Volume 9 , Issue 21

McGill University of Montreal

I have always wondered about the McGill University up in Montreal, Canada. Wondering if the wealthy Scottish, fur trader/merchant from the Glasglow area, James McGill, who founded the university was any relation to my McGill's.

If you go online to About McGill University. you might find this little tidbit about McGill University: "The oldest university in Montreal, McGill was founded in 1821 from a generous bequest by James McGill, a prominent Scottish merchant. Since that time, McGill has grown from a small college to a bustling university with two campuses, 11 faculties, some 300 programs of study, and more than 32,000 students. The University partners with four affiliated teaching hospitals to graduate over 1,000 health care professionals each year...."

If you want to learn more of the history of McGill University, you can click the McGill History link which starts out with this note: "Burnside, the 46-acre estate of James McGill, which became the home for McGill College. Resting at the foot of Mont Royal. McGill University owes its origins to the vision and philanthropy of James McGill, a wealthy fur trader and merchant who left $10,000 and a 46-acre estate towards the establishment of a college or a university bearing his name. Founded in 1821, "McGill College" began holding classes in 1829 in the merchant's former country house. Four years later, the College awarded a Doctor of Medicine and Surgery to its first graduate, William Leslie Logie. Construction on the Arts Building began in 1839, as the college had quickly outgrown the country house. This iconic structure still anchors the downtown campus today....."

Who was James McGill? If you head over to James McGill link, you will find a tad bit more about the man, James McGill: "James McGill, the man whose vision would lead to the creation of the University that bears his name, was born in Glasgow in 1744, the eldest son of a Scottish ironsmith. Sometime before 1766, McGill immigrated to North America and entered the rough and tumble world of the fur trade. He spent much of the following nine years in almost constant danger, navigating the rivers and lakes of the Great Lakes frontier, over-wintering in unmapped wilderness and living off the land. By 1775, McGill had established himself as a successful merchant, trading in furs, ammunition and general goods and eventually became one of the wealthiest men in Montreal....."

I still haven't found any connection to my McGill's, but we did have a few "James" and a lot of "William" McGill's in our lineage. So... I guess I will kept searching to see if in anyway this James McGill of Montreal, Canada fits into our McGill lineage.
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