John Doran, stipendiary magistrate, registrar, and judge of the Division Court in the District of Nipissing, dates his birth at Perth, county of Lanark, Out., January 10, 1826. His parents were John Doran, senior, who came from Wexford, Ireland, alone, when quite young, and was a merchant at Perth; and Mary McGarry, who was from the county of West Meath, Ireland. His father died at Perth in 1850; his mother is still living, being in her 76th year.
Judge Doran was educated in the Perth grammar school; at an early age became a clerk in his father’s store, holding that situation for 14 years, and when the latter died, the son suceeded him, and had a successful business career, retiring at the end of a dozen years. While a resident of Perth, he took an active part in municipal matters and public enterprises; was for nineteen years in succession a member of the town council; was also reeve for several years, and was warden of the united counties of Lanark and Renfrew, in 1854 and in 1868, after the separation of these counties, was warden of Lanark. Few men have ever done more or better work in the municipalities of these counties while united, than Judge Doran. He was appointed magistrate in 1851.
In 1869 the Hon. John Sandfield Macdonald appointed him to the offices which he now holds, his residence being at Pembroke, county of Renfrew, since 1870. His courts are held quarterly, at Mattawa, a hundred miles from Pembroke.
The Judge is chairman of the Roman Catholic separate school trustees, and of the General Hospital committee, and was chairman of the building committee, when the Roman Catholic church, at Pembroke, was in the process of erection. He is a man of much public spirit, being at one time a director of the Brockville and Ottawa, now Canada Central railway. His politics are Reform, and he was an unsuccessful candidate, some years ago, for Parliament.
In 1867, the Judge married Miss Mary Philomena Lynn, of Eganville, county of Renfrew, and they have four children living, and have buried one son. The Judge is a man of very kindly disposition, generous hearted and a warm friend of the poor.
