Thomas Ridout was a 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 was born in Sherborne

Sherborne

Sherborne is a market town in northwest Dorset, England. It is sited on the River Yeo, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, east of Yeovil. The A30 road, which connects London to Penzance, runs through the town. The population of the town is 9,350 . 27.1% of the population is aged 65 or...

, 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 1754 and came to Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 in 1774. In 1787, he was travelling to Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

 when his group was captured by a party of Shawnee

Shawnee

The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...

s; he was held captive and later released in Detroit, then held by the British

Kingdom of Great Britain

The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...

. He married the daughter of a loyalist and settled with his family at Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Niagara-on-the-Lake is a Canadian town located in Southern Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region of the southern part of the province of Ontario. It is located across the Niagara river from Youngstown, New York, USA...

).

Ridout started work in 1793 as clerk for the surveyor general; in 1810, he was appointed to the post of surveyor general for Upper Canada.It was in that position that he came to know Elijah Bentley

Elijah Bentley

Elijah Bentley was a Baptist minister and office holder from Upper Canada who pursued a variety of vocations including farming. He became important to Canadian history because of his trial for sedition during the War of 1812....

. He had also been named registrar for York County

York County, Ontario

York County is a historic county in Upper Canada, Canada West, and the Canadian province of Ontario.York County was created in 1792 and was part of the jurisdiction of Home District of Upper Canada...

 in 1796 and justice of the peace in the Home District in 1806 and Chairman of the Home District Council

Home District Council

The Home District Council was the municipal governing body for York, Upper Canada from 1792 to 1834. It was established by Lieutenant Governor of Ontario John Graves Simcoe....

 from 1811 to 1829. In 1812, 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...

 representing East York and Simcoe

Simcoe County, Ontario

Simcoe County is located in central portion of Southern Ontario. The County is situated just north of the Greater Toronto Area stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west...

. He served on the board set up to deal with claims for compensation for losses sustained 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...

. In 1825, he was named to the Legislative Council

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...

. In 1827, he was appointed to the first board of King's College

University of Toronto

The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...

.

He died in York (Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

) in 1829.

His sons, Samuel Smith, George and Thomas Gibbs Ridout, were also prominent members of Upper Canada society.

Works

Building	Year Completed	Builder	Style	Source	Location	Image
Ryerson University Ryerson University Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden... , then Toronto Normal School Toronto Normal School The Toronto Normal School was a teachers college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1847, the Normal School was located at Church and Gould streets in central Toronto, and was a predecessor to the current Ontario Institute for Studies in Education...	1852	Frederick Cumberland Frederick William Cumberland Frederick William Cumberland was a Canadian engineer, architect and political figure. He represented the riding of Algoma in the 1st and 2nd Ontario Parliaments and in the Canadian House of Commons from 1871 to 1872....  and Thomas Ridout Thomas Ridout Thomas Ridout was a political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in Sherborne, England in 1754 and came to Maryland in 1774. In 1787, he was travelling to Kentucky when his group was captured by a party of Shawnees; he was held captive and later released in Detroit, then held by the British...  (Design)	Gothic Revival architecture Gothic Revival architecture The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...  Romanesque	3	St James Square, bounded by Gerrard, Church, Younge and Gould.
Consumers' Gas Building	1852	Frederick Cumberland Frederick William Cumberland Frederick William Cumberland was a Canadian engineer, architect and political figure. He represented the riding of Algoma in the 1st and 2nd Ontario Parliaments and in the Canadian House of Commons from 1871 to 1872....  and Thomas Ridout Thomas Ridout Thomas Ridout was a political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in Sherborne, England in 1754 and came to Maryland in 1774. In 1787, he was travelling to Kentucky when his group was captured by a party of Shawnees; he was held captive and later released in Detroit, then held by the British...  (Design)	Neo-Renaissance Neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival is an all-encompassing designation that covers many 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Grecian nor Gothic but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes...  Revival	3	Toronto Street
Adelaide Street Court House Adelaide Street Court House The Adelaide Street Court House, or York County Court House, was built in 1851-1862 by Thomas Ridout.Located at 57 Adelaide Street East in the St. Lawrence, Toronto, neighbourhood, the building was later home to the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto. In recent years, it housed the Courthouse Market...	1852	Frederick Cumberland Frederick William Cumberland Frederick William Cumberland was a Canadian engineer, architect and political figure. He represented the riding of Algoma in the 1st and 2nd Ontario Parliaments and in the Canadian House of Commons from 1871 to 1872....  and Thomas Ridout Thomas Ridout Thomas Ridout was a political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in Sherborne, England in 1754 and came to Maryland in 1774. In 1787, he was travelling to Kentucky when his group was captured by a party of Shawnees; he was held captive and later released in Detroit, then held by the British...  (Design)	Greek Revival architecture Greek Revival architecture The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...	3	57 Adelaide Street East
Toronto Street Post Office Toronto Street Post Office The Toronto Street Post Office was also called Seventh Toronto Post Office and was built by Frederick William Cumberland and Thomas Ridout from 1851 to 1853. It is designed in the Greek Revival style....	1853	Frederick Cumberland Frederick William Cumberland Frederick William Cumberland was a Canadian engineer, architect and political figure. He represented the riding of Algoma in the 1st and 2nd Ontario Parliaments and in the Canadian House of Commons from 1871 to 1872....  and Thomas Ridout Thomas Ridout Thomas Ridout was a political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in Sherborne, England in 1754 and came to Maryland in 1774. In 1787, he was travelling to Kentucky when his group was captured by a party of Shawnees; he was held captive and later released in Detroit, then held by the British...  (Design)	Greek Revival architecture Greek Revival architecture The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...	2, 3	10 Toronto Street
St. James Cathedral Cathedral Church of St. James (Toronto) Cathedral Church of St. James in Toronto, Canada is the home of the oldest congregation in the city. The parish was established in 1797. The Cathedral was begun in 1850 and completed in 1853, was at the time one of the largest buildings in the city...	1874	Frederick Cumberland Frederick William Cumberland Frederick William Cumberland was a Canadian engineer, architect and political figure. He represented the riding of Algoma in the 1st and 2nd Ontario Parliaments and in the Canadian House of Commons from 1871 to 1872....  and Thomas Ridout Thomas Ridout Thomas Ridout was a political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in Sherborne, England in 1754 and came to Maryland in 1774. In 1787, he was travelling to Kentucky when his group was captured by a party of Shawnees; he was held captive and later released in Detroit, then held by the British...  (Design)	Gothic Revival architecture Gothic Revival architecture The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...	2	65 Church Street