Henry "Harry" Corby (May 2, 1851 – April 23, 1917) was an

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

businessman and politician. He represented

Hastings West Hastings West was a federal electoral district in the province of Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1925. It was created by the British North America Act of 1867 which divided the County of Hast ...

as a

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

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...

from 1888 to 1901. Appointed to the Senate from

Belleville, Ontario Belleville is a city in Ontario, Canada situated on the eastern end of Lake Ontario, located at the mouth of the Moira River and on the Bay of Quinte. Belleville is between Ottawa and Toronto, along the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. Its popula ...

in 1912, he served until his death in office in 1917.

Biography

He was born in

Belleville Belleville (French, literally "beautiful town") may refer to: Places Canada * Belleville, New Brunswick, an unincorporated community in Wakefield Parish * Belleville, Nova Scotia * Belleville, Ontario France * Belleville, Deux-Sèvres, in the ...

Canada West The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report on th ...

in 1851, the son of

Henry Corby Henry Corby (1806 – 25 October 1881) was an Ontario baker, businessman, and politician. Born and raised in England, Corby immigrated to Upper Canada in 1832. After building businesses in Belleville, Ontario, he served as the 9th mayor of B ...

and Alma Williams, who married in England in 1832 before immigrating to Upper Canada. His father started a grocery and distillery. As a youth Corby attended school at the Rockwood Academy in Rockwood, Ontario. He grew up in his father's business and, in 1881, took it over. The

distillery Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heat ...

later became part of

Corby Distilleries Corby Spirit and Wine Limited is a Canadian alcohol manufacturing and distribution company. It was founded in 1859 in Corbyville, Ontario. As of 2008, the company is 46% owned by Pernod Ricard. The company distills several Canadian specialities, ...

. Corby contributed much to the city of Belleville: he donated funding to establish the public library, helped develop the park at Massassaga Point, and founded the Corby Charitable Fund. Corby also donated the land and funds to develop Corby Park. In the late nineteenth century, Belleville was a major market town. Outlying farmers were hampered in getting their produce to market across the Bay of Quinte by the slow ferries. Corby joined with other major businessmen first, to establish a charter for a steam ferry in 1879. Next they began to raise money to build the first bridge across the Bay of Quinte; the swing bridge was started in 1887 and completed in 1891. The bridge was privately funded, and for decades the directors originally charged varying tolls to pedestrians and other users of the bridge. In 1920 the City of Belleville, Hastings County, and Ontario provincial government together bought the bridge to operate as a public utility. The following year they dropped the tolls. Along with his municipal activities, Corby became politically active. He was elected to Parliament representing

as a Conservative Party member, serving 1888 to 1901. He returned to his businesses but was later appointed to the

Senate of Canada The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The Senate is modelled after the ...

in 1912; he served until his death in office in 1917.

References

External links

* 1851 births 1917 deaths Canadian senators from Ontario Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) MPs Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) senators Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario {{HistoricalConservative-Ontario-MP-stub