(24 Sept. of 1814 or 1815-18 Sept. 1899), pioneer. Born in Dundee, Scotland. He came to Canada 1827 as a youngster with his stepmother and other family members. They found the father of the family, who had preceded them to Canada, working as a weaver in GC. Places where the Begg family lived in GC included the 20th Concession of Indian Lands. In 1839, the year in which James Begg was married to Eliza Eleanor Montgomery (d. 1890), he and his wife moved to Roxborough Township, Stormont Co., where he was for many years a farmer. He also served as a township clerk, assessor and collector for his township, and was a JP. Rather surprisingly, he revisited Scotland in 1873 as an assistant immigration agent for the Ontario government. Begg’s short, but most valuable autobiography, which he began to write in March 1887, contains a vivid description of the rough life of the 1820s and 1830s, with some more general notes on his more settled years as a leading citizen in Roxborough. It was not published till 1959, but since then has been several times reprinted. James Begg died at his home near Moose Creek. He is buried in the cemetery of the 6th of Roxborough. (nine children)

Begg’s autobiography printed in Standard Freeholder in seven instalments 1 Dec. 1959 ff., also printed in Campbell, Campbell and in D.L. Montgomery, Our Roxborough Connection (1989) with portrait and additional biographical and genealogical information, and in part in Glengarry Life 1993; Archives of Ontario has a typescript copy * quotation, summary from the autobiography, with comment, in MacGillivray & Ross 43-47 * Bibliography of Glengarry 83 * Begg’s obituary, Glengarry News 13 Oct. 1899 * Mrs Currie Blair’s series on North Stormont history and families, SFH 16 July-10 Sept. 1932