James Fell (October 15, 1821 – December 8, 1890) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

-born merchant and political figure in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. He served as mayor of

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. The ...

from 1885 to 1887. He was born at Muncaster Head, Cumberland and apprenticed in the grocery business. He was employed in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and then in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

, where he later established a tea wholesale business. Around 1858, he went to Victoria, where he established a spice and coffee business in partnership with John Finlayson. The business expanded into general groceries. That business failed in 1868 and Fell established his own business. He ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons in 1882. Fell was elected mayor for two terms, choosing not to run again in 1888. He served 14 years on the local school board. Fell helped establish the first Mechanics' Institute in Victoria and served as a trustee of the

Royal Jubilee Hospital Royal Jubilee Hospital is a 500-bed general hospital in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada located about east of the city centre, in the Jubilee neighbourhood (itself named after the hospital). Overview Its name commemorates the Golden Jubilee ...

References

Mayors of Victoria, British Columbia English emigrants to pre-Confederation British Columbia 1890 deaths 1821 births {{BritishColumbia-mayor-stub