Andrew Malcolm

Who was Andrew Malcolm?

Andrew Malcolm was a Scottish-born manufacturer and political figure in Ontario, Canada. He represented Bruce Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1898 to 1902 as a Liberal member.

He was born in Killearn, the son of James Malcolm, and educated there. In 1862, Malcolm travelled to Jamaica, working as a bookkeeper on a sugar plantation. He arrived in Monkton, Ontario in 1867, where he found work in a general store, by way of the United States, and later moved to Blyth. In 1874, he moved to Kincardine, where he became a partner in a furniture business. The business expanded rapidly, increasing production capacity via mechanization. In 1876, he married Annie Robertson. Malcolm served on the town council for Kincardine, serving as reeve from 1884 to 1886 and mayor in 1904 and 1908 to 1910. In 1895, Malcolm's partner John Watson died. Malcolm was an unsuccessful candidate for the provincial assembly in 1905. In 1912, he took over the operation of a failed furniture factory in Listowel. In the same year, his company won the contract to supply furniture to the hotel chain owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway. He also later secured a contract to supply cabinets to the Columbia Phonograph Company.