William Thompson (June 17, 1786 – January 18, 1860) was a farmer and political figure in

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 ...

. He was born in

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

in 1786, the son of a

United Empire Loyalist United Empire Loyalists (or simply Loyalists) is an honorific title which was first given by the 1st Lord Dorchester, the Governor of Quebec, and Governor General of The Canadas, to American Loyalists who resettled in British North America duri ...

, and came to

Grantham Township Grantham Township is a former incorporated and now geographic township on the Niagara Peninsula in Upper Canada, later Ontario. In 1961, part of it was amalgamated into the city of St. Catharines. In 1970, the remaining portion was amalgamated ...

with his family in 1809. He served as captain in the local militia during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

and fought at the

Battle of Queenston Heights The Battle of Queenston Heights was the first major battle in the War of 1812. Resulting in a British victory, it took place on 13 October 1812 near Queenston, Upper Canada (now Ontario). The battle was fought between United States regulars wit ...

. He was taking prisoner by the

Americans Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many Multi ...

while on a scouting expedition. When he returned, his father had died and their property damaged; he settled in Toronto Township. He built a

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

with his brother in 1817. During the

Upper Canada Rebellion The Upper Canada Rebellion was an insurrection against the oligarchic government of the British colony of Upper Canada (present-day Ontario) in December 1837. While public grievances had existed for years, it was the rebellion in Lower Canada (p ...

, he served as colonel in the

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

militia and became lieutenant colonel in 1846. In 1824, he was elected to the

9th Parliament of Upper Canada The 9th Parliament of Upper Canada was opened 11 January 1825. Elections in Upper Canada had been held in July 1824. All sessions were held at York, Upper Canada. This parliament was dissolved 24 June 1828. The House of Assembly of the 9t ...

for York and

Simcoe Simcoe may refer to: Geography Canada * Simcoe, Ontario, a town in southwestern Ontario, near Lake Erie, Canada * Simcoe County, a county in central Ontario, Canada * Lake Simcoe, a lake in central Ontario, Canada * Simcoe North, a federal and pro ...

. He was a conservative member, with close ties to members of the so-called "

Family Compact The Family Compact was a small closed group of men who exercised most of the political, economic and judicial power in Upper Canada (today’s Ontario) from the 1810s to the 1840s. It was the Upper Canadian equivalent of the Château Clique in L ...

". After several attempts at reelection, he retired to local politics. In 1844, he became a member of the township council and was reeve in 1851. He died in Toronto Township in 1860. His grandson,

Alfred Burke Thompson Alfred Burke Thompson (July 18, 1862 – August 2, 1942) was a barrister and political figure in Ontario, Canada. He represented Simcoe Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1898 to 1902 and from 1905 to 1919 and Simcoe East in ...

, later served in the provincial and federal parliaments.

External links

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, William 1786 births 1860 deaths Members of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada