(4 Sept. 1821-28 Nov. 1916), historian. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, to a well-to-do family. He came to Canada 1841. From 1845 to 1870, he owned a farm near Morrisburg; this farm included the battlefield of Crysler’s Farm. From 1860, he worked as a financial agent for the Church of Scotland in Canada, and continued this work with the Presbyterian Church in Canada after the Canadian Presbyterian churches united in 1875. From 1869 he lived in Montreal . He was editor of The Presbyterian (1872-1875) and its successor The Presbyterian Record (1875-1891). Croil was not a Glengarrian, but he has some connection with GC through his writings. His Dundas; or, a Sketch of Canadian History (1861, reprinted by the Mika company 1972) was the first book-length history of any part of SDG and a pioneering work of Ontario local history. Anyone writing the history of Eastern Ontario must regard Croil as a predecessor. And likewise anyone writing the history of GC will examine Croil’s Dundas closely for relevant information on nearby GC. Croil includes, with much detail, on pp. 197-200 of his Dundas the story of a successful farmer. It is not clear from the narrative whether the whole of the farmer’s Canadian career was in Glengarry County. However, this remarkable story of adaptation and achievement certainly begins when the farmer settles in GC after emigrating from Scotland. Croil includes good coverage of GC in his important survey, A Historical and Statistical Report of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, in Connection with the Church of Scotland, for the Year 1866 (1867, 2nd edn. 1868). There is some material on GC in his 1870 Life of the Rev. Alexander Mathiesen. Croil may have been the author of “The Parish of Lochiel” published in The Presbyterian Dec. 1861 and of “Lochiel” in the same journal Nov. 1869. Croil spoke at the unveiling of the Crysler’s Farm monument 25 Sept. 1895. Sir Mackenzie Bowell the prime minister and Sir James Grant also spoke. (DTL, Standard Freeholder 26 Sept. 1942) He died in Montreal.

Life by John S. Moir, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, XIV, 254-256 * MacMillan, Kirk : index * Morgan (1898 & 1912), MDict * Bibliography of Glengarry index for further references to Croil, includes notices by W. J. Styles * probably by Styles: Standard Freeholder 14 June 1946, 26 Feb. & 23 Oct. 1947, on Croil’s surviving dau., number of copies of Dundas printed, survival of copies * Dorothy Dumbrille described Croil’s fine Morrisburg-area house called Archerfield as it stood in its last derelict condition awaiting demolition in the St. Lawrence Seaway project, in her “James Croil– Writer,” Canadian Author and Bookman, 34 (Summer 1958) 16-19. There is also an article by Ray Dextras, “Many Chilling Thrills in Croil’s Archerfield” (SFH, ND, but evidently from just before the demolition of the house, WSC 247). Both authors found the atmosphere of the house eerie, unnerving, unsettling * tribute to James Croil, author, now aged 95, Montreal Star repr. Cornwall Standard 7 Sept. 1916 * 25 Years Ago column, Cornwall Freeholder 25 March 1926, ref. to James Croil returned from Scotland. to his home in Charlottenburgh Township is probably an error, or refers to someone else