William Chisholm (Upper Canada politician)
Encyclopedia
William Chisholm was a farmer, businessman and political figure in Upper Canada
.
He was born in Jordan Bay
, Nova Scotia
in 1788, the son of a Scottish
immigrant and United Empire Loyalist who originally settled in Tryon County, New York
. The family moved to Upper Canada and settled near the current site of the city of Hamilton
. William served in the York militia during the War of 1812
and became colonel in 1831. He settled in Nelson Township in 1816.
In 1820, Chisholm was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada
for Halton
. He was originally a Reformer
and opposed the expulsion of Barnabas Bidwell
from the assembly. He had supported Robert Gourlay
and he acted as an agent for William Lyon Mackenzie
's newspaper, the Colonial Advocate. He had opened a general store and later also ran an inn; he also was a lumber merchant. In 1825, he was named postmaster for Nelson Township. By 1826, he had a change of heart politically and he later helped put down the revolt at Montgomery's Tavern
.
In 1827, Chisholm purchased a large land reserve formerly held for the Mississaugas
; he began planning the town of Oakville
and set up a shipyard and harbour there. He was appointed justice of the peace in the Gore District in 1829. He was reelected in Halton in 1830 and 1836. In the town of Oakville, Chisholm owned the first tavern, sawmill
and grist mill and served as postmaster and customs collector there. He died at Oakville in 1842.
His sons continued to be prominent in the town of Oakville:
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 Jordan Bay
Jordan Bay, Nova Scotia
Jordan Bay, Nova Scotia is a community of the Municipality of the District of Shelburne in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-References:...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
in 1788, the son of a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
immigrant and United Empire Loyalist who originally settled in Tryon County, New York
Tryon County, New York
Tryon County, New York was a county in the colonial Province of New York in the British American colonies. It was created from Albany County on March 24, 1772. It was named for William Tryon, the last provincial governor of New York. Its boundaries extended far further than any current county...
. The family moved to Upper Canada and settled near the current site of the city of Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. William served in the York militia 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...
and became colonel in 1831. He settled in Nelson Township in 1816.
In 1820, Chisholm 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...
for Halton
Halton County, Ontario
Halton County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is also one of the oldest counties in Canada.-History:Halton County is named after Major William Mathew Halton who was appointed in 1805 as Secretary to the Upper Canada provincial Lieutenant-Governor Sir Francis...
. He was originally a Reformer
Reform Party (pre-Confederation)
The Reform movement, sometimes referred to as the Reform Party, began in the 1830s as the movement in the English speaking parts of British North America . It agitated for responsible government....
and opposed the expulsion of Barnabas Bidwell
Barnabas Bidwell
Barnabas Bidwell was a dual Canadian and American politician of the late 18th and early 19th Centuries.Bidwell was born to Adonijah Bidwell and Jemima Devotion in Township No. 1 , and graduated from Yale College in 1785. He later attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island...
from the assembly. He had supported Robert Gourlay
Robert Fleming Gourlay
Robert Gourlay was a Scottish-Canadian writer, political reform activist, and agriculturalist.-Biography:...
and he acted as an agent for William Lyon Mackenzie
William Lyon Mackenzie
William Lyon Mackenzie was a Scottish born American and Canadian journalist, politician, and rebellion leader. He served as the first mayor of Toronto, Upper Canada and was an important leader during the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion.-Background and early years in Scotland, 1795–1820:Mackenzie was...
's newspaper, the Colonial Advocate. He had opened a general store and later also ran an inn; he also was a lumber merchant. In 1825, he was named postmaster for Nelson Township. By 1826, he had a change of heart politically and he later helped put down the revolt at Montgomery's Tavern
Confrontation at Montgomery's Tavern
The Battle of Montgomery's Tavern was an incident in the Upper Canada Rebellion. The abortive revolutionary insurrection inspired by William Lyon Mackenzie was crushed by British authorities and Canadian volunteer units near a tavern on Yonge Street, Toronto.The site of Montgomery's Tavern was...
.
In 1827, Chisholm purchased a large land reserve formerly held for the Mississaugas
Mississaugas
The Mississaugas are a subtribe of the Anishinaabe-speaking First Nations people located in southern Ontario, Canada. They are closely related to the Ojibwa...
; he began planning the town of Oakville
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
and set up a shipyard and harbour there. He was appointed justice of the peace in the Gore District in 1829. He was reelected in Halton in 1830 and 1836. In the town of Oakville, Chisholm owned the first tavern, 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....
and grist mill and served as postmaster and customs collector there. He died at Oakville in 1842.
His sons continued to be prominent in the town of Oakville:
- George KingGeorge King ChisholmGeorge King Chisholm was an Ontario farmer and political figure.He was born in Nelson Township in Upper Canada in 1814, the son of William Chisholm. He studied at Upper Canada College and moved to Hamilton, later settling in Oakville. He served in the Gore militia during the Upper Canada Rebellion...
became the town's first mayor in 1857. - Robert KerrRobert Kerr ChisholmRobert Kerr Chisholm was a political figure in Oakville, Ontario, serving as mayor in 1866.He was born in Nelson Township in Upper Canada in 1819, the son of William Chisholm, and was educated in Hamilton. Chisholm served as reeve of Trafalgar Township in 1854 and 1856 and served on the Oakville...
later served as postmaster and customs collector at Oakville and also served a term as mayor in 1866.