Benjamin Tett
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Tett was an Ontario
businessman and political figure. He represented Leeds South
as a Conservative member of the 1st Parliament of Ontario
.
He was born in Somerset
in England
in 1798, the son of John Tett who manufactured cloth for ships' sails, and came to Perth
, Upper Canada
in 1820, later moving to Newboro. He served on the district council of the Johnstown District representing North Crosby. Around 1830, he set up a sawmill
north of Kingston
at Bedford Mills, anticipating the completion of the Rideau Canal
. In partnership with the Chaffey family and others, he established a booming timber business in the area. He also constructed a gristmill
and opened a general store. In 1833, he married Julianna Poole. Tett ran unsuccessfully in Leeds for a seat in the legislative assembly of Upper Canada
in 1838. He was again unsuccessful when he ran for the South Leeds
seat in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
in 1854 but went on to represent South Leeds in the assembly from 1858 to 1863. In 1863, he was defeated by Albert Norton Richards
for the same seat. Tett also served as a justice of the peace.
His daughter Elizabeth married doctor Robert Henry Preston
, who later represented South Leeds in the provincial assembly.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
businessman and political figure. He represented Leeds South
Leeds South
Leeds South was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1904. It was created by the British North America Act of 1867 which divided the County of Leeds into two ridings: a north riding and a south riding...
as a Conservative member of the 1st Parliament of Ontario
1st Parliament of Ontario
The 1st Parliament of Ontario was in session from September 3, 1867 until February 25, 1871, just prior to the 1871 general election. This was the first session of the Legislature after Confederation succeeding the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada...
.
He was born in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1798, the son of John Tett who manufactured cloth for ships' sails, and came to Perth
Perth, Ontario
Perth is a town in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada . It is located on the Tay River, 83 km southwest of Ottawa, and is the seat of Lanark County.-History:...
, Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
in 1820, later moving to Newboro. He served on the district council of the Johnstown District representing North Crosby. Around 1830, he set up a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
north of Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
at Bedford Mills, anticipating the completion of the Rideau Canal
Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal , also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States and is still in use today, with most of its...
. In partnership with the Chaffey family and others, he established a booming timber business in the area. He also constructed a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
and opened a general store. In 1833, he married Julianna Poole. Tett ran unsuccessfully in Leeds for a seat in the legislative assembly of Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
in 1838. He was again unsuccessful when he ran for the South Leeds
Leeds County, Ontario
Leeds County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario.The county was created in 1792, and merged with Grenville County in 1850 to create Leeds and Grenville County....
seat in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the legislature for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as Canada West and later the...
in 1854 but went on to represent South Leeds in the assembly from 1858 to 1863. In 1863, he was defeated by Albert Norton Richards
Albert Norton Richards
Albert Norton Richards, QC was a Canadian lawyer and political figure. He represented Leeds South in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal member from 1872 to 1874...
for the same seat. Tett also served as a justice of the peace.
His daughter Elizabeth married doctor Robert Henry Preston
Robert Henry Preston
Robert Henry Preston was an Ontario doctor and political figure. He represented Leeds South from 1875 to 1879 and from 1883 to 1886 and Leeds from 1886 to 1894 in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Conservative member....
, who later represented South Leeds in the provincial assembly.