(31 March 1837-30 Oct. 1912), farmer. (George H. McGillivray, G. H. McGillivray, George McGillivray) Born presumably in GC at his parents’ home of Dalcrombie near Williamstown. Parents: Hon. John McGillivray and his wife Isabella McLean. He attended the local primary school and the Williamstown Grammar School. He spent his whole life on the family property of Dalcrombie, except for a period in Quebec province in the early 1860s, and at least two visits abroad: he was in Scotland in 1865, and visited England and Scotland with his daughter about 1892. His obituaries remark that as the youngest son of the family, the obligation of remaining on the family property and with his parents fell on him (as was indeed fairly common with youngest sons in GC). In 1866 he was, with the future Sir Donald Macmaster, an officer in the newly-formed militia unit at Williamstown. He was married on 23 Feb. 1870 to Eugenia Caroline Holmes, the daughter of James Holmes of Montreal. (Witness 25 Feb. 1870) Her brother or uncle Benjamin was the first president of the Bank of Montreal. It was probably her sister who married Sir Melbourne Tait, who was the law partner of Prime Minister Sir John Abbott and also was chief justice of the Superior Court of Quebec. The married life of Mrs McGillivray (known as Carrie) was short, for she died 13 April 1871, giving birth to a daughter, Carrie Holmes MacGillivray. Her husband never remarried.
Besides being a farmer, George Hopper McGillivray operated a cheese factory at MacGillivrays Bridge. In public life, he was a councillor and reeve of Charlottenburgh Township, and was for over 30 years the township’s clerk. He was also clerk of the Division Court, the local license inspector, a member of the board of trustees of Williamstown High School, and took a leading role in founding and promoting the Williamstown library. He attended in his earlier years the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church at Martintown, and later St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church at Williamstown, and was an elder in the latter church. After some years of operating postal services unofficially for his neighbours, he was postmaster of the MacGillivrays Bridge Post Office (the actual office was in his house) from 1908 till his death. In the Ontario general election of 26 June 1894, he ran as an Independent or Conservative against D. M. Macpherson, the Cheese King, who represented the Patrons of Industry movement. McGillivray himself had been active in the Patrons of Industry movement, and sometimes spoke at the Patrons’ meetings. Senator Donald McMillan, who was one of a number of prominent GC Conservatives who occupied themselves in encouraging McGillivray’s candidacy, advised McGillivray that he should retain his Patron membership during the campaign and try thereby to win additional support as being himself, also, a supporter of the Patron interest. (NAC-MD) McGillivray was defeated by Macpherson, though by a margin of less than 400 votes out of over 3600 cast. His brother Farquhar McGillivray wrote to George on 4 July 1894, “You certainly had very great odds to contend against and even with them all I am of opinion that except for the fact of your long illness the result would have been a very different one. However it is very pleasant to know as you do that you have nothing to reproach yourself with and that you carried against your formidable opponent a respectable majority in the Township in which you both live and among the people who know you both.” (NAC-MD) (For this election, see also Fr Donald Ranald Macdonald.) In the years 1907-1908, when Alexandria (then “in the hey-day of its prosperity”–Harkness) led a campaign to separate Glengarry County from SDG, McGillivray took a leading role in opposing the proposal, which was defeated by the voters in January 1908. The next month his well-wishers, assembling at Williamstown, feted him for his work in preserving the union of the counties and presented him a cabinet of 90 pieces of sterling silverware. In his address on this occasion, McGillivray attributed the separation movement to the self-interest and ambition of Alexandria. (Cornwall Freeholder 28 Feb. 1908)
He died at his home, Dalcrombie. He had been confined to his home for most of the last two years of his life. His obituaries stressed his unusual abilities (“a man… of attainment so considerable and unusual”) and contrasted them with the quiet and secluded role he had chosen for his life. The list of “chief mourners” included J. A. Macdonell (Greenfield) who seems to have borne with cheerfulness McGillivray’s part in frustrating Alexandria’s pet scheme of separation of Glengarry County from the United Counties of SDG, and Sir Thomas Tait, son of Sir Melbourne. An obituary also noted it was remarkable that the grandson of a man who fought at Culloden should die as late as 1912. George Hopper McGillivray was the brother of Neil John McGillivray and uncle of John William McGillivray, who were both chiefs of the clan.
Glengarry News, Cornwall Freeholder & Cornwall Standard, of 1 & 8 Nov. 1912; copies of obituaries (undated clipping) in papers (privately owned) of the late G. I. D. Cameron); obituary from Montreal Gazette repr. Glengarry Life 15th Annual Volume (1975/76) * Mrs van Beek’s research (see notes to life of Hon. John McGillivray) * there is much material on him in NAC, MacGillivray of Dalcrombie Papers, a collection abbreviated NAC-MD this dictionary * Harkness: index (portrait) * MacMillan, Kirk, index (portrait) * MacGillivray & Ross: index * militia unit: CF 13 July 1866 ; Boss 46 * 1894 election: sources include NAC-MD, Gleaner 31 May & 14 June 1894, Cornwall & Alexandria press * separation campaign: Harkness 484-487, local press, includes esp. GN 6 & 27 Dec. 1907 (with long letter from McGillivray), and see also sources as per life of Alexander D. McRae * is criticized, defends himself re enforcement of liquor laws on Dickinson’s Island, Cornwall Reporter 9 & 23 July 1881 * is insurance agent (for Royal Insurance Co., of Eng.), Cornwall Reporter 13 Jan. 1883 * speaks for Donald (later Sir Donald) MacMaster in political campaign, explains his own political position, Glengarrian 11 Feb. 1887 * controversy with Rev. J. A. G. Calder over enforcement of liquor laws, Glengarrian spring 1887 till the editor closed the correspondence 10 June 1887 * barn at his farm burns, GN 14 Oct. 1910