James Frederick Dennistoun was the eldest son of Judge Robert Dennistoun of Peterborough, Ontario. He graduated from the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1860 and became a law partner in Hudspeth and Dennistoun law firm of Lindsay in 1861. In 1868 he formed a law partnership with E.H.D. Hall of Peterborough. He was appointed to the Queen's Council in 1876, was a member of Peterborough Town Council, and sat on a local school board. He was married to Kate Kirkpatrick.
George Barker Hall was born in Brooklyn, New York and later immigrated to Upper Canada. He was a lawyer, MPP, and a judge in Peterborough, Upper Canada and Canada West. He also owned a flour mill in the town of Peterborough in the late 1840's and 1850's.
William Barton Northrup was born in Belleville, Canada West on October 19, 1856 to A.G. Northrup. W.B. Northrup married twice. His first marriage occurred June, 1879 to Minnie Proctor and his second marriage occurred June, 1907 to Mary Schryrer Chemow.
He attended the Belleville Grammar School, Upper Canada College in Toronto and the University of Toronto where he received his Bachelor of Arts and Masters Degree. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1878. He became head of the firm of Northrup and Roberts in Belleville. In 1891 he was defeated when he ran as a candidate for Hastings County, East, but at a by-election on February 20, 1892 he was elected to the House of Commons. He was defeated in 1896 and re-elected in 1900, 1904, 1908 and 1911. From March 1918 to December 1924 he was Clerk of the House of Commons. In 1902 he accompanied Prime Minister Borden on his North-West tour of Canada. He was a Conservative. He died October 22, 1925 at Ottawa, Ontario.