George Bryson (December 13, 1813 – January 13, 1900) was a Scottish-born businessman and political figure in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

. He was born in Paisley, the son of James Bryson and Jane Cochrane, and came to

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...

with his parents in 1821. In 1835, he moved to the area near Fort-Coulonge in

Lower Canada The Province of Lower Canada () was a British colonization of the Americas, British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence established in 1791 and abolished in 1841. It covered the southern portion o ...

, where he entered the timber trade. In 1845, he married Robina Cobb. Bryson was mayor of Mansfield-et-Pontefract from 1855 to 1857 and from 1862 to 1867. He also served as justice of the peace, postmaster for Fort Coulonge and warden for Pontiac County. In 1857, he was elected to represent Pontiac in the

Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the Parliament of the Province of Canada. The Province of Canada consisted of the former province of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East (now Quebec), and Upper Canada ...

in a by-election held after the death of John Egan, but the assembly was dissolved before he took his seat. Bryson was defeated in the general election that followed in 1858. In 1867, he was named to the province's

Legislative Council A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...

for Inkerman division. He helped establish the Bank of Ottawa, later serving as a director, and promoted the development of railway links in the region. Bryson retired from politics in 1887 and died in Fort-Coulonge at the age of 86. His brother Thomas was elected to the legislative assembly. Bryson's son John served in the House of Commons and his son George also served in the province's Legislative Council.

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bryson, George 1813 births 1900 deaths Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from Canada East Conservative Party of Quebec MLCs 19th-century mayors of places in Quebec Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Quebec Immigrants to Upper Canada Immigrants to Lower Canada Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario Canadian justices of the peace