(24 Feb. 1825-23 April 1913), political figure. (Sir Richard Scott) Born at Prescott, Ont. Parents: W.J. Scott and his wife Sarah Ann Macdonell, who was the daughter of Allan Macdonell of Leek; her sister married Simon Fraser the explorer. Sir Richard Scott was not a Glengarrian, but like Jimmy Gardiner he was on the fringes of GC history while being a figure of national importance. Scott’s sister was married to Archibald Fraser of Fraserfield. Also, Scott was a law partner in Ottawa of William Aird Ross, who had been headmaster of the Williamstown Grammar School. Scott’s son, W. L. Scott, forged his own further connection with GC history.

     The future Sir Richard Scott was called to the bar of Upper Canada, 1848. He was mayor of Bytown 1852-1853, member for Ottawa in the legislature of the Province of Canada from 1857 to 1863 and in the legislature of Ontario from 1867 to 1873. Briefly in 1871, he served as speaker of the Ontario legislature. Afterwards, he was commissioner of crown lands in the Blake and Mowat administrations. He was called to the Senate in 1874. In the Mackenzie government, he was secretary of state, Jan. 1874 to Oct. 1878. For a part of this time, he was a ministerial colleague of D.A. Macdonald (of the Sandfield family), who was also connected with the Frasers of Fraserfield, having married the sister of Archibald Fraser of Fraserfield. See the life of Col. Alexander Fraser of Fraserfield for the complex of family connections Scott had through the Fraserfield household. He was, presumably, the Mr Scott who, with Prime Minister Mackenzie and Ontario’s Premier Mowat addressed a Liberal meeting of some 2000 in the “beautifully and profusely decorated” village of Alexandria, 29 Aug. 1878. (Gleaner 5 Sept. 1878) Scott led the Liberal opposition in the Senate 1878 to 1896, that is, from the fall of the Mackenzie government till Laurier became Liberal prime minister. In the Laurier government, he was secretary of state 1896 to 1908. Scott died at his home in Ottawa. Roman Catholic. The Canada Temperance Act of 1878, which he sponsored, was commonly known in his lifetime as the Scott Act. In more recent times, the term Scott Act has been applied instead to the Separate School Act of 1863, which he also sponsored. He was married to Mary Ann Heron.

     The Mr McGillivray who was rumoured in 1861 to be likely to stand against Scott for the legislature seat was probably Edward McGillivray, the ex-mayor of Bytown. As it happened out, however, Scott was returned by acclamation. (Toronto Globe 24 May & 21 June 1861) .

Life by Brian P. Clarke, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, XIV, 913-916 * Glengarry News 25 April 1913 * his life in Rose, ii, 758, Morgan (1898) 921-922, Morgan (1912) 1084, MDict 753, and Dale 141-150 (with colour portrait) * Harkness 49 * Franklin A. Walker, Catholic Education and Politics in Upper Canada (1955): index * obituary of his sister, Mrs Archibald Fraser, Cornwall Standard 28 Jan. 1915