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Alexander Grant (Upper Canada politician)

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Alexander Grant
Administrator of Upper Canada
In office
11 August 1805 – 24 August 1806
MonarchGeorge III
Preceded byPeter Hunter
Succeeded byFrancis Gore
ConstituencyUpper Canada
Justice of the Peace
In office
3 January 1786 – 8 May 1813
ConstituencyWestern District, Upper Canada
Deputy Superintendent General of Indian affairs
In office
15 January 1799 – March 1799
Serving with Thomas McKee and James Baby
Preceded byAlexander McKee
Succeeded byWilliam Claus
Member of the Executive Council of Upper Canada
In office
9 July 1792 – 8 May 1813
MonarchGeorge III
GovernorJohn Graves Simcoe
Member of the Legislative Council of Upper Canada
In office
12 July 1792 – 8 May 1813
MonarchGeorge III
GovernorJohn Graves Simcoe
Personal details
Born(1734-05-20)20 May 1734
Glenmoriston, Scotland
Died8 May 1813(1813-05-08) (aged 78)
Grosse Pointe, Michigan
Resting placeSt. John's Churchyard, Sandwich, Upper Canada
OccupationRoyal Navy officer,
Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada,
Naval superintendent,
businessman
Military service
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch/service77th Regiment of Foot (Montgomery's Highlanders) Royal Navy
RankEnsign
Battles/warsSeven Years' War

Alexander Grant (20 May 1734 – 8 May 1813) was a Scottish Royal Navy officer, businessman, and politician in Upper Canada. During his service with the Royal Navy Grant saw action in the Seven Years' War before becoming a naval superintendent. He then embarked on a career in the ship building industry before losing much of his wealth during the American Revolution. Grant recovered, however, and rose to prominence in civil society, becoming the Administrator of the Government of Upper Canada in 1805.

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Grant entered the Royal Navy in 1755 and saw service in North America, on Lake Champlain, during the Seven Years' War. Grant became a naval superintendent in 1763, with his headquarters on Navy Island (in the Niagara River), before moving to Detroit, Michigan. His headquarters again changed, every winter, during which time the regiment was in New York City, up to 1774.[1]

Merchant career

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He began to build his own vessels, essentially selling them to himself at a considerable profit. He built a commercial empire by also selling or renting ships to merchants and this was initially solidified during the American Revolution during which he was given military command of most of the Great Lakes.

However, in the course of the revolution Grant lost much of his income with the loss of 12,000 acres (49 km²) of land he owned in New York, and the end of his participation in private shipping.

Civil career

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Grant recovered, however, and rose to prominence in civil society, being appointed a justice of the peace in 1786 and, to a succession of governmental and political positions (in both Upper Canada and Lower Canada), he joined the Executive Council of Upper Canada under governor John Graves Simcoe as well as the Legislative Council. In 1799, Grant became a deputy superintendent of Indian Affairs.

In August 1805, Grant became administrator of Upper Canada, upon the death of Lieutenant-Governor Peter Hunter, and continued Hunter's policies until a new lieutenant governor, Francis Gore, arrived from Britain, in August 1806.

Grant died in 1813 at his home Castle Grant in Grosse Pointe Farms near Detroit and was buried on the other side of the Detroit River at St. John's Churchyard (Brock and Sandwich Streets) in Sandwich, now Windsor, Ontario.

References

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  1. ^ "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online". Retrieved 26 March 2008.
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Government offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada
1805–1806
Succeeded by