James Morris (November 1, 1798 – September 23, 1865) was a businessman, banker and political figure in Canada West. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, as a Reformer. He was later a member of the Legislative Council, serving as the Speaker of the Legislative Council. He was also a member of the Executive Council of the province. Family and early life Morris was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland in 1798. The family emigrated to British North America, eventually settling with his family at Elizabethtown (later Brockville) in Upper Canada in 1808. He was educated at Sorel in Lower Canada, at a school operated by the father of Wolfred Nelson, who was later one of the leaders of the Lower Canada Rebellion. Morris married Emily Rosamond Murney of Kingston, sister of Edmund Murney, who was later elected to the Legislative Assembly for Hastings. Business career By 1820, Morris was involved in various business activities with his older brothers, including William Morris, who would also be involved in politics. He was active in banking throughout his career. By 1836, he was the cashier at the Commercial Bank of the Midland District in Brockville. He also formed working relationships with William Hamilton Merritt and Isaac Buchanan, two successful businessmen who would also serve in the Legislative Assembly. At that time, communications were mainly by boats plying the Saint Lawrence River from Quebec City and Montreal to York on Lake Ontario. However, there were stretches of the Saint Lawrence that had dangerous rapids. Morris became involved in projects to build canals and locks north of the Saint Lawrence, allowing shipping to bypass the dangerous stretches. In 1838, he was appointed to a commission which administered funds raised for canal building. After he was elected to the Legislative Assembly, he was involved in measures to fund canals. The town of West Williamsburg, which benefited from the canals, changed its name to Morrisburg to recognise his role in the town's development. Morris was involved in the founding of Queen's College, later Queen's University, at Kingston. He was one of the four original trustees of the university funds. Political career Morris was appointed justice of the peace in 1825. He was elected in a by-election to represent Leeds County in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada from 1837 to 1840. He stated that he was a conservative, wishing to maintain