William Bowman Felton
Encyclopedia
William Bowman Felton was a British naval officer and political figure in Lower Canada
.
He was born in Gloucester
, England
in 1782, the son of John Felton, who was an officer in the Royal Navy. He served with the British fleet in the Mediterranean and at Gibraltar
during the Napoleonic Wars
. In 1811, he married Anna Maria Valls at Minorca
and in 1814 he was appointed British Consul at Livorno
. He was granted land in the Eastern Townships
and brought his family to his property in Ascot Township near Sherbrooke in 1815. Felton raised livestock and also leased some of his land. He served in the local militia, becoming lieutenant-colonel, and also served as justice of the peace. In 1822, he was named to the Legislative Council of Lower Canada
. He attempted to establish a colonization company to encourage development of the region, without success. In 1827, he was named commissioner of crown lands. He was suspended from this position in 1836, after having been accused of improperly selling crown property as if it were his own. There were also some irregularities in land grants issued to his children which had not been resolved at the time of Felton's death on his estate near Sherbrooke in 1837.
, Q.C. (who died in November, 1877), became a lawyer and politician who represented his native county in Parliament previous to Confederation.
William Bowman Felton`s daughter Maria Antonia married, 1839, Percy Arthur Fairlie-Cuningham, who, in 1859, succeeded his father, Sir Charles Fairlie-Cuninghame, as Baronet of Robertland, Ayrshire (created 1630). He died 1881 and she died in London, England, January 1897, aged 76. She was the mother of the next Baronet.
His daughter Eliza Margaret married Mr Justice Thomas Cushing Aylwin
, who served in the legislative assembly and was later named a judge. His daughter Charlotte, died unmarried. His daughter Frances Lucia married Josiah Hunt, Esquire, of Quebec. His daughter Matilda Catalina married General Richard Burnaby-Dyott, Colonel-Commandant, Royal Engineers. His daughter Octavia Sophia married Andrew Wingate McLimont, Esquire, of New York. His daughter Isabella Monica married Livingstone E. Morris, of Waterford, Ireland.
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
.
He was born in Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, 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 1782, the son of John Felton, who was an officer in the Royal Navy. He served with the British fleet in the Mediterranean and at Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. In 1811, he married Anna Maria Valls at Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
and in 1814 he was appointed British Consul at Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
. He was granted land in the Eastern Townships
Eastern Townships
The Eastern Townships is a tourist region and a former administrative region in south-eastern Quebec, lying between the former seigneuries south of the Saint Lawrence River and the United States border. Its northern boundary roughly followed Logan's Line, the geologic boundary between the flat,...
and brought his family to his property in Ascot Township near Sherbrooke in 1815. Felton raised livestock and also leased some of his land. He served in the local militia, becoming lieutenant-colonel, and also served as justice of the peace. In 1822, he was named to the Legislative Council of Lower Canada
Legislative Council of Lower Canada
The Legislative Council of Lower Canada was the upper house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The upper house consisted of appointed councillors who voted on bills passed up by the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada. The legislative council was...
. He attempted to establish a colonization company to encourage development of the region, without success. In 1827, he was named commissioner of crown lands. He was suspended from this position in 1836, after having been accused of improperly selling crown property as if it were his own. There were also some irregularities in land grants issued to his children which had not been resolved at the time of Felton's death on his estate near Sherbrooke in 1837.
Family
William Bowman Felton`s son William Locker PickmoreWilliam Locker Pickmore Felton
William Locker Pickmore Felton was a lawyer and political figure in Canada East.He was born at Mahon, Minorca in 1812, the son of William Bowman Felton, and came to Lower Canada with his family in 1815. They settled near Sherbrooke...
, Q.C. (who died in November, 1877), became a lawyer and politician who represented his native county in Parliament previous to Confederation.
William Bowman Felton`s daughter Maria Antonia married, 1839, Percy Arthur Fairlie-Cuningham, who, in 1859, succeeded his father, Sir Charles Fairlie-Cuninghame, as Baronet of Robertland, Ayrshire (created 1630). He died 1881 and she died in London, England, January 1897, aged 76. She was the mother of the next Baronet.
His daughter Eliza Margaret married Mr Justice Thomas Cushing Aylwin
Thomas Cushing Aylwin
Thomas Cushing Aylwin was a Quebec lawyer, judge and political figure.He was born in Quebec City in 1806, the grandson of Thomas Aylwin. Aylwin studied at Harvard University, then articled in law and was called to the bar in 1827. He entered the practice of law in partnership with Edward Short...
, who served in the legislative assembly and was later named a judge. His daughter Charlotte, died unmarried. His daughter Frances Lucia married Josiah Hunt, Esquire, of Quebec. His daughter Matilda Catalina married General Richard Burnaby-Dyott, Colonel-Commandant, Royal Engineers. His daughter Octavia Sophia married Andrew Wingate McLimont, Esquire, of New York. His daughter Isabella Monica married Livingstone E. Morris, of Waterford, Ireland.