John Prince

Who was John Prince?

John Prince was a lawyer, gentleman farmer and political figure in Upper Canada and Canada West.

He was born in England in 1796 and studied in Hereford. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1821. He entered practice in Westerham, Kent and then Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

In 1833, he moved with his family to Sandwich in Upper Canada. In 1835, he was named justice of the peace in the Western District. In the following year, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada for Essex. He served with the local militia during the Battle of Windsor in the Upper Canada Rebellion. He was called to the bar of Upper Canada in 1838. In December 1838, Prince was in charge of the militia at Sandwich. When forces of the Hunter Patriots invaded the town, he ordered 4 prisoners immediately shot without trial. Despite facing a public dissent, a duel, a court martial and a debate in Parliament over his actions, he was reelected in Essex in 1841, 1844, 1847 and 1851. In 1844, he was appointed Queen's Counsel. He was involved in the development of railways and mines in the southwest part of the province, being president or major stockholder in several companies.