Isaac Buchanan (1810–1883 )
Isaac was born in Glasgow, Scotland in July 1810 to Peter and Margaret Buchanan. He was apprenticed to a firm of Glasgow merchants in 1825. He soon became a junior partner in a new Montreal wholesale business opened by the firm. Isaac moved to York ( Toronto ) to be closer to clients in Upper Canada.
In 1834, with his brother Peter, he bought the business in York and set up an office in Glasgow.
He served in the local militia during the Upper Canada Rebellion.
Isaac Buchanan married Agnes Jarvie, daughter of Robert Jarvie. The couple had 11 children.
In 1840 he set up a new company in Hamilton; a Montreal branch was also established. In 1841 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the city of Toronto; he resigned his seat in 1843.
In 1844, the Toronto branch of his business was closed and the operation in Hamilton was expanded.
He helped establish the Free Church of Scotland in Canada West.
In 1844, he moved to Hamilton, where he helped set up the Board of Trade, becoming its first president. In 1848, upset by the repeal of the Corn Laws in Britain, he left the business and moved back to Scotland, where he campaigned against free trade in Britain.
In 1851, he rejoined the business and returned to Hamilton. He was a director in the Great Western Railway and he attempted to promote its development over those of a competing Grand Trunk Railway.
In 1857, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly for Hamilton. While in office, he attempted to promote his railway interests but also negotiated refinancing of the city of Hamilto’s debts after it borrowed heavily to finance infrastructure improvements.
He also served as lieutenant-colonel in the local militia, and supported protectionist trade policies and opposed representation by population. His political interests distracted him from his business interests and, although he resigned his seat in 1865, the business failed in 1867.
He sold his estate in Hamilton. Isaac received a government appointment in 1879 which sustained him through his later years.
During his life he was founder of the Hamilton and Toronto boards of trade – forerunners of modern chambers of commerce – and was founder of the regiment that later becane the Royal Hamilton Light Brigade.
He died in Hamilton Ontario in October 1883 aged 73.