Henry Corby

Who was Henry Corby?

Henry Corby was an Ontario businessman and political figure. He represented Hastings East in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Conservative from 1867 to 1874.

He was born in Hanwell, England in 1806 and came to Belleville in Upper Canada in 1832. He opened a general store and bakery there; he secured a contract to supply the local militia. In 1838, he became involved in shipping goods between Belleville and Kingston and selling grain. Corby served for a number of years on the village council. In 1855, he purchased a gristmill and opened a distillery in 1859. He served as mayor of Belleville in 1867 and 1868. He also helped promote the development of railways in the area. He retired from politics in 1875 due to declining health.

He died in Belleville in 1881.

The town where the family's distillery was located was renamed Corbyville in 1882. His son, Henry Jr., helped expand the family distillery, later known as the H. Corby Distillery and now part of Corby Distilleries, and also later served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and a member of the Senate of Canada.