Henry Hezekiah Cogswell

Who was Henry Hezekiah Cogswell?

Henry Hezekiah Cogswell was a lawyer, political figure and philanthropist in Nova Scotia. He represented the town of Halifax in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1818 to 1820.

He was born in Cornwallis Township, the son of Mason Cogswell and Lydia Huntington, and was educated at King's College. He studied law with Richard John Uniacke and was called to the bar in 1798, setting up practice in Halifax. In 1805, Cogswell married Isabella Ellis. He was named deputy provincial secretary in 1812 and, in 1818, Registrar of the Court of Chancery. In 1816, he purchased The Carleton.

With Martin Gay Black and others, he helped establish the Halifax Banking Company in 1825, serving as first president for the bank. In 1831, Cogswell was named to the province's Council. He also served as commissioner of the vice admiralty court and president of the Halifax Board of Health. Cogswell was president of the Albion Fire and Life Insurance Company and of the Annapolis Iron Mining Company. An obvious target for political reformers, he lost most of his political appointments by 1841.