Cartwright, Richard

Person

Cartwright, Richard

1759-1815

Hon. Richard Cartwright (1759-1815) was born at Albany, New York. His early years were spent in study, until the outbreak of the American revolution. Cartwright had no doubt as to where his loyalties lay and he left the rebellious colonies for Canada in the fall of 1777. He was appointed secretary to Colonel Butler of the Queen's Rangers and served in that capacity for two years. In 1780 he settled in Niagara and entered in a business partnership with the Hon. Robert Hamilton. Cartwright and Hamilton became two of the foremost merchants in Upper Canada. The partnership was legally dissolved in 1784. Robert Hamilton stayed at Niagara and Richard Cartwright remained at Kingston. They continued to cooperate closely in business affairs and became firmly established in a wholesale mercantile and shipping trade. In 1788, Richard Cartwright was appointed judge of the court of Common Pleas for the district of Mecklenburgh; and in 1792 he became a member of the Legislative Council of Upper Canada. During the War of 1812, he was commandant of the Midland District.

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