(fl. 1860s) and his son John Bennett (1832-1912), political figures. Thomas H. Bennett was born near London, Eng., and came to Canada as a child with his father, who was at that time in the British Army. Thomas H. Bennett operated a general store at Coteau, just east of GC, and afterwards lived at Athol (presumably on the GC side of the line at this area) and in Roxborough Township, Stormont Co. He was married to Margaret McDermid, of Martintown, GC. In 1862, after the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada had become elective, he was elected as the representative for the Eastern District (defined, for this purpose, as Stormont, Glengarry, Prescott and Russell), defeating Dr Roderick Mcdonald of Cornwall. An obituary of Dr James Grant (Bytown Gazette, 15 March 1866) says that “In 1862 his [Grant’s] influence went a considerable length in securing the election of the Hon. Thos. Bennett for the Eastern District.” James Ferguson, the threshing machine manufacturer, cited (Glengarry News 24 June 1927) the election of “Thomas Bennett, of Athol,” as the first he could remember, reporting that his father took a wagonload of men to the nomination day meeting, which he remembers as being held at Athol as being nearly the centre of the constituency.

     Thomas H. Bennett’s son John, born at St-Polycarpe, Que., was councillor and reeve in Roxborough Township, and was warden of SDG in 1863. At the Ontario general election of 26 June 1894, he was elected MLA for Stormont Co. as the Patrons of Industry candidate, defeating William Mack and Dorothy Dumbrille’s grandfather, Oscar Fulton. This was the election that saw D. M. Macpherson elected for GC as another Patrons candidate. At the next Ontario general election, 1 March 1898, Bennett was defeated. John Bennett died in Maxville at the home of his daughter, the wife of Dr Duncan McEwan. John Bennett’s sister was married to Alexander D. McRae of the Glengarry separation movement, also of Maxville.

Harkness: index * Roderick Lewis, 358