Edward William Thomson

Who was Edward William Thomson?

Edward William Thomson was a farmer and political figure in Upper Canada.

He was born in Kingston in 1794 and settled in Scarborough Township in 1808. He served with the York militia during the War of 1812 and the Rebellions of 1837, eventually commanding the 5th militia district in Canada West. He was involved in building locks on the Rideau Canal and worked as a contractor on the Welland Canal in the 1840s. In 1833, he was appointed justice of the peace in the Home District. In 1836, he was elected to the 13th Parliament of Upper Canada in the 2nd riding of York. He was the first president of the provincial Agricultural Association and the York County Agricultural Society.

He died in York Township in 1865.

His older brother Hugh Christopher Thomson was also a member of the legislative assembly.

His grandson, Edward William Thomson, was a Canadian journalist and writer.