Samuel Street

Last updated

Samuel Street
BornJanuary 2, 1753
Wilton, Connecticut
DiedFebruary 3, 1815(1815-02-03) (aged 62)
Thorold, Upper Canada
Occupation(s)Merchant, politician, judge
Years active1770s–1815

Samuel Street (January 2, 1753 – February 3, 1815) was a Canadian judge, merchant and political figure in Upper Canada. He was born in Wilton, Connecticut and traded with indigenous people during the American Revolution. He moved to Fort Niagara and opened a business to provide supplies to the British and later trade with indigenous people and the Indian Department. He was also a land speculator for the Niagara area. In 1796 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada in the constituency of the 2nd riding of Lincoln and became speaker of the legislature in 1800. He lost his subsequent campaign for reelection but was elected to the constituency of the 3rd riding of Lincoln in 1808 and was elected again to become the speaker. During the War of 1812 he became a paymaster for Oxford and Lincoln militias and was appointed as acting deputy paymaster for the British militia. He died in Thorold, Upper Canada.

Contents

Early life, family, and business career

Street was born in Wilton, Connecticut on January 2, 1753. [1] His father was also named Samuel Street and his mother was Elizabeth Smith. His wife was Phoebe Van Camp and they had a daughter named Mary. [2]

Street traded with indigenous people along the Susquehanna River during the American Revolution. In 1778, he moved to Fort Niagara where he provided supplies to the British. On July 10, 1780, he entered a partnership with two other merchants, although the partnership dissolved in 1781 and Street assumed the company's assets and debts. After the war, he was unable to trade with the British army and focused on selling goods to indigenous people and the Indian Department. His contact in the department was John Butler and Street formed a new partnership with Butler's son Andrew and opened a shop in Fort Niagara. [2] In 1787 he was living in Chippawa, Ontario and his nephew, Samuel Street Jr. moved into Street's home after his nephew's father was murdered. [3] In 1788, he became a justice of the peace in the Nassau District. [2]

When their sales declined due to American competition, Street and Andrew Butler built a sawmill on Fifteen Mile Creek Street in 1789, which was sold to John Butler in 1792. In 1790 Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester and governor general of British North America ordered an investigation into their business for stealing supplies from the Indian Department and selling it in the shop. Sir John Johnson, 2nd Baronet concluded that, while Street and Andrew Butler's business was unusual and unaccountable, there was no reason to continue investigating the business. [2]

Street became involved in land speculation to help resolve the debts he obtained in his business. He created the Niagara Company to manage this business and purchased shares in Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham's land speculation business. Street refused to sell his shares when Dorchester would not allow the land to be settled, and Street did not obtain much profit when he sold the shares later. He was also an agent for William Berczy's land settlement business called German Company, and purchased a quarter of Berczy's shares in 1794. When the company dissolved in 1796 Street could only obtain a small amount of what was owed to him from the business. [2]

Political career

In 1792 Street lost the election to represent the constituency of the 2nd riding of Lincoln in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada. He was resoundingly defeated by Benjamin Pawling. He won the subsequent election in 1796. In 1797 he was considered for an appointment to a commission tasked with renegotiating a customs-sharing agreement with Lower Canada, but the administrator was unable to contact Street to arrange the appointment, as Street was in the United States. [2] In 1798 he supported a bill that would allow loyalist immigrants from the United States to Upper Canada to bring enslaved people with them. [4]

In 1800, he was elected as speaker of the Upper Canadian legislative assembly. Later that year, merchant candidates like Street struggled in the 1800 general election for the legislative assembly because of public opposition to improving the Niagara portage. He lost his reelection campaign to represent the 2nd riding of Lincoln by 22 votes. He also lost in the subsequent general election in 1804. [2]

In 1807, he became a judge in the Niagara District. In 1808, he was elected to represent the 3rd riding of Lincoln [2] and on July 27, 1812, he was elected for a second term as speaker of the legislature. [5] During his term, Street issued a warrant for Robert Nichol for contempt against the legislature. Thomas Scott, the chief justice of Upper Canada, ruled that the warrant was issued in Street's personal capacity, not as his role as a speaker and that he did not have the authority to issue this warrant. [2] [6] His term as a legislator ended in 1812. [1]

War of 1812 and death

In 1809 Street became the captain of the 3rd Lincoln Militia. On October 9, 1812, he was appointed as the paymaster for the 1st Oxford Militia and the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Lincoln Militias. On July 24, 1813, he was appointed as an official who could manage farms abandoned during the War of 1812 and later that year he became the acting deputy paymaster for the militia. On March 24, 1814, he was appointed as a district commissioner tasked with arresting traitors of the war. He received £1,333 (equivalent to £99,196in 2021) in compensation from the British government for damage to his property during the war. [2]

He died at Thorold, Upper Canada, on February 3, 1815. [1] In his will, he left his estate to his daughter, Mary. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Butler (Ranger)</span> American-born military officer and colonial official (1728–1796)

John Butler was an American-born military officer, landowner, merchant and colonial official in the British Indian Department. During the American Revolutionary War, he was a prominent Loyalist who led the provincial regiment known as Butler's Rangers on the frontiers of New York and Pennsylvania. Born in Connecticut, he moved to New York with his family, where he learned several Iroquoian languages and worked as an interpreter in the fur trade. He was well-equipped to work with Mohawk and other Iroquois warriors who became allies of the British during the rebellion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butler's Rangers</span> Military unit

Butler's Rangers (1777–1784) was a Loyalist provincial military unit of the American Revolutionary War, raised by American loyalist John Butler. Most members of the regiment were Loyalists from upstate New York and northeastern Pennsylvania. Their winter quarters were constructed on the west bank of the Niagara River, in what is now Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. The Rangers fought principally in New York and Pennsylvania, but ranged as far west as Ohio and Michigan, and as far south as Virginia and Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln and Welland Regiment</span> Military unit

The Lincoln and Welland Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army based in St. Catharines and Welland, Ontario.

Captain John McDonell of Aberchalder was a soldier, judge, and political figure in Upper Canada following the American Revolution. He was elected as the first speaker for the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada.

Benjamin Pawling was a soldier, judge, political figure and publisher in Upper Canada.

Richard Beasley was a soldier, political figure, farmer and businessman in Upper Canada.

Samuel Street, also known as Samuel Street Jr, was a Canadian businessman and government official in Upper Canada who became one of the richest men in Upper Canada. Born in Farmington, Connecticut, he moved to Chippawa, Upper Canada, after his father was murdered. In Chippawa he lived with his uncle, Samuel Street, who introduced him to the local business community. In the early 1800s, he entered into various partnerships with other businessmen and purchased mills in the Niagara region. His most prominent partnership was with Thomas Clark, and together they used the profits from the mills to lend money to various people in Upper Canada, further increasing their wealth. They also purchased property throughout Upper Canada, employing agents to help with the purchases, and lending money to local officials in exchange for notification of property that was to be cheaply sold. He bought shares in banks and transportation companies and held debentures with the Upper Canadian government and regional governments. He was a prominent member of the Niagara business elite and was hired to be an executor for other prominent members. He was also a military commander of the 3rd Lincoln Militia, become a colonel of the militia in 1839. He died in Port Robinson, Upper Canada, and his estate was given to his son, Thomas Clark Street, and four daughters.

Ralfe Clench was a farmer, judge and political figure in Upper Canada. His first name is also sometimes recorded as Ralph or Rudolf; his last name is sometimes recorded as Clinch.

James Durand was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward William Thomson</span> Canadian politician

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

Robert Nichol was a businessman, judge and political figure in Upper Canada.

Thomas Clark was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada.

Thomas Dickson was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada.

Robert Randal was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada and the United States. He was born in the United States and convicted of attempting to bribe members of the United States Congress in order to buy the lower Michigan peninsula. He bought mills and acres of land in Upper Canada. However, his businesses were unsuccessful and sold to British creditors. He was arrested in Montreal and he was sued for unpaid debts. He hired G. D'Arcy Boulton as his lawyer to protect his properties, but the delay in court proceedings put him in debt with the lawyers, causing more of his properties to be sold to pay his debts.

George Rykert was a businessman, surveyor and political figure in Upper Canada.

John Johnston Lefferty was a doctor and political figure in Upper Canada.

William Terry was an innkeeper and political figure in Upper Canada.

William Woodruff was a merchant and political figure in Upper Canada.

William Crooks was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada.

John DeCew (1766–1855), was a United Empire Loyalist, an early settler in the Niagara Peninsula of Upper Canada, a commissioned militia officer in the War of 1812, and a founding member of the Welland Canal Company.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Johnson, J. K. (1989). Becoming prominent : regional leadership in Upper Canada, 1791–1841. Kingston, Ont.: McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN   978-0-7735-6157-1. OCLC   243584870.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Parker, Bruce A. (1983). "Street, Samuel". www.biographi.ca. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  3. Parker, Bruce A. "Street, Samuel (1775–1844)". www.biographi.ca. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  4. Power, Michael (1993). Slavery and freedom in Niagara. Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.: Niagara Historical Society. ISBN   1-895258-05-7. OCLC   31165932.
  5. "Lest We Forget". The Toronto Star. July 26, 1928. p. 29.
  6. Riddell, William Renwick (1922). "Judges in the Executive Council of Upper Canada". Michigan Law Review. 20 (7): 716–736. doi:10.2307/1278336. ISSN   0026-2234. JSTOR   1278336 via JSTOR.
Preceded by Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada
1800–1801
Succeeded by
Preceded by Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada
1809–1812
Succeeded by