John Small (Canadian politician, born 1746)
| John Small | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
August 27, 1746 Cirencester, England |
| Died |
July 18, 1831 (aged 84) Toronto, Upper Canada |
| Children | James Edward Small |
John Small (August 27, 1746 – July 18, 1831) was a political figure in Upper Canada.[1]
He was born in Cirencester, England in 1746. In 1792, he was appointed clerk of the Executive Council of Upper Canada.[1] He was also a justice of the peace and a lieutenant in the militia. He came to Canada with John Graves Simcoe and built one of the first residential homes in York (now Toronto). His son, Charles Small, expanded the home which was later called Berkeley House. It became a prominent Toronto home until it was torn down and turned into a brewery.[2]
In January 1800, he fought a duel with John White, the attorney general for the province.[1] White had insulted Small's wife's honour after a quarrel between the two men's wives. Major John Small shot White in the hip, a wound he died from a few days later. He was charged with and acquitted of murder, even though the presiding judge, Henry Allcock, claimed to be a friend of White. Small's reputation in the elite society of York was ruined by the affair.
As a result of land speculation, he was able to achieve some level of prosperity.
He died at Toronto in 1831.[1]
His elder son, James Edward, served in the legislative assemblies of Upper Canada and the Province of Canada. His younger son Charles Coxwell Small, followed in his footsteps, and Chief Clerk.[1][3] His grandson, also John Small, served in Parliaments of the Province of Canada and the Dominion of Canada.[3]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Dictionary of Canadian Biography: Small, John". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
He launched one son, James Edward*, on a successful career as a lawyer and reform politician; the youngest, Charles Coxwell, succeeded him in the clerkship of the crown and pleas as well as in his militia commission. His house at York, handsomely rebuilt by Charles Coxwell, stood until 1925.
- ↑ Peppiatt, Liam. "Chapter 36: Berkeley House". Robertson's Landmarks of Toronto Revisited.
- 1 2 George Maclean Rose - (1886). A Cyclopedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time. A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life ; Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers, Volume 1. p. 439.
- "John Small". Dictionary of Canadian Biography (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. 1979–2016.