John George Bowes

John George Bowes
9th Mayor of Toronto
In office
1851–1853
Preceded by George Gurnett
Succeeded by Joshua George Beard
In office
1861–1863
Preceded by Adam Wilson
Succeeded by Francis Henry Medcalf
Personal details
Born ca. 1812
near Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland
Died May 20, 1864
Toronto, Canada West

John George Bowes (ca. 1812 – May 20, 1864) was a businessman and political figure in Canada East. He was also a member of the Orange Order in Canada.

He was born in Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland around 1812 and came to Upper Canada in 1833. He worked for his brother-in-law in York (later Toronto), then opened a dry goods business with another brother-in-law in 1838. He was president of the Toronto and Guelph Railway and also served on the board of directors of several other companies. In 1850, he was elected to city council and he was elected mayor in 1851 to 1853. During his term as mayor, Bowes was involved in a scandal related to profit made on stock for the Toronto, Simcoe & Lake Huron Union Railroad (later the Northern Railway) that also involved Francis Hincks. Although he was cleared of any charges, Bowes was forced to pay the profit that he had made to the city. In 1854, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada representing Toronto. He was elected to city council again in 1856 and served as mayor from 1861 to 1863. He died in Toronto in 1864.

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