Robert Hamilton collection, 1798-1807
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Cameron, Chantal
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Abstract
The collection consists of a letter, a certificate of commission, a note, an envelope, and a deed.
Description
Robert Hamilton was born in Scotland in 1753. Like many of his middle-class Scottish contemporaries, he came to British North America through his associates in the fur trade. In 1780 he formed a partnership with Richard Cartwright at Fort Niagara. They established a successful business provisioning the British Army and Indian Department. Around 1785, Hamilton settled in Queenston, Ontario. Over the next several years, he brought several of his cousins from Scotland to work with him, including Thomas Clark, and Robert, Thomas and William Dickson. Eventually his cousins were established in businesses that were related to Hamilton’s enterprises, an arrangement that was mutually beneficial.
In addition to providing supplies for the army and fur trade, Hamilton had a large retail business in Queenston and was heavily involved in land speculation. He also became in involved in politics, beginning with an appointment as one of the original justices of the peace at Niagara in 1786, to his appointment as a member of the Legislative Council in Upper Canada in 1792. He died in 1809 after a lengthy illness. He was survived by numerous children, some of whom became prominent entrepreneurs and office holders, most notably Alexander, George and John.