Robert Hamilton (judge)
Encyclopedia
Robert Hamilton was a businessman, judge and political figure in Upper Canada
.
He was born in Bolton, East Lothian
, Scotland
in 1753, the son of John Hamilton and Jane Wright. He came to Canada as part of a contract with a fur trading
company operating west of the Great Lakes
. In 1780, he formed a partnership with Richard Cartwright to supply goods to the British
army at Fort Niagara
which later expanded to include the transportation of goods across the province. Around 1784, he settled at Queenston
. In 1791, with others, he won the contract for transporting military goods through the portage at Niagara. In 1788, he was named to the land board of the Nassau District and a judge of the Court of Common Pleas. He opened a general store at Queenston and also acquired extensive land holding on the Niagara peninsula
with his profits.
In 1792, he became a member of the Legislative Council
for the province.
He was married twice: first to Catherine Robertson, née Askin, with whom he had five sons, and secondly to Mary Herkimer, with whom he had three sons and a daughter. He died at Queenston in 1809.
His sons, Alexander (First Sheriff of Niagara, Postmaster of Upper Canada, Deputy Collector of Customs), Robert
, George
and John
, went on to become important political figures in the province.
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 Bolton, East Lothian
Bolton, East Lothian
Bolton is a hamlet and the third smallest parish in East Lothian, Scotland. It lies approximately south of Haddington and east of Edinburgh, and is an entirely agricultural parish, long by about wide...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1753, the son of John Hamilton and Jane Wright. He came to Canada as part of a contract with a fur trading
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
company operating west of the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. In 1780, he formed a partnership with Richard Cartwright to supply goods to the British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
army at Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built to protect the interests of New France in North America. It is located near Youngstown, New York, on the eastern bank of the Niagara River at its mouth, on Lake Ontario.-Origin:...
which later expanded to include the transportation of goods across the province. Around 1784, he settled at Queenston
Queenston, Ontario
Queenston is located 5 km north of Niagara Falls, Ontario in the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. The community is bordered by Highway 405 and the Niagara River; its location on the Niagara Escarpment led to the establishment of the now-defunct Queenston Quarry in the area...
. In 1791, with others, he won the contract for transporting military goods through the portage at Niagara. In 1788, he was named to the land board of the Nassau District and a judge of the Court of Common Pleas. He opened a general store at Queenston and also acquired extensive land holding on the Niagara peninsula
Niagara Peninsula
The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Southern Ontario, Canada lying between the south shore of Lake Ontario and the north shore of Lake Erie. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. The population of the peninsula is roughly 1,000,000 people...
with his profits.
In 1792, he became a member of the Legislative Council
Legislative Council of Upper Canada
The Legislative Council of Upper Canada was the upper house governing the province of Upper Canada. Modelled after the British House of Lords, it was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791. It was specified that the council should consist of at least seven members. Members were appointed for...
for the province.
He was married twice: first to Catherine Robertson, née Askin, with whom he had five sons, and secondly to Mary Herkimer, with whom he had three sons and a daughter. He died at Queenston in 1809.
His sons, Alexander (First Sheriff of Niagara, Postmaster of Upper Canada, Deputy Collector of Customs), Robert
Robert Hamilton (merchant)
Robert Hamilton was a merchant and political figure in Upper Canada.He was born at Fort Niagara in 1787, the son of Robert Hamilton and brother of George Hamilton....
, George
George Hamilton (politician)
George Hamilton was a Canadian merchant and politician, who founded the city of Hamilton, Ontario.Hamiliton was born on October 1788 in Queenston Heights...
and John
John Hamilton (Ontario politician)
John Hamilton was a businessman, a political figure in Upper Canada and member of the Canadian Senate.He was born in Queenston in 1802, the son of Robert Hamilton. He was educated in Queenston and Edinburgh, Scotland and first worked as a clerk in Montreal...
, went on to become important political figures in the province.