John George Bowes

Who was John George Bowes?

John George Bowes was a businessman and political figure in Canada East.

He was born in Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland around 1812 and came to Upper Canada in 1833. He worked for his brother-in-law in York, then opened a dry goods business with another brother-in-law in 1838. He was president of the Toronto and Guelph Railway and also served on the board of directors of several other companies. In 1850, he was elected to city council and he was elected mayor in 1851 to 1853. During his term as mayor, Bowes was involved in a scandal related to profit made on stock for the Toronto, Simcoe & Lake Huron Union Railroad that also involved Francis Hincks. Although he was cleared of any charges, Bowes was forced to pay the profit that he had made to the city. In 1854, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada representing Toronto. He was elected to city council again in 1856 and served as mayor from 1861 to 1863. He died in Toronto in 1864.