▁Abb ott , ▁Canada ' s ▁first ▁Black ▁phys ician . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Born ▁to ▁a ▁Scot ch - I r ish ▁father ▁and ▁a ▁free ▁West ▁African ▁mother ▁in ▁Richmond , ▁Virginia , ▁Wilson ▁R uff in ▁Abb ott ▁left ▁home ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁aged ▁ 1 5 ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁ste ward ▁on ▁a ▁Mississippi ▁River ▁ste amer . ▁ ▁He ▁married ▁Ellen ▁To yer , ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁Mobile , ▁Alabama , ▁where ▁he ▁opened ▁a ▁general ▁gro c ery ▁store , ▁but ▁left ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 4 ▁after ▁receiving ▁a ▁warning ▁that ▁his ▁store ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁pill aged . ▁In ▁late ▁ 1 8 3 5 ▁or ▁early ▁ 1 8 3 6 , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Toronto , ▁Upper ▁Canada , ▁where ▁he ▁prosper ed ▁as ▁a ▁business man . ▁He ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁milit ia ▁that ▁protected ▁Toronto ▁from ▁the ▁reb els ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 7 ▁Upper ▁Canada ▁Reb ell ion ▁and ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁Toronto ▁city ▁council ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 0 . ▁ ▁His ▁son ▁Anderson ▁R uff in ▁Abb ott ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁African ▁Canadian ▁to ▁pract ise ▁medicine . ▁ ▁Death ▁ ▁Wilson ▁R uff in ▁Abb ott ▁died ▁at ▁age ▁ 7 5 ▁at ▁Toronto ▁Municip ality , ▁Ontario , ▁Canada ▁ ▁References ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁Category : 1 8 0 1 ▁birth s ▁Category : 1 8 7 6 ▁death s ▁Category : American ▁em igr ants ▁to ▁pre