John Hamilton Simons (25 May 1823 – 6 May 1906) was a Canadian merchant of Scottish origin and the founder of La Maison Simons, one of the oldest department store chains in Quebec.
Early life
Simons was the eldest son of Scottish immigrants Margaret McNeill and Peter Simons. The Simons family settled on land in Saint-Dunstan-du-Lac-Beauport granted by the British government to demobilized English soldiers, a category in which Peter Simons belonged.[1]
As a teenager, John worked as a clerk at the Laurier general store to help support his family.[1] In 1840 at the age of 17, he opened a small retail shop at the corner of Saint-Jean and Sainte-Angèle streets, near the Saint-Jean Gate in Quebec City. Specializing in haberdashery and drapery, much of his merchandise was imported from the British Isles: leather from England, woollens from Scotland, and linen from Ireland.[1] He travelled overseas roughly twice a year to source high-quality goods, a practice that helped distinguish him from his competitors.[1]