James Gray Bethune
James Gray Bethune (April 1, 1793 - October 13, 1841) was born in Upper Canada. He was the son of an Anglican priest, the Reverend John Bethune.
James Gray was from a large family and four of the brothers had notable careers in Canada. Alexander Neil Bethune became a bishop of the diocese of Toronto. John Bethune was the acting principal of McGill University for over ten years. Angus Bethune was prominent in the fur trade and Donald Bethune was an important political figure in Upper Canada.
James had a career in business which began in 1812 after finishing school and moving to Cobourg, Upper Canada. By 1817 he was involved in a number of enterprises, namely; a store, sawmill, distillery and community postmaster.
Bethune’s enterprises in the community made him well known and often admired personality. He was a justice of the peace and an officer of the courts making him a trusted person as well. His involvements in the community included a number of organizations and he received the rank of lieutenant-colonel of the militia. He became an agent for the Bank of Upper Canada in 1830 and shortly after was promoted to cashier of the Cobourg branch.
The success in the financial area also led to matching misfortunes. His lending policies often ran counter to bank policies and ended in bankruptcy. He subsequently made an unsuccessful foray into politics and had a brief stay in debtors' prison. His reputation was ruined and he moved away to New York state where he died after a protracted illness in Rochester, New York. Bethune was later buried in Cobourg, Ontario.
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