From: "The Scot in British
North America"
By W. J. Rattray, B.A.,
Toronto, Maclean and Company, 1880
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The name of "Cousin Sandy" will be remembered by a great many of our readers in connection with the press of a dozen years ago, many telling prose contributions and poetic squibs appearing in different journals over that signature. Their author was Mr. John Fraser, a Scot either by birth or descent, who, prior to emigrating to Canada achieved a considerable reputation in England in connection with the Chartist movement. He possessed great power of sarcasm and invective, which found full scope for their exercise in that memorable struggle for the rights of the people. His original vocation was that of a tailor which he followed for a considerable time at Stanstead, in the Province of Quebec, indulging at the same time those literary pursuits for which he had a natural gift. He afterwards accepted the position of canvasser for a prominent book-publishing firm in Montreal, and in this capacity his travels extended widely throughout Canada. His versatile talents and genial disposition secured him a wide circle of friends and acquaintances wherever he went. He distributed his contributions
among a number of newspapers, mostly of the Liberal school of politics,
many of his clever satirical verses appearing in the Montreal
Herald. He met his death by accident at Ottawa, in the early part
of June 1872, by falling down the precipice in rear of the Parliament Buildings.
He struck the rocks in his descent and was instantly killed.
See also: his son John Arthur Fraser his son-in-law Henry Sandham Return to Notable Montrealers |