Robert McLaughlin (industrialist)
| Robert McLaughlin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mayor of Oshawa, Ontario | |
| In office 1899–1899 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 16, 1836 Cavan Township, Upper Canada |
| Died | November 23, 1921 (aged 85) Oshawa, Ontario |
| Occupation | manufacturer |
Robert McLaughlin (November 16, 1836 – November 23, 1921) was a Canadian industrialist and businessman. He founded the McLaughlin Carriage and McLaughlin Motor Car companies which later became part of General Motors.
He was born in Cavan Township, Upper Canada in 1836, the son of an Irish immigrant, John McLaughlin. He moved to Darlington Township with his family in 1837. He married Mary Smith in 1864. In 1869, he set up a carriage works at Enniskillen, Ontario (Hamlet). McLaughlin also taught Sunday school in the Presbyterian church there. In 1877, he moved his business to Oshawa, feeling that moving to a larger urban centre with railway access was necessary for the growth of the business.
He established the Oshawa Carriage Works, later known as McLaughlin Carriage. In 1878, he married Sarah Jane Parr; his first wife had died of consumption. His sons John James, George William and Sam also became involved in the business. McLaughlin served on the board of health and board of water commissioners at Oshawa and also served as mayor. He was first president of the local YMCA. After a fire in 1899, he relocated to Gananoque but returned to Oshawa the following year. In 1901, he married Eleanor McCulloch after the death of his second wife. In 1907, on the advice of his sons Sam and George, he set up the McLaughlin Motor Car Company Limited to manufacture automobiles. McLaughlin supported tariffs restricting trade with the United States and opposed Sir Wilfrid Laurier's free trade proposals in 1910–11. In 1915, he sold off his carriage manufacturing business.
In 1918, his companies were taken over by General Motors. McLaughlin died at Oshawa in 1921 of colon cancer.
His brother James was a doctor and member of the Ontario assembly.