John Tucker Williams (1789 – September 9, 1854) was a British naval officer and political figure in Canada West.

Early life and military career

Williams was born at Penryn, Cornwall in 1789, a member of the Williams family of Caerhays and Burncoose. His middle name was for the Tucker family of Trematon Castle in Cornwall. He joined the Royal Navy and served at the Battle of Trafalgar.Chief Magistrates and Mayors of Port Hope: (1850) John Tucker Williams.
/ref> He came to Upper Canada in 1813, under the command of Sir James Lucas Yeo, the commander of the British ships on the Great Lakes. During the War of 1812, he served under Yeo. Following the war, in 1816 he was appointed commander of HM Sloop ''Sunrise'' on Lake Ontario. In 1817, when the naval fleets were dispersed, he returned to England, but came back to Upper Canada in 1818, bearing dispatches for a land grant.''The Canadian Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gallery of Eminent and Self-made Men'' (Toronto: American Biographical Publishing Company, 1880), p. 621
/ref> Williams first settled in

Cobourg Cobourg ( ) is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto and east of Oshawa. It is the largest town in and seat of Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is ...

and later moved to Port Hope (at that time in Durham County), where he built his homestead, Penryn Place. While it was being built, he stayed at a local hotel, the Mansion House, and had £5,000 stolen from him. In spite of Williams and others offering a reward of $500, it was never recovered. During the Rebellions of 1837, Williams raised a company of militia from Durham county in support of the government.

Political career

Williams represented Durham in the

Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the legislature for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper C ...

for two terms, elected in the general elections of

1841 Events January–March * January 20 – Charles Elliot of the United Kingdom, and Qishan of the Qing dynasty, agree to the Convention of Chuenpi. * January 26 – Britain occupies Hong Kong. Later in the year, the first census of the i ...

and

1844 In the Philippines, it was the only leap year with 365 days, as December 31 was skipped when 1845 began after December 30. Events January–March * January 15 – The University of Notre Dame, based in the city of the same name, receives ...

. He was a supporter of the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada into the new Province of Canada. Originally a moderate

Reformer A reformer is someone who works for reform. Reformer may also refer to: *Catalytic reformer, in an oil refinery *Methane reformer, producing hydrogen * Steam reformer *Hydrogen reformer, extracting hydrogen *Methanol reformer, producing hydrogen ...

, he consistently supported the Governor General,

Lord Sydenham Charles Poulett Thomson, 1st Baron Sydenham, (13 September 1799 – 19 September 1841) was a British businessman, politician, diplomat and the first Governor General of the united Province of Canada.

, in the first session of the first provincial Parliament. In subsequent sessions of the first Parliament, he gradually shifted from Reform to independent. By the time of the second Parliament, he generally voted with the Tories.Cornell, ''Alignment of Political Groups'', pp. 98, 99. He did not stand for re-election in the 1848 general election. Williams was part of a delegation sent to Britain during the debate on the Corn Laws, to represent Canadian agricultural interests. While in Parliament, he introduced a bill for the first copyright act in Canada. After the bill passed, two of the first grants of copyright were for a teacher in Port Hope who had written a music book and a speller. In 1850, Williams was elected the first mayor of Port Hope, a new office replacing the position of chief magistrate. He served a one-year term and then was re-elected in 1853.

Family and death

In 1830, Williams married Sarah Ward, daughter of Thomas Ward (1770–1861) of Port Hope. Ward was an English naval captain who came to Upper Canada with Governor John Graves Simcoe in 1791. He later served as judge of the county court. Sarah's nephew was Henry Alfred Ward, who served in the Canadian House of Commons. John and Sarah had seven children. One of their sons was

Arthur Trefusis Heneage Williams Lt.-Colonel The Hon. Arthur Trefusis Heneage Williams (June 13, 1837 – July 4, 1885) was a Canadian businessman, farmer and political figure. His statue stands in front of the town hall of Port Hope, Ontario. Biography Born at Penryn Pa ...

, who later represented

Durham East Durham East was a federal electoral district (Canada), electoral district represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1904. It was located in the provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. It was created by the Briti ...

in the provincial legislature and federal Parliament. A commander of militia, Arthur Trefusis died in the

North-West Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

of a fever after the Battle of Batoche. His son, and John and Sarah's grandson, was General Arthur Victor Seymour Williams. John Williams died at his estate, Penryn Park, in Port Hope in 1854. He apparently committed suicide after a period of serious mental illness.

References

External links

Williams family - Trent University

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, John Tucker 1789 births 1854 deaths English emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario Canadian people of Cornish descent Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from Canada West Mayors of places in Ontario People from Penryn, Cornwall People from the Regional Municipality of Durham Immigrants to Upper Canada