Career
He represented Simcoe Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal from 1890 to 1898. He was born in Halton County, Upper Canada in 1839, the son of Peter Paton. The family later moved to New Lowell in Simcoe County, where his father became the first postmaster.
He served as reeve of Sunnidale Township from 1874 to 1888 and was warden for Simcoe County in 1885.