John Bostwick
Encyclopedia
John Bostwick was a surveyor, businessman and political figure in Upper Canada
.
He was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts
in 1780 and settled in the Long Point
area in 1797. He apprenticed himself to surveyor William Hambly. In 1805, he became sheriff for the London District. He served as captain in the local militia during the War of 1812
. In 1817, his family became the first settlers in the Kettle Creek
area. He officially qualified as a surveyor in 1819. In 1820, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada
for Middlesex
. He built a small warehouse and established himself as a merchant at Kettle Creek harbour, later Port Stanley
. In 1829, he was named justice of the peace in the London District. In 1834, he was named customs collector at Port Stanley and continued to serve in that post until 1844. He died at Port Stanley in 1849.
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...
.
He was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,104 at the 2010 census. Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, Great Barrington includes the villages of Van...
in 1780 and settled in the Long Point
Long Point
This page relates to a sandspit in Norfolk County, Ontario. For other places called Long Point, see Long Point Long Point is a sand spit on the north shore of Lake Erie, part of Norfolk County in the province of Ontario, Canada. It is about 40 kilometres long and is about a kilometre across at its...
area in 1797. He apprenticed himself to surveyor William Hambly. In 1805, he became sheriff for the London District. He served as captain in the local militia during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. In 1817, his family became the first settlers in the Kettle Creek
Kettle Creek (Ontario)
Kettle Creek is a creek in Elgin County in southwestern Ontario, Canada that empties into Lake Erie at Port Stanley. It drains an area of 520 km²....
area. He officially qualified as a surveyor in 1819. In 1820, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada
Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada
The Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791. It was the elected legislature for the province of Upper Canada and functioned as the province's lower house in the Parliament of Upper Canada...
for Middlesex
Middlesex County, Ontario
Middlesex County is a primarily rural county in Southwestern Ontario. Landlocked, the county is bordered by Huron and Perth counties on the north, Oxford County on the east, Elgin County on the south, and Chatham-Kent and Lambton County on the west.The seat is the city of London, although the city...
. He built a small warehouse and established himself as a merchant at Kettle Creek harbour, later Port Stanley
Port Stanley, Ontario
Port Stanley is a community in the Municipality of Central Elgin, Ontario, Elgin County, located on the north shore of Lake Erie at the mouth of Kettle Creek.-History:...
. In 1829, he was named justice of the peace in the London District. In 1834, he was named customs collector at Port Stanley and continued to serve in that post until 1844. He died at Port Stanley in 1849.