(died 12 July 1854, aged about 57), physician. Born in Ireland, he studied medicine in Scotland, and settled in Montreal in 1822. The next year he was admitted to the practice of medicine in Lower Canada. He taught obstetrics at McGill, and in 1843 he was given an honorary doctorate by McGill. However, he was certainly addressed by the title of Dr before this time–whether this was based on an actual medical degree or just on the custom of so addressing medical practitioners whether or not they had medical degrees.

     In the general election of 1841, for the first parliament of the new Province of Canada, Dr McCulloch was elected for the county of Terrebonne in Quebec. He was opposed by the noted young radical, L.-H. La Fontaine, who was later one of the premiers of the province, and indeed one of the major figures of Canadian history. As it turned out, La Fontaine withdrew from the contest before the voting was completed. He was motivated, it seems, by a desire not to incite violence in the constituency, and by stategies of avoiding the damage a personal polling defeat might bring to his role as a leader. Meanwhile, and perhaps somewhat surprisingly, Dr McCulloch was not merely a straightforward Tory, for while he enjoyed the support of Governor Sydenham, he was also supported by certain elements among the Patriotes (Dictionary of Canadian Biography). To help him win the election in these troubled times, Dr McCulloch was supported by a squad of roadworkers and “stone-breakers” brought in from Montreal. In addition, a group of 80 to 100 Glengarry men travelled from Williamstown in some 18 cutters and sleighs to support Dr McCulloch. As it turned out, these Glengarrians did not quite reach the place of voting, but instead turned back late in their journey on learning that the election was over. An 1899 newspaper article recollecting these events stated that, “A. A. McCulloch, the well-known broker, a son of Dr McCulloch, says that the crowd of Glengarrians was so large that when the first of their sleighs had reached the family residence on St. Gabriel street the last of them had not got far past Cote des Neiges toll-gate.” These Glengarrians had been organized by the Montreal merchant Neil McIntosh. The Glengarrians’ venture reflected their aggressive loyalty, which had been so impressively awakened in their support of the loyal side in the recent Rebellion. It is most likely, also, that GC in these years had a lot of underemployed men, ready for work or mischief. Some 150 Glengarry men are reported also to have intervened in the election at this time in the county of Vaudreuil. The irregularities in the Quebec elections were investigated by the newly-elected assembly, and the results were printed in the assembly’s Journals–thereby offering valuable glimpses of the mentality of the Glengarrians of the time.

     Dr McCulloch died in Montreal. The funeral was at a Presbyterian church.

DPQ 485 * Dictionary of Canadian Biography, IX, 444 (in life of La Fontaine) * Le Canadien 29 & 31 March & 2 April 1841, Montreal Gazette 16 & 23 March 1841 * Debates of the Legislative Assembly of United Canada, Vol. I: 1841, ed. E. Nish (1970) 35-38; Vol. II: 1842, ed. E. Nish (1971) 19; Vol. IV, Part I: 1844-1845. ed. E. Gibbs (1973) 45-47 * Journal of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, 1843, Appendix JJ * Archives of Ontario, Fr George A. Hay Papers * recollections of Dr McCulloch’s son: Cornwall Freeholder 2 June 1899 (from Witness) * MacGillivray & Ross 62-63, 684 * “underemployed men”: see discussion in entry for John Fraser, author