, chairman of the Board of Trustees, Town Auditor, Sec. Treasurer of Knox Church, Sec Treasurer of the Agricultural Society and of public offices he was Issuer of Marriage Licenses, and Official Assignee for years, and the wonder often was how, in the midst of his multitude of duties he found a system whereby everything was discharged accurately. He had the faculty and though the strain must have told heavily on him, he showed little of the wear and tear of his life for many years. But other and darker days were in store for him, and the breaking up of his constitution compelled the relinquishment one after the other, of his public duties and for some time his life has been almost simply one of existence. Mr MacGregor was married in 1858 we believe to Miss Catherine McMillan eldest daughter of the late Thomas McMillan. They had four children, but the hand of death visited their little ones most heavily, two being carried to the grave within a few days of one another, and the third dying in infancy some years subsequently, thus leaving but one son, Mr John Macgregor, now a young man. The funeral services were conducted at the residence on Tuesday afternoon, by Rev Mr Jackson, Pastor of Knox Church, in the presence of a large number of relatives and friends of the deceased. In the course of his prayer, Mr Jackson referred in very touching words to Mr MacGregor's long connection as a member of the church, and to his active discharge of the duties he assumed in its management. Galt Reporter 29 November 1889 ________________ Alexander Macgregor was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and immigrated with his family settling first to Nova Scotia, where they remained for several years, and then to Guelph. Mr. Macgregor came to Galt in 1840 to work in a grocery operated by Peter Cook. Shortly after a fire destroyed Mr. Cook's business, Mr. Macgregor became a member of the firm of Osbourne Spiers & Co. He held many important municipal posts including that of town auditor, chairman of the Galt Public School Board and secretary-treasurer of both the South Waterloo Agricultural Society and Knox's Presbyterian Church. He was the issuer of marriage licenses and Official Assignee for many years as well as a member of the Galt town council He sat on council in 1860 and 1861, from 1868 to 1870 and again in 1872 and 1873. He also served as deputy reeve of Galt in 1867 and 1871. Mr. Macgregor died on November 24, 1889. Cambridge Mosaic, Jim Quantrell, 1998, City of Cambridge

  
  

• Sources

  [S336] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1881, Division 2 Page 52 Family 247. Alexander MACGREGOR M M 46 Scottish Scotland Ins Agent C. Presbyterian Kate MACGREGOR F M 40 Scottish Ontario C. Presbyterian John MACGREGOR M 16 Scottish Ontario Clerk C. Presbyterian Elizabeth MUTCH F 16 no Ontario Servant Methodist Canada [S570] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1871, Div. 3 Page 43. [S793] News - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Galt Reporter (1846-1973), "Death of Mr. Alexander MacGregor," 29 November 1889. [S1838] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1861, Galt 1861 Div. 5 Page 54. [S14] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berlin Chronicle (1856-1860), 3 May 1859. 26 Apr 1859 In Galt, on Tuesday the 26th instant, at the residence of the Bride's father, by the Rev. M. Boomer, B. A., Alexander McGregor Esq. Merchant, Galt, eldest son of the Rev. A. McGregor, of Elora, to Kate, eldest daughter of Thomas McMillan, Esq., of Galt. [S1450] Waterloo County Councillors A Collective Biography. [S336] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1881, Division 2 Page 52 Family 247.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 1830 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Occupation - merchant - 1859 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 26 Apr 1859 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Grocer - 1861 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Free Church - 1861 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Elected Office - Councillor - Waterloo County - 1867 - , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Elected Office - Deputy Reeve - Galt - 1867 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Elected Office - Councillor - Galt - 1868 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Elected Office - Deputy Reeve - Galt - 1871 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Accountant - 1871 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Elected Office - Councillor - Galt - 1872 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - insurance agent - 1881 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - Cause: Apoplexy 1 year - 24 Nov 1889 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth