Henry Cargill (August 13, 1838 – October 1, 1903) was an

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

farmer, merchant and political figure. He represented

Bruce East Bruce East was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1882 to 1904. This riding was created in 1882 from parts of Bruce North and Bruce South ridings. The East Riding of ...

in the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

from 1887 to 1891 and from 1892 to 1903 as a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

member. He was born in

Nassagaweya Township Nassagaweya Township is a geographic township and former municipality now part of Milton. The township was created in 1819, its name derived from the Mississauga word ''nazhesahgewayyong'', meaning 'river with two outlets.' This refers to the f ...

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...

, the son of David Carill, an Irish immigrant. Cargill studied at Queen's College and entered his father's lumber business in

Halton County Halton County is a former county in the Canadian province of Ontario, with an area of . It is also one of the oldest counties in Canada. History Halton County is named after Major William Mathew Halton (1746–1823), a British Army officer, ...

, moving to

Bruce County Bruce County is a county in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It has eight lower-tier municipalities with a total 2021 population of 73,396. It is named for James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, the sixth Governor General of t ...

in 1879 after purchasing a large parcel of land known as the Greenock Swamp which contained large stands of

white pine ''Pinus'', the pines, is a genus of approximately 111 extant tree and shrub species. The genus is currently split into two subgenera: subgenus ''Pinus'' (hard pines), and subgenus ''Strobus'' (soft pines). Each of the subgenera have been further ...

. In 1864, he had married Margaret Davidson. Cargill established mills to process the timber, also establishing a woollen mill and a general store. He also raised cattle, horses and sheep. The village of

Cargill Cargill, Incorporated is an American multinational food corporation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Minnetonka, Minnesota, and incorporated in Wilmington, Delaware. Founded in 1865 by William Wallace Cargill, it is the largest privately held c ...

developed as the result of his efforts in the area. He served as reeve for Greenock Township from 1884 to 1886 and also served as village postmaster. He was defeated in 1891 but appealed and won the subsequent by-election in 1892. Cargill died in the House of Commons in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

in 1903. His daughter Margaret married William Humphrey Bennett, who later served in the federal parliament. His son Wellington David carried on his father's business and went on to serve in the provincial assembly.

External links

*
''The History of the County of Bruce and of the minor municipalities therein ...'', N Robertson (1906)

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cargill, Henry 1838 births 1903 deaths Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario 19th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada 20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada