Ebenezer Perry (September 29, 1788 – May 1, 1876) was a merchant and Canadian political figure. He was a

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member of the

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from 1871 until his death and at the age of 83, the oldest person ever summoned to the Senate. He was born in Ernestown (later

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in 1788. the son of Robert Perry and Jemima Gary Washburn. His father was a United Empire Loyalist from Vermont who had served with the Queen's Rangers and Edward Jessup's Loyal Rangers during the American Revolution. The family settled in Township No. 2, later Ernestown. His uncle was Ebenezer Washburn, a member of the Legislative Assembly who presented Prince Edward County. In 1814, Ebenezer served in the militia during the

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and moved to

Cobourg Cobourg ( ) is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto and east of Oshawa. It is the largest town in and seat of Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is ...

in 1815. He built a

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there, later known as Pratt's Mill or just "The Mill", and still preserved as a heritage building. His son George Perry built the regency styled Woodlawn in 1835, which is located at 420 Division Street. The building survives and today, known as The Woodlawn Inn, which was a hotel and restaurant for many years and is now a rehabilitation facility. Mr. Perry played a central role in numerous town projects. One of the major investors in the Cobourg harbour Commission, Mr. Perry was also a contributor to the stock company which designed and operated a town steamboat and a director of the Cobourg Railway Company. While living at The Woodlawn, Mr. Perry actively lobbied for the incorporation of the Town of Cobourg and served as the first president of the town's board of police. He was also a member of the

Legislative Council of the Province of Canada The Legislative Council of the Province of Canada () was the upper house for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known ...

, serving from 1855 until

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. He died in Cobourg in 1876. His brother

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was a member of the

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and of the Province of Canada. His son

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served in the House of Commons.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perry, Ebenezer 1788 births 1876 deaths Canadian senators from Ontario Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) senators Members of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada People from Cobourg