Memorable Manitobans: John Daniel Gillies (1856-1930)

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James Daniel Gillies
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Merchant, MLA (1886-1888), MLA (1888-1892).

Born at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on 10 December 1856, eldest son of Angus Gillies, he was educated at Summerside Grammar School. He settled in Manitoba in 1876, setting up in business as a merchant at Minnedosa two years later. He served as Chairman of the Board of School Trustees from 1883 to 1884 and Mayor of Minnedosa and Warden of Minnedosa County in 1885. Elected to the Manitoba Legislature in the 1886 general election, for the Minnedosa East constituency, he was re-elected in 1888.

On 29 June 1881, he married Jean McKenzie (1861-1948, third daughter of Kenneth McKenzie of Burnside) and they had four daughters: Jean Florence Gillies (1883-?), Mary W. August Gillies (1884-?), Elizabeth May Gillies (1886-?), and ? Gillies (1887-?).

He died at Victoria, British Columbia on 20 January 1930.

Sources:

Birth registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

A Political Manual of the Province of Manitoba and the North-West Territories by J. P. Robertson, Winnipeg: Call Printing Company, 1887.

John Alexander Gemmill (editor), The Canadian Parliamentary Companion, 1887. Canadiana.org.

1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

Death registrations, British Columbia Vital Statistics.

Obituary [Mrs. J. D. Gillies], Winnipeg Free Press, 3 December 1948, page 31.

Members of the Legislative Assembly (deceased), Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

We thank Oliver Bernuetz (Legislative Library of Manitoba) for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 5 January 2021

Memorable Manitobans

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.

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