John Small (1746-1841)
Encyclopedia
John Small was a political figure in Upper Canada
.
He was born in Cirencester
, England
in 1746. In 1792, he was appointed clerk of the Executive Council of Upper Canada. He was also a justice of the peace and a lieutenant in the militia.
In January 1800, he fought a duel
with John White, the attorney general for the province. White had insulted Small's wife's honour after a quarrel between the two men's wives. He was acquitted of murder, even though the presiding judge, Henry Allcock
, claimed to be a friend of White. However, his reputation in the elite society of York was ruined by the affair.
As a result of land speculation, he was able to achieve some level of prosperity.
He died at York (Toronto
) in 1841.
His son James Edward
served in the legislative assemblies of Upper Canada
and the Province of 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...
.
He was born in Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
, 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 1746. In 1792, he was appointed clerk of the Executive Council of Upper Canada. He was also a justice of the peace and a lieutenant in the militia.
In January 1800, he fought a duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
with John White, the attorney general for the province. White had insulted Small's wife's honour after a quarrel between the two men's wives. He was acquitted of murder, even though the presiding judge, Henry Allcock
Henry Allcock
Henry Allcock was a judge and political figure in Upper and Lower Canada.His family was from Edgbaston and he was born in Birmingham, England in 1759 and studied law at Lincoln's Inn in London. He was called to the bar in 1791. In 1798, he was appointed judge in the Court of King's Bench of Upper...
, claimed to be a friend of White. However, his reputation in the elite society of York was ruined by the affair.
As a result of land speculation, he was able to achieve some level of prosperity.
He died at York (Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
) in 1841.
His son James Edward
James Edward Small
James Edward Small was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Upper Canada and Canada West.He was born in York in 1798, the son of John Small. He attended the Home District School with Robert Baldwin. During the War of 1812, he served on the ship St. Lawrence...
served in the legislative assemblies 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...
and the Province of Canada
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...
.