William Jarvis

Who was William Jarvis?

William Jarvis was the American-born head of the famous Jarvis family of Toronto.

Jarvis was born in Stamford, Connecticut to Samuel Jarvis, who was the town's clerk and Martha Seymour. The Jarvis family was forced to flee when his home was seized at the start of the American Revolution. His father fled to Long Island, New York, but William chose to settled further north in Upper Canada.

William was an officer in the Queen's Rangers and served in the Revolutionary War. In early Toronto politics, Jarvis was a member of the Family Compact. He was appointed Provincial Secretary of Upper Canada by John Graves Simcoe from 1791 and served until his death in 1817. He was chairman of the Home District Council from 1800 to 1811.

Jarvis was married to Hannah Owen Peters, the daughter of Reverend Samuel Peters of Hebron, Connecticut. They had three children. Their son was Samuel Jarvis, who also became a prominent member of the Family Compact. Their two daughters were Maria Lavinia and Augusta.