He was born at Brockville, the chief town of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, in the month of October, 1839. His parents were in humble circumstances, and could do little to advance his prospects in life. He was a clever, brilliant boy, however, and from his earliest years was animated by an honourable ambition to rise. He struggled manfully to obtain an education, and did not hesitate to put his hand to whatever employment would further this end. When not much more than a child he was apprenticed to the printing business in the office of the Brockville _Recorder_. How long he remained there we have no means of ascertaining, but he succeeded, by dint of perseverance and good natural ability, in obtaining what he so much desired--an education. He determined to study law, and in or about the year 1859 he entered the office of the present Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, the Hon. Albert N. Richards, who then practised the legal profession at Brockville. Here he studied hard, and laid the foundation of his future success in life. Having completed his term of clerkship, he was admitted as an attorney and solicitor in Easter Term, 1864. He settled down to practice in Brockville, where he was well known, and where he soon succeeded in acquiring a good business connection. In Trinity Term, 1865, he was called to the Bar. Even during his student days he had taken a keen interest in the political questions of the times, and had worked hard at the local elections on the Liberal side. He had not been long at the Bar ere he began to be looked upon as an available candidate for Parliament. At the first general election under Confederation, held in 1867, he offered himself as a candidate for the Local House to the electors of his native town. He was defeated by a small majority, but made a good impression upon the electors during the canvass, and established his reputation as a ready speaker on the hustings. At the general election held four years later he offered himself to the electors of South Grenville, but was again unsuccessful, being defeated by the late Mr. Clark. Two years previous to this time he had, as an Irish Catholic, taken a conspicuous part with Mr. John O'Donohoe and Mr. Jeremiah Merrick, of Toronto, Mr. McKeown, of St. Catharines, and others, in forming what is known as the Ontario Catholic League. This League was formed under the impression that the co-religionists of its promoters in this Province were not receiving the amount of patronage to which they were entitled by reason of their numbers and influence.