(dates of birth 1870 and 2 and 21 Sept. 1859 both found; died 12 April 1918), contractor, businessman. (Rhodes Grant says this family of McMartins was known as “The Big Allens,” presumably from the name of John’s father) Born in GC, at a place which has been described as near Munroes Mills, and was perhaps Lot 17, in the 8th Concession of Charlottenburgh Township. Parents: Allan McMartin (1819-1887) and his wife Catherine McDonald (1830-1875). Educated locally. He went to Michigan at 16 to work in the lumber woods. Thereafter, along with some continuing involvement in lumbering as a businessman, he became involved in railway construction, first as an employee of contractors, working as a foreman of crews and in other capacities, and then as a contractor in his own right. He had contracts and subcontracts on many railways over many years in the United States and Canada. He and his brother Duncan McMartin became very wealthy men through mining development in Northern Ontario. (See the entry for Duncan McMartin for more on this story) John McMartin was a hard-driving, resourceful man–far from merely a lucky exploiter of fortunate mineral finds. Sometimes, at least, he rather than Duncan was the leader in their partnership.

     John McMartin bought the splendid Cornwall home of R. R. (Big Rory) McLennan, and enlarged and renovated it. In McMartin’s time, it was known as Highland Manor. His obituary in the Cornwall Freeholder spoke with praise of the Highland hospitality he dispensed there. While maintaining this Cornwall base, he also spent considerable time in Montreal and New York.

     John McMartin was vice-president of Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines, and president of the Labrador Pulp and Lumber Co. In his later years he had extensive timber limits in Ontario, Quebec province, and Labrador, plus land interests in the Canadian West and other business interests in Canada. Newpaper reports on his will stated that he left more than $4 million and was the largest shareholder of Hollinger stock.

     He was married on 22 Jan. 1896 in Cornwall to Mary C. McDougald of the Alexandria McDougald family. (five children) The Glengarry News report on the marriage described him as “one of Glengarry’s best known railway contractors” and a man who “counts his Glengarry friends by the score,” while his wife was remembered as having been, three years before, “one of the most popular belles of Alexandria.” She has her own life in this dictionary, following this one of her husband. See the entries in this dictionary for her brother Dr W. L. McDougald and her nephew John A. (Bud) McDougald for two members of the McDougald family who later helped direct the Hollinger company. Later, the Hollinger name was known worldwide in connection with Conrad Black’s newspapers.

     “Early in 1916 when there was a rumour of an approaching election the Liberals of Glengarry and Stormont had an opportunity of showing their appreciation of Mr. McMartin and they gladly seized the opportunity of nominating him as their standard bearer in the federal arena.” The election as expected at this time did not take place, but in the general election of 17 Dec. 1917, John McMartin was returned by acclamation as the Liberal Unionist MP for the Glengarry-Stormont constituency. He attended the opening in March of the Parliament for which he had been elected, “but had to return to Montreal almost immediately owing to physical weakness,” and beyond this his growing illness seems to have prevented any involvement in Parliamentary duties. In fact, he had been too ill, it appears, to attend the conventions that nominated him in 1916 and 1917, and his death, four months after the election, followed an illness of “several months.” (five children) He died in Montreal, aged only in his late 40s or late 50s, depending on which date is taken for his birth. His brother Duncan, it will be noted, also died early. John McMartin was buried at St. Columban’s cemetery, Cornwall.

     John McMartin was a Roman Catholic, following the faith of his mother, while his brother Duncan was a Presbyterian, following the faith of their father. In politics, John was a Liberal but Duncan a Conservative.

     John McMartin and his wife contributed to the purchase of the bells for the new Sacré-Coeur church in Alexandria. He provided in his will to have memorial windows installed in St. Raphael’s Church in memory of his mother and sister. (Glengarry News 14 June 1918)

     John McMartin was interested in literature, and especially in poetry. And he was sufficiently interested in GC history and the GC ancestral language to arrange, just before his own death, for the recording of the singing, by Duncan Angus McRae, of Gaelic songs. During WWI, he outfitted the pipe band of the 154th Battalion with bagpipes and other Highland accoutrements.

     The John McMartin legion branch in Cornwall is named for John McMartin’s son of the same name, who was a benefactor of the legion. Still another John McMartin needs to be noticed. John McMartin, the MP of the present sketch, had a brother, John A. McMartin, who, like John, was a railway contractor (i. e., there were two brothers called John in the family).

Cornwall Freeholder & Cornwall Standard both of 18 April 1918, Glengarry News (QF) 19 April 1918; CF and CS have useful lists of his contracts as a railway builder; while the Glengarry News obit. is of great value for the intimate local knowledge on which it is based; all have portraits * tributes CF 2 May 1818, from Saturday Night, and Borden and Laurier * reports on his will, CF 23 May & 20 June 1918, GN 31 May & 14 June 1918 * sources as in entry for his brother Duncan McMartin * Johnson (1968) * Harkness 309 (portrait), 312 * his marriage GN 24 Jan. 1896, repr. in Fraser Obits. 246 * ownership of Alexandria grist mill property by his estate: entry for David E. Markson; Ostrom 188 * anecdote about John (Black Jack) McMartin, probably not this man, CF 8 April 1910 * Boss 65 * Senior, Marin: index * Paroisse Sacré-Coeur: Souvenir 75: Livre souvenir publié à l’occasion du 75e anniversaire de fondation de la Paroisse Sacré-Coeur d’Alexandria (1985), 5-6 *Conrad Black, A Life in Progress (1993), has McMartin and McDougald refs. * obit. of his daughter, Frances (Mrs Mackenzie Randolph Campbell), Standard Freeholder 29 May 1935 * obit. of his son John B. (Jack) McMartin, died aged 44, SFH 18 Sept. 1944 * purchases mine, GN 23 Oct. 1896 * has railway subcontract from Donald Robert Mcdonald, GN 10 Aug. 1900 * has promised $10,000 for the building fund of the Sacré-Coeur Church, CS 23 July 1909 * his letter to editor?, CS 9 Aug. 1917