John Lorne McDougall, Auditor-General of the Dominion, is a son of the late John L. McDougall, senior, and Catharine Cameron, both of Highland pedigree. His father came from Argyleshire, Scotland, in 1821; was connected for several years with the Hudson Bay Company; afterwards settled in the County of Renfrew, Ontario, and was there engaged in the mercantile and milling ‘business. He sat for Renfrew in the Canadian Assembly a short time in 1858, and resigned; he died in 1860. His widow is still living.
The subject of this brief biography was born at Renfrew, November 6, 1838, and was educated in the High School at Montreal, and the University of Toronto, taking the Gold Medal in Mathematics, and the Silver Medal in the Modern Languages on the occasion of his graduation in 1859.
On completing his education Mr. McDougall became a merchant, miller and lumberman at Renfrew Village, carrying on these branches of business until his appointment to the office of Auditor-General, August 1, 1878.
Mr. McDougall was at different times chairman of the School Board of Renfrew Village; was Warden of the County of Renfrew, and for a long period President of the South Renfrew Agricultural Society, taking, in fact, an active, and, we might say, prominent part in every enterprise tending to promote the interests of the village or county. He has at times, also been active in the politics of the Province. He sat for South Renfrew in the Ontario Assembly from the general election in 1867 until the general election in 1871, and in the House of Commons from September, 1869, until the general election in 1872, when he was defeated, and again elected in 1874. He was unseated by petition, September 9, 1874, and re-elected by acclamation on the 24th of the next month; was again unseated on petition, January 21, 1875, and re-elected thirty days afterwards. He was a Liberal, and supporter of the Mackenzie Administration. He favored compulsory voting and introduced a measure in that behalf in 1874; is a thinker as well as a scholar; has clear and firm convictions of duty, and will do it. As Auditor-General he has a good opportunity to serve his country, and is showing himself eminently fitted for the position assigned him.
The wife of Mr. McDougall is Marion E. Morris, daughter of Peter Morris of Renfrew, married September 7, 1870.