Thomas Hornor
Encyclopedia
Thomas Hornor was a farmer and political figure in Upper Canada
.
He was born in Mansfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey
in 1767 and studied at the College of New Jersey
. In 1794, he led a group of settlers to Watsons Township, later Blenheim Township
, and built a sawmill
there the following year. The settlement that Hornor established was known as Princeton
. Originally, a Quaker, he became a freemason
and was appointed a captain in the local militia. In 1800, he became a justice of the peace in the London District and county registrar. He served in the local militia during the War of 1812
, eventually becoming colonel in 1822.
In 1820, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada
for Oxford
; he was reelected in 1824 and 1828. He supported the repeal of the Sedition Act and the right of Barnabas Bidwell
to sit in the legislative assembly.
He died in Burford Township in 1834 during a cholera
epidemic. He had been elected again to the legislative assembly after the death of Charles Ingersoll
in 1832 and died while still in office.
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 Mansfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey
Mansfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 5,090 people, 2,077 households, and 1,561 families residing in the township. The population density was 234.3 people per square mile . There were 2,122 housing units at an average density of 97.7 per square mile...
in 1767 and studied at the College of New Jersey
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. In 1794, he led a group of settlers to Watsons Township, later Blenheim Township
Blenheim, Ontario
Blenheim is a community located in south-central Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada, with a population of 4,800.- History :By 1783, there were French settlers in Detroit and Windsor. There were also settlers in the Niagara and Kingston region, but no real settlers to speak of in the Kent County region...
, and built 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....
there the following year. The settlement that Hornor established was known as Princeton
Princeton, Ontario
Princeton is a community in Oxford County, Ontario, Canada.In 1978, archaeologists excavated the site in Princeton of an 800-year-old Amerindian village of the Glen Meyer tribe.The Princeton Public Library is a branch of the Oxford Public Library....
. Originally, a Quaker, he became a freemason
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
and was appointed a captain in the local militia. In 1800, he became a justice of the peace in the London District and county registrar. He served 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...
, eventually becoming colonel in 1822.
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 Oxford
Oxford County, Ontario
Oxford County is a regional municipality and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Southern portion of the province. The regional seat is in Woodstock...
; he was reelected in 1824 and 1828. He supported the repeal of the Sedition Act and the right of Barnabas Bidwell
Barnabas Bidwell
Barnabas Bidwell was a dual Canadian and American politician of the late 18th and early 19th Centuries.Bidwell was born to Adonijah Bidwell and Jemima Devotion in Township No. 1 , and graduated from Yale College in 1785. He later attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island...
to sit in the legislative assembly.
He died in Burford Township in 1834 during a cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic. He had been elected again to the legislative assembly after the death of Charles Ingersoll
Charles Ingersoll
Charles Fortescue Ingersoll was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts in 1791, the son of Thomas Ingersoll and younger brother of Laura Ingersoll . The family moved to Upper Canada in 1795. He began work as a clerk for merchants at...
in 1832 and died while still in office.