36735: The Cattleman of Santiago

John Montgomery (Seonaidh an Tailleir) was born on 29 January 1877 to John Montgomery and Margaret Smith, 50 Balallan.

John went to Chile at the age of 19 in 1896 as Manager of ‘Mina Rica’ in Magellanes, in partnership with Messrs Woodman and Redman. He came back home in 1904 and for seven years, devoted himself to farming on Sligrachan Farm in Ardintinny, Argyleshire.

He married Mary Martin of Crobeg (and 21a Balallan) on 19 April 1906 in Glasgow. In 1911, he returned to Patagonia with his wife and son, settling in Santa Cruz. For many years, he managed ‘Palomaris’, a farm owned by Mrs Maurice Braun and Mrs Campos. In 1925 he moved to Valparaiso and bought the ‘Ontario’ farm near Victoria and with great energy and success he continued the work commenced in Magellanes, the raising of pure-bred stock.

He imported every year until he had built up the best stock of Hampshire Down sheep and a herd of Short-Horn cattle in Chile, his estancia having been carefully selected with a view to climate and abundance of forage, which permitted the livestock to be maintained in good condition at all seasons of the year.

During the few years Mr Montgomery exhibited, chiefly in the Exhibitions of Osorno, his efforts on behalf of stock raising in Chile were recognised and many valuable prizes were awarded to the products of the ‘Ontario’ establishment. All in all, he was awarded over 700 prizes for his stock of best bred Hampshire Down sheep and Short Horn cattle.

His wife Mary died on 1 June 1927 and he remarried but she was killed in an earthquake in the 1930s. He married for a third time to Annie Hutcheson from Inverness. In 1944, they sold the ‘Ontario’ farm and they lived at Ganja, Las Mercedes, Penalolen, Santiago.

John Montgomery died on 1 June 1946 aged 69 years. His name will for ever be inseparably connected with the improvement of Chilean livestock and it is a matter of pride that British and Chilean agriculture are linked by so worthy a representative of the "old country".

Kinloch Historical Society