James Pascoe

James Pascoe (1863– 1931) was a British-born farmer and political figure in Saskatchewan. He represented Moose Jaw City in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 1921 to 1925 as an independent Conservative.

He was born in Cornwall, the son of John Pascoe and Marjorie Wills, and came to Canada around 1870. The family first settled in North Dorchester, Ontario; in 1892, his parents moved to a homestead near Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan where they spent the rest of their lives. Pascoe acquired his own homestead near Regina around 1883. After four years, he moved to Michigan and then back to Ontario; during this time, he was involved in the lumber business. Pascoe married Mary Olton in 1887. In 1891, he travelled west again, settling on his own homestead near Moose Jaw. He served as chairman of the Local Improvement District surrounding Moose Jaw and then, after he moved his residence to Moose Jaw, as a member of Moose Jaw City Council. Pascoe was mayor of Moose Jaw from 1913 to 1915. He was defeated when he ran for reelection to the provincial assembly in 1925 as a Conservative. Pascoe served as mayor of Moose Jaw again from 1929 until his death in 1931. He died at the age of 68 of a heart attack in a Moose Jaw suburb while attempting to shovel away sand that had been blown around his car by the wind.

James Pascoe Group

The James Pascoe Ltd Group of Companies is an Auckland-based, privately owned retail group with holdings across New Zealand and Australia. JPG owns and operates chains Pascoes the Jewellers, Stewart Dawsons and Goldmark (all jewellers); 'fashion department store'Farmers (with Goldmark jewellery kiosks in select stores); kitchen specialist Stevens; and bookstore Whitcoulls in New Zealand. The group's three Australian businesses are jewellers Prouds the Jewellers, Angus & Coote and Goldmark, with over 460 stores across Australia in 2012. Goldmark is the only brand in operation across both countries.

History

Pascoes began as a small jeweller founded by James Pascoe in Auckland in 1906. The business has been under the direction of his granddaughter, Anne Norman and her husband David since the 1980s. Under their control, the original family jeweller has turned into a 'retail empire' encompassing eight iconic New Zealand and Australian retailers. The Group specialises in turning around loss-making retailers, and has never sold a business. Today James Pascoe Group is one of New Zealand's largest businesses and employers.