John Kirby (Canadian politician)
Encyclopedia
John Kirby was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada
.
He was born in Knaresborough
, England
in 1772 and arrived in the Fort Ticonderoga
area of New York
with his parents in 1774. His father moved to St. Johns (now Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu) in Lower Canada
after the American Revolution
. He later moved to Kingston
, where he became a merchant, importing and exporting goods. In 1818, he was appointed magistrate in the Midland District. He owned shares in steamships on Lake Ontario
and helped found and was later president of the Cataraqui Bridge Company. He also served as director for the Bank of Upper Canada
and the Commercial Bank of the Midland District. He was also an active supporter of the Church of England
. He supported the development of schools and hospitals and helped support needy immigrants settling in the region. He served on the Legislative Council of Upper Canada
from 1831 to 1841 and was a lieutenant-colonel in the local militia.
He died in Kingston in 1846.
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 Knaresborough
Knaresborough
Knaresborough is an old and historic market town, spa town and civil parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located on the River Nidd, four miles east of the centre of Harrogate.-History:...
, 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 1772 and arrived in the Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century fort built by the Canadians and the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in upstate New York in the United States...
area of 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...
with his parents in 1774. His father moved to St. Johns (now Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu) in Lower Canada
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...
after the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. He later moved to Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, where he became a merchant, importing and exporting goods. In 1818, he was appointed magistrate in the Midland District. He owned shares in steamships on Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
and helped found and was later president of the Cataraqui Bridge Company. He also served as director for the Bank of Upper Canada
Bank of Upper Canada
The Bank of Upper Canada was a Canadian bank established in 1821 under a Charter granted by the colony of Upper Canada in 1819. The incorporators were William Allan, Robert C. Horne, John Scarlett, Francis Jackson, William W. Baldwin, Alexander Legge, Thomas Ridout, his son Samuel Ridout, D’Arcy...
and the Commercial Bank of the Midland District. He was also an active supporter of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. He supported the development of schools and hospitals and helped support needy immigrants settling in the region. He served on the Legislative Council of Upper Canada
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...
from 1831 to 1841 and was a lieutenant-colonel in the local militia.
He died in Kingston in 1846.