Henry Hezekiah Cogswell, Date of Birth, Date of Death
TweetHenry Hezekiah Cogswell
Canadian politician
Date of Birth: 
About Henry Hezekiah Cogswell
- Henry Hezekiah Cogswell (April 12, 1776 – November 9, 1854) was a lawyer, political figure and philanthropist in Nova Scotia.
- He represented the town of Halifax in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1818 to 1820.
- He was president of the Royal Acadian School. He was born in Cornwallis Township, the son of Mason Cogswell and Lydia Huntington, and was educated at King's College.
- He studied law with Richard John Uniacke and was called to the bar in 1798, setting up practice in Halifax.
- In 1805, Cogswell married Isabella Ellis.
- He was named deputy provincial secretary in 1812 and, in 1818, Registrar of the Court of Chancery.
- In 1816, he purchased The Carleton.
- With Martin Gay Black and others, he helped establish the Halifax Banking Company in 1825, serving as first president for the bank.
- In 1831, Cogswell was named to the province's Council.
- He also served as commissioner of the vice admiralty court and president of the Halifax Board of Health.
- Cogswell was president of the Albion Fire and Life Insurance Company and of the Annapolis Iron Mining Company.
- An obvious target for political reformers, he lost most of his political appointments by 1841.
- Cogswell helped support the Halifax Mechanics' Institute, was a generous supporter of King's College and contributed to Halifax charities.
- In his later years, he lobbied for a railway link between Halifax and Quebec City.
- He died at Halifax at the age of 78. His daughter Isabella Binney Cogswell went on to become a prominent philanthropist and his son James Colquhoun Cogswell later served as president of the Halifax Banking Company.
- His son William Cogswell became a highly respected author and minister in the Anglican Church.
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