James Gibb Ross (18 April 1819 – 1 October 1888) was a Canadian merchant and politician from the province of Quebec.

The Hon.
James Gibb Ross
Senator for The Laurentides, Quebec
In office
1884–1888
Appointed byJohn A. Macdonald
Preceded byDavid Edward Price
Succeeded byEvans John Price
Personal details
Born(1819-04-18)April 18, 1819
Carluke (Strathclyde), Scotland
DiedOctober 1, 1888(1888-10-01) (aged 69)
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Resting placeMount Hermon Cemetery, Sillery, Quebec, Canada
Political partyConservative

Born in Carluke, a village of South Lanarkshire, Scotland, Ross emigrated to Canada in 1832 with his brother, John Ross, settling in Quebec City. After briefly attending a private school, he started working within his uncle's, James and Thomas Gibb, wholesale grocery business, James Gibb & Company. He eventually started his own business with his brother as a grocery importer and trading in lumber.

He twice ran unsuccessfully as the Conservative candidate for the House of Commons of Canada for the electoral district of Quebec-Centre in the 1872 and 1878 election. In 1884, he was summoned to the Senate of Canada for the senatorial division of The Laurentides, Quebec on the advice of Prime Minister John A. Macdonald. He served until his death in 1888. Ross was buried in Mount Hermon Cemetery in Sillery, on 4 October 1888.

Quebec and Lake Saint-John Railroad Locomotive Number 5, named after Ross
1872 Canadian federal election: Quebec Centre/Québec-Centre
Party Candidate Votes
Independent Joseph-Édouard Cauchon 964
Conservative James Gibb Ross 694
Source: Canadian Elections Database[1]
1874 Canadian federal election: Quebec-Centre
Party Candidate Votes
Liberal Joseph-Édouard Cauchon acclaimed

References edit

  • James Gibb Ross – Parliament of Canada biography
  • In collaboration with Kenneth S. Mackenzie (1982). "Ross, James Gibb". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. XI (1881–1890) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.


  1. ^ Sayers, Anthony M. "1872 Federal Election". Canadian Elections Database. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024.