Picture - globalnews.ca
In front of the National Maritime Archive, 200 Main Street, Picton. A statue of Sir John A. Macdonald formerly existed across the street, but was removed.
Commemoration
John A. Macdonald (1815-1891), who became Canada's first prime minister at Confederation, began the study of law in 1830 under George Mackenzie, a prominent Kingston lawyer. Three years later he came to Hallowell (now Picton) to manage the law practice of his cousin, Lowther P. Macpherson, who was in ill health. During his stay here, Macdonald became the first secretary of the Prince Edward Young Men's Society in 1834 and served as secretary of the Prince Edward District School Board. The latter position constituted his earliest experience in the field of public administration. Macdonald returned to Kingston in the summer of 1835 where he set up his own law practice.
Background
George Mackenzie was born in Scotland in 1795 and emigrated to Canada some time before 1823. He was a prominent lawyer, politician and businessman in Kingston. Lowther Pennington Macpherson was born in 1807. He died at age 28 in 1836.
These individuals show the leading role played by Scottish immigrants who came to Upper Canada after the United Empire Loyalists.