Paul Holland Knowlton
Encyclopedia
Paul Holland Knowlton was a businessman and political figure in Lower Canada
and Canada East
.
He was born in Newfane, Vermont
in 1787 and came to Lower Canada
in 1798 with his family. After his mother died two years later, he went back to Newfane to live with his grandparents and complete his schooling. In 1807, he moved back to Stukely Township in Lower Canada. Knowlton settled on Brome Lake in Brome Township where he established a farm, general store and distillery
. In 1830, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
for Shefford County
. Knowlton voted against the Ninety-Two Resolutions
. He helped set up the Shefford County Agricultural Society and served as president. In 1834, he set up a sawmill
in a new location and added a store and gristmill
; this was to become the site of a new settlement called Coldbrook, later known as Knowlton.
Knowlton helped organize the local resistance against the Lower Canada Rebellion
and was named lieutenant-colonel in the local militia. He was named to the Special Council
that then administered the province by colonial administrator Sir John Colborne
. In 1841, he was named to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
. He signed the 1849 Montreal Annexation Manifesto
proposing union with the United States
, viewing this as the best way to ensure the future economic development of the region. He served as first warden for Brome County
and was first president of the county agricultural society. He helped establish the Advertiser and Eastern Townships Sentinel with Lucius Seth Huntington
in 1856.
He died in Knowlton in 1863.
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...
and Canada East
Canada East
Canada East was the eastern portion of the United Province of Canada. It consisted of the southern portion of the modern-day Canadian Province of Quebec, and was primarily a French-speaking region....
.
He was born in Newfane, Vermont
Newfane, Vermont
Newfane is the shire town of Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,680 at the 2000 census. The town includes the villages of Newfane and Williamsville.-History:...
in 1787 and came to 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...
in 1798 with his family. After his mother died two years later, he went back to Newfane to live with his grandparents and complete his schooling. In 1807, he moved back to Stukely Township in Lower Canada. Knowlton settled on Brome Lake in Brome Township where he established a farm, general store and distillery
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
. In 1830, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
The Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada was the lower house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The legislative assembly was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791...
for Shefford County
Shefford County, Quebec
Shefford County is an historical county in southern Québec, Canada. It is named after Shefford, a small town in Bedfordshire county, England of the same name and is in the Eastern Townships region of Québec....
. Knowlton voted against the Ninety-Two Resolutions
Ninety-Two Resolutions
The Ninety-Two Resolutions were drafted by Louis-Joseph Papineau and other members of the Parti patriote of Lower Canada in 1834. The resolutions were a long series of demands for political reforms in the British-governed colony....
. He helped set up the Shefford County Agricultural Society and served as president. In 1834, he set up 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....
in a new location and added a store and gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
; this was to become the site of a new settlement called Coldbrook, later known as Knowlton.
Knowlton helped organize the local resistance against the Lower Canada Rebellion
Lower Canada Rebellion
The Lower Canada Rebellion , commonly referred to as the Patriots' War by Quebeckers, is the name given to the armed conflict between the rebels of Lower Canada and the British colonial power of that province...
and was named lieutenant-colonel in the local militia. He was named to the Special Council
Special Council of Lower Canada
The Special Council of Lower Canada was an appointed body which administered Lower Canada until the Union Act of 1840 created the Province of Canada. Following the Lower Canada Rebellion, on March 27, 1838, the Constitutional Act of 1791 was suspended and both the Legislative Assembly and...
that then administered the province by colonial administrator Sir John Colborne
John Colborne, 1st Baron Seaton
Field Marshal John Colborne, 1st Baron Seaton, GCB, GCMG, GCH, PC was a British field marshal and colonial governor.-Early service:...
. In 1841, he was named to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Council of the Province of Canada was the upper house for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as Canada West and later the province of Ontario...
. He signed the 1849 Montreal Annexation Manifesto
Montreal Annexation Manifesto
The Montreal Annexation Manifesto was a political document dated September 14, 1849 and signed in Montreal, Quebec, calling for Canada's annexation by the United States....
proposing union with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, viewing this as the best way to ensure the future economic development of the region. He served as first warden for Brome County
Brome County, Quebec
Brome County, is a historical county of Quebec. It takes its name from the name of a manor in the parish of Barham in Kent, England that was named after the broom plant. It was named by English surveyors. The county was formed in 1855 from parts of Stanstead, Shefford and Missisquoi counties. ...
and was first president of the county agricultural society. He helped establish the Advertiser and Eastern Townships Sentinel with Lucius Seth Huntington
Lucius Seth Huntington
Lucius Seth Huntington, PC was a Quebec lawyer, journalist and political figure. He was a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons representing Shefford from 1867 to 1882. He also served as President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Postmaster General.He was born in Compton,...
in 1856.
He died in Knowlton in 1863.