Executive Council of Upper Canada

The Executive Council of Upper Canada had a similar function to the Cabinet in England but was not responsible to the Legislative Assembly. Members of the Executive Council were not necessarily members of the Legislative Assembly but were usually members of the Legislative Council. Members were appointed, often for life. The first five members were appointed in July 1792. The Council was dissolved on February 10, 1841 when Upper and Lower Canada were united into the Province of Canada. It was replaced by the Executive Council of the Province of Canada the same year.

After the War of 1812, the Executive Council was dominated by members of the Family Compact, an elite clique based in York.

List of Members of the Executive Council

Member	Town	Start The best	Stop	Notes
James Baby	Sandwich	July 9, 1792	February 19, 1833	died in office
Alexander Grant, Sr.	York	July 9, 1792	May, 1813	died in office
William Osgoode	York	July 9, 1792	July 1794	to Lower Canada
William Robertson	Sandwich	July 9, 1792	November 4, 1792	resigned
Peter Russell	York	July 9, 1792	September 30, 1808	died in office
Æneas Shaw 1	York	June 21, 1794	1807	retired
Jacob Mountain	Quebec City	June 10, 1794	N/A	never attended
John Elmsley, Sr.	York	January 1, 1796	July 1802	Chief Justice of Upper Canada 1801, moved to Montreal as Chief Justice of Lower Canada 1802
John McGill	York	March 2, 1796	August 13, 1818	became Receiver General of Upper Canada (5 October 1813 to 2 December 1819)
David William Smith	?	March 2, 1796	July 1802	left Canada
Henry Allcock	York	October 14, 1802	September 1804	moved to Lower Canada to become Chief Justice and member of the Executive Council of Lower Canada 1805
Thomas Scott	York	April 8, 1805	August 1816	granted a pension and retired
William Dummer Powell	York	October 8, 1808	September 1825	resigned office
Prideaux Selby	York	October 8, 1808	May 9, 1813	died in office
Isaac Brock	York	September 30, 1812	October 13, 1812	died in office
Roger Hale Sheaffe	?	October 20, 1812	June 4, 1813	replaced after being recalled to England
Baron Francis de Rottenburg	?	June 19, 1813	N/A	never attended
Gordon Drummond	?	November 4, 1813	March 1814	became Governor-General and Administrator of Canada
Samuel Smith	Etobicoke	November 30, 1813	October 1825	retired
John Strachan 2	York	May 11, 1815	March 12, 1836	resigned 3
William Claus	Niagara	February 12, 1818	September 1824	retired? died of cancer 1826
George Herchmer Markland 4	York	October 22, 1822	March 12, 1836	resigned 3
Peter Robinson	York	December 24, 1823	March 12, 1836	resigned 3
James Buchanan Macaulay	York	May 5, 1825	July 1829	resigned and appointed temporary judge of the Court of Queen's Bench, later as permanent judge
William Campbell	York	October 26, 1825	March 1828	unable to attend due to poor health and retired 1829
John Beverley Robinson	York	April 25, 1829	January 25, 1831	resigned
Joseph Wells	York	September 13, 1830	March 12, 1836	resigned 3
John Elmsley, Jr.	York	September 20, 1830	1841	retired to management of his personal business
Robert Baldwin	Toronto	February 20, 1836	March 12, 1836	resigned 3
John Henry Dunn	Toronto	February 20, 1836	March 12, 1836	resigned 3
John Rolph	Toronto	February 20, 1836	March 12, 1836	resigned 3
William Allan	Toronto	March 14, 1836	February 10, 1841	retired
Augustus Warren Baldwin	Toronto	March 14, 1836	February 10, 1841	re-appointed to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
John Elmsley, Jr.	Toronto	March 14, 1836	January 8, 1839	second term
Robert Baldwin Sullivan	Toronto	March 14, 1836	February 10, 1841	not re-appointed; later appointed to the Queen's Bench
William Henry Draper	Toronto	December 27, 1836	February 10, 1841	elected to the 1st Parliament of the United Canadas 1841
Richard Alexander Tucker	Kingston	December 8, 1838	February 10, 1841	appointed registrar of the Province of Canada in 1841-1851; retired to England 1851

Notes:

1. Æneas Shaw was an honorary member after 1803.
2. The Reverend John Strachan was an honorary member until July 25, 1817.
3. On March 12, 1836, all members of the council resigned to protest when the new Lieutenant Governor Sir Francis Bond Head refused to consult with his council.
4. George Markland was an honorary member until July 6, 1827.

References

• Handbook of Upper Canadian Chronology, Frederick H. Armstrong, Toronto : Dundurn Press, 1985. ISBN 0-919670-92-X

External links

• Ontario's Historical Plaques