Henry Cargill (August 13, 1838 – October 1, 1903) was an

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

farmer, merchant and political figure. He represented

Bruce East Bruce East was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1882 to 1904. This riding was created in 1882 from parts of Bruce North and Bruce South ridings. The East Riding of the co ...

in the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

from 1887 to 1891 and from 1892 to 1903 as a Conservative member. He was born in

Nassagaweya Township Nassagaweya Township is a geographic township and former municipality in Halton Region, Ontario, Canada, now part of Milton. The township was created in 1819, its name derived from the Mississauga word ''nazhesahgewayyong'', meaning 'river with t ...

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the ...

, the son of David Carill, an Irish immigrant. Cargill studied at Queen's College and entered his father's lumber business in

Halton County Halton County is a former county in the Canadian province of Ontario, with an area of . It is also one of the oldest counties in Canada. History Halton County is named after Major William Mathew Halton (1746-1823), a British Army officer, who w ...

, moving to Bruce County in 1879 after purchasing a large parcel of land known as the Greenock Swamp which contained large stands of white pine. In 1864, he had married Margaret Davidson. Cargill established mills to process the timber, also establishing a woollen mill and a general store. He also raised cattle, horses and sheep. The village of

Cargill Cargill, Incorporated, is a privately held American global food corporation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and incorporated in Wilmington, Delaware. Founded in 1865, it is the largest privately held corporation in the United States in ter ...

developed as the result of his efforts in the area. He served as reeve for Greenock Township from 1884 to 1886 and also served as village postmaster. He was defeated in 1891 but appealed and won the subsequent by-election in 1892. Cargill died in the House of Commons in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

in 1903. His daughter Margaret married

William Humphrey Bennett William Humphrey Bennett, KC (December 23, 1859 – March 15, 1925) was a Canadian politician. Biography Born in Barrie, Canada West, the son of Humphrey Bennett and Anne A. Fraser, Bennett was educated at the Barrie Public and High Schoo ...

, who later served in the federal parliament. His son Wellington David carried on his father's business and went on to serve in the provincial assembly.

External links

*
''The History of the County of Bruce and of the minor municipalities therein ...'', N Robertson (1906)Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cargill, Henry 1838 births 1903 deaths Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario