John Brown (Upper Canada politician)
Encyclopedia
John Brown was an Irish
-born merchant and political figure in Upper Canada
. He represented Durham
in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada
from 1830 to 1836 as a Conservative.
A native of County Cavan
in Ireland
, Brown came to Port Hope
from New York
in 1818 to make a new home for his family in Upper Canada
. By 1823, he was so well-established that he had built the first brick building in the village as a home for his family, at the foot of Walton Street. As a businessman involved in many fields, he owned a cut nail factory, a distillery, a general store, and, one mile north, a complex he called 'Brown Stone Mills', comprising flouring mills, a saw mill, a blacksmith shop, a cooper shop, store houses, and a granary. In 1829, he was elected president of the Harbour Company of Port Hope, of which he was the principal owner.
As a supporter of the Tory Party, he was elected to the Upper Canada Legislature in 1830 and 1835 as a Member of Parliament
for Durham County, Ontario
. On 07 April, 1834, Brown became the first elected Head of the Board of Police for Port Hope, of which Marcus Whitehead was chosen president. He was also a justice of the peace
for the Newcastle District. It was said, "With his feuds and shenanigans, he (John Brown) made Port Hope an interesting place in which to live (and) with his enterprise he did much to lift the village from it's primitive state".
Brown and his wife were the parents of four daughters: Ann, married to Francis H. Burton
.; Eliza, married to William Wallis; Rosanne, married to James Madison Andrews; Margaret, married to Henry Howard Meredith.
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...
-born merchant and political figure in 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...
. He represented Durham
Durham County, Ontario
Durham County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was named from the English County and city.Durham County was created in 1792. It was composed of the townships of Cartwright, Manvers, Cavan, Darlington, Clarke and Hope, and portions of what is now Peterborough County,...
in 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...
from 1830 to 1836 as a Conservative.
A native of County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
in Ireland
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...
, Brown came to Port Hope
Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, about east of Toronto and about west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County...
from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1818 to make a new home for his family in 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...
. By 1823, he was so well-established that he had built the first brick building in the village as a home for his family, at the foot of Walton Street. As a businessman involved in many fields, he owned a cut nail factory, a distillery, a general store, and, one mile north, a complex he called 'Brown Stone Mills', comprising flouring mills, a saw mill, a blacksmith shop, a cooper shop, store houses, and a granary. In 1829, he was elected president of the Harbour Company of Port Hope, of which he was the principal owner.
As a supporter of the Tory Party, he was elected to the Upper Canada Legislature in 1830 and 1835 as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Durham County, Ontario
Durham County, Ontario
Durham County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was named from the English County and city.Durham County was created in 1792. It was composed of the townships of Cartwright, Manvers, Cavan, Darlington, Clarke and Hope, and portions of what is now Peterborough County,...
. On 07 April, 1834, Brown became the first elected Head of the Board of Police for Port Hope, of which Marcus Whitehead was chosen president. He 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...
for the Newcastle District. It was said, "With his feuds and shenanigans, he (John Brown) made Port Hope an interesting place in which to live (and) with his enterprise he did much to lift the village from it's primitive state".
Brown and his wife were the parents of four daughters: Ann, married to Francis H. Burton
Francis H. Burton
Francis Henry Burton was an Ontario businessman and political figure. He represented Durham East in the 1st Canadian Parliament as a Conservative member....
.; Eliza, married to William Wallis; Rosanne, married to James Madison Andrews; Margaret, married to Henry Howard Meredith.