Robert Cummings was a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 manufacturer and community leader.

He was born in Gloucester Township, Ontario

Gloucester Township, Ontario

Gloucester Township is a historical township in Eastern Ontario, Canada.Originally known as Township B, it was established in 1792. In 1800, it was part of Russell County, but became part of Carleton County in 1838 and was incorporated as a township in 1850. The first settler in the township was...

 to a family of Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 immigrants in 1833. He learned the trade of carriage

Carriage

A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...

 making and became a leading Canadian manufacturer. He opened a general store and operated a flour mill on Cummings Island in the Rideau River

Rideau River

thumb|Rapids on the Rideau River opposite [[Carleton University]].The Rideau River is a Southern Ontario river which flows north from Upper Rideau Lake and empties into the Ottawa River at Rideau Falls in Ottawa, Ontario. Its length is 146 km...

 which became the nucleus of a new community, Janeville, which eventually became part of Vanier

Vanier, Ontario

-External links:**...

. He served ten years as reeve in the township, was also a Justice of the Peace

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...

 and was elected warden for Carleton County

Carleton County, Ontario

Carleton County is the name of a historic county in Ontario, Canada. In 1969 it was superseded by the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton. In 2001 the Regional Municipality and the eleven local municipalities within it were replaced by the current City of Ottawa.-History:Carleton County was...

 in 1876. Cummings was also a captain in the local militia. He married Agnes Borthwick.

The Cummings Bridge

Cummings Bridge

The Cummings Bridge in Ottawa, constructed in 1921, connects Rideau Street to Montreal Road in Vanier.-History:The area east of the Cummings Bridge, later named Vanier was first linked to the Sandy Hill area of Ottawa with a wooden bridge erected in 1835, which went over a small island in the...

across the Rideau River was named after him.