William Dickson was born in Dumfries, Scotland, in 1769. Dickson was a legislative councillor of Upper Canada, politician, colonizer and founder of Galt, Ontario. He immigrated to Canada in 1792 and later became a lawyer in Niagara. In 1815, after having served as an officer in the Canadian militia in the War of 1812, he was named a member of the Legislative Council of Upper Canada. It was also in 1815 that he purchased the township of Dumfries and began the process of bringing in settlers. From 1827 to 1836, he lived in Galt, Upper Canada. He returned to Niagara in 1836 and died there February 19, 1846.