Biography

Mr Nicholson's bequest, probably among the most remarkable made thus far in Canada for a literary or historical purpose, arose out of his interest in Canadian and English history, which was maintained through a long life of varied activities. Born in Liverpool, he was the eldest of the three sons of John Nicholson of Forton, North Lancashire, England. In 1891, on the threshold of what must have appeared a promising professional career as an architect, Mr Nicholson came to Canada. The period was one of economic depression and there was little inducement to attempt a career in architecture. After a year of farming near Lindsay, Ontario, he went to the city of London and entered the office of "Bart Cottam & Co., Importer and Manufacturer of Grocer's Sundries. First among the numerous items in the firm's advertisements was "bird seed," and doubtless it was in Bart Cottam's employ that Mr Nicholson decided to concentrate upon the product which was in the next half-century to reward his business acumen and make it possible for him to found and endow the Dictionary. In 1895 he settled in Toronto, establishing with J. W. Brock the firm of Nicholson and Brock, with which he was identified during the remainder of his active business life. Mr Nicholson's business interests kept him in touch for many years with all parts of Canada, and this was undoubtedly one of the influences which led him to think of what would become a grand project. He learned French at a time when this was certainly an uncommon accomplishment for a Toronto businessman. The idea for a dictionary of Canadian biography appears to have come directly from Mr Nicholson's pleasure in and admiration for the Dictionary of national biography (now the Oxford dictionary of national biography). Breaking New Ground