Alexander Grant (Upper Canada politician)

For other people named Alexander Grant, see Alexander Grant (disambiguation).

The Honourable Alexander Grant JP DL
Administrator of Upper Canada
In office 11 August 1805 – 24 August 1806
Monarch	George III
Governor General	Robert Prescott
Premier	William Pitt the Younger The Lord Grenville
Preceded by	Peter Hunter
Succeeded by	Francis Gore
Lieutenant of Essex County
In office 23 August 1799 – 8 May 1813
Monarch	George III
Deputy Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs
In office 15 January 1799 – 5 March 1799 Serving with Thomas McKee, James Baby
Preceded by	Alexander McKee
Succeeded by	William Claus
Member of the Executive Council of Upper Canada
In office 9 July 1792 – 8 May 1813
Constituency	York
Member of the Legislative Council of Upper Canada
In office 12 July 1792 – 8 May 1813
Constituency	York
Member of the Land Board of the District of Hesse
In office 1789–1794
Lieutenant Governor	John Graves Simcoe
Personal details
Born	(1734-05-20)20 May 1734 Glenmoriston, Scotland
Died	8 May 1813(1813-05-08) (aged 78) Grosse Pointe, Michigan Territory
Resting place	St. John's Churchyard, Windsor, Ontario
Spouse	Thérèse Barthe ​ ​ (m. 1774; died 1810)​
Children	11
Relatives	Clan Grant
Occupation	Royal Navy officer, businessman, colonial administrator
Military service
Allegiance	Great Britain United Kingdom
Branch/service	British Army 77th Regiment of Foot (Montgomery's Highlanders) Royal Navy
Years of service	1755–1812
Rank	Commodore-Superintendent
Commands	Provincial Marine, Great Lakes Command
Battles/wars	Seven Years' War Revolutionary War

Commodore Alexander Grant (20 May 1734 – 8 May 1813) was a Scottish Royal Navy officer, businessman, and politician in British Canada. Grant was born Glenmoriston, Scotland to Isobel and Patrick Grant, 8th Laird of Glenmoriston. 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 the Province of Upper Canada in 1805.

Naval career

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

Merchant career

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

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 Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe as well as the Legislative Council. In 1799, Grant became a deputy superintendent of the British Indian Department.

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 British-occupied Detroit and was buried on the other side of the Detroit River at St. John's Church in Sandwich, Upper Canada.

External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• Biography at the Biography Research Guide
• Alexander Grant at Ontario Plaques
• Canadian History Alexander Grant of Glenmorriston Electric Scotland