Benjamin Hart (August 10, 1779 – February 27, 1855) was a Canadian businessman,

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

, and justice of the peace.

Biography

Early life

Benjamin Hart was born in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

to Aaron Hart, a prominent merchant of

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, ; ) is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...

, and Dorothea Judah. Benjamin was educated in New York and Philadelphia and by 1798 had returned to

to assist with the family's extensive business. When Aaron died in 1800, Benjamin inherited the family's main store in Trois-Rivières and their Montreal house. In 1806, he married Harriot Judith Hart, daughter of stockbroker

Ephraim Hart Ephraim Hart (1747 – July 16, 1825) was an American merchant who helped to organize the Board of Stock-Brokers, now known as the New York Stock Exchange. Biography Hart was born in Fürth, a city in the region of Franconia which lies now in ...

. They had numerous children. He supported the cause of Jewish civil liberties, and supported his brother

Ezekiel Ezekiel, also spelled Ezechiel (; ; ), was an Israelite priest. The Book of Ezekiel, relating his visions and acts, is named after him. The Abrahamic religions acknowledge Ezekiel as a prophet. According to the narrative, Ezekiel prophesied ...

in his thwarted political career. He helped push for a law, passed in 1831, that granted equality of civil liberties to Jews. He was an active member of Montreal's Jewish congregation. With improved civil liberties, he was able to become a justice of the peace in 1837. He served in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

under Captain John Ogilvy. He continued a career in the militia for many years after, commanding the 3rd Militia Battalion in Montreal by 1846 with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He ran the import firm Benjamin Hart and Company, with his son Theodore joining as a partner by 1844. However, he declared bankruptcy in 1848. He opposed the Rebellion Losses Bill of 1849, and signed the Annexation Manifesto, advocating economic and political union with the United States. He then moved to New York where he died. Son Henry N. Hart moved to mid west and daughter Frances Hart Schoyer remained in NYC.

References

External links

The ''Canadian Encyclopedia''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hart, Benjamin 1779 births 1855 deaths Businesspeople from Montreal Canadian businesspeople Canadian people of the War of 1812 Canadian people of English-Jewish descent Canadian people of German-Jewish descent Canadian Jews Benjamin Hart 19th-century Canadian businesspeople 19th-century Canadian Jews Burials at Beth Olom Cemetery