Memorable Manitobans: James William Ackland (1866-1940)

James William Ackland Click to enlarge

Wholesale hardware merchant.

Born at Almonte, Ontario in 1866, son of Dudley Ackland (1837-1910) and Catherine Affleck (1840-1915), his father came to Emerson in 1888 where he established a carriage manufacturing business. Dudley Ackland moved to Winnipeg in 1890 and the business was named D. Ackland & Son when his son James joined the firm. James bought his father’s interest in 1905 and incorporated it as D. Ackland & Son Limited, being involved in the manufacture of wagon and carriage parts, hardware, and lumber. As of 2008, the company operates under the name Acklands-Grainger, based in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

In 1886, he married Margaret Maxwell Pollock (1867-1940) of Lanark County, Ontario. They had eight children: Clifford Maxwell Ackland, Kate A. Ackland (1886-?), Robert Pollock Ackland, Maud Jones Ackland (1892-?), Betta McLeod Ackland (1894-?), William Dudley Ackland (1899-?), Jessie Helen Ackland (1901-?), and Margaret Maxwell Ackland (1905-?). He was a member of the North West Commercial Travellers Association, Winnipeg Industrial Bureau, Winnipeg Board of Trade, Manufacturers Association, Carleton Club, Winnipeg Golf Club, and St. Charles Country Club.

He died at his Winnipeg residence, 15 West Gate, on 26 October 1940 and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery.

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Ackland House (74 Higgins Avenue, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Jackson House (15 West Gate, Winnipeg)

Sources:

Obituary [Dudley Ackland], Winnipeg Tribune, 29 November 1910, page 5.

The Story of Manitoba by F. H. Schofield, Winnipeg: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1913.

Birth and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“J. W. Ackland, business man, dies suddenly,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 October 1940.

“Death climaxes careers of many notable people in course of 1940,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1941, page 1.

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 22 March 2020

Memorable Manitobans This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Browse deaths occurring in: 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Send corrections and additions to this page to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements Help us keep history alive!