death_date death_place birth_place birth_date image article_title name
20 january 1870 montreal , quebec larkhall , lanarkshire 08 june 1786 john torrance.jpg john torrance
 john torrance
john torrance

john torrance -lrb- june 8 , 1786 - january 20 , 1870 -rrb- was a merchant and entrepreneur of montreal .
he entered the railroad industry in the 1830s and ran steamboats on the st. lawrence river .
he was also a director of the bank of montreal and closely involved with many aspects to do with the progression of montreal from the 1820s to the 1850s .
his home , st. antoine hall , was one of the early estates of the golden square mile .
