Alexander Grant
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Alexander Grant (20 May 1734 – 8 May 1813) was a British army officer, businessman and politician in Upper Canada. Born in Glenmoriston, Scotland, Grant entered the Royal Navy in 1755 and saw service in North America on Lake Champlain. during the Seven Years War. Grant became a naval superintendent in 1763 with his headquarters on Navy Island in the Niagara River before moving to Detroit.
He began to build his own vessels essentially selling them to himself at a considerable profit. He built a commercial empire by also selling or renting ships to merchants and this was initially solidified during the American Revolution during which he was given military command of most of the Great Lakes.
However, in the course of the revolution Grant lost much of his income with the loss of 12,000 acres (49 km²) of land he owned in New York and the end of his participation in private shipping.
Grant recovered, however, and rose to a position of prominence in civil society being appointed a justice of the peace in 1786 and to a succession of governmental and political positions in both Upper Canada and Lower Canada. He joined the Executive Council of Upper Canada under governor John Graves Simcoe as well as the Legislative Council. He also, in 1799, became a deputy superintendent of Indian Affairs.
In August 1805, Grant became administrator of Upper Canada on the death of Lieutenant-Governor Peter Hunter and continued Hunter's policies until a new lieutenant governor, Francis Gore, arrived from Britain in August 1806.
External links
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online (http://www.biographi.ca/EN/ShowBio.asp?BioId=36549)
| Preceded by: Peter Hunter | Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada | Succeeded by: Francis Gore |