Jacob De Witt

Jacob De Witt
Jacob De Witt
Born	Template:Birth date; Windham, Connecticut, United States
Died	March 23, 1859 (aged 73); Montreal, Canada East
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, financier, political leader
Years active	Early 19th century–1859
Known for	Hardware business, steamship operations, banking (Banque du Peuple), political service in Lower Canada and Province of Canada

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Jacob De Witt, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025

Jacob De Witt (September 17, 1785 – March 23, 1859) was a prominent entrepreneur, financier, and political leader in Lower Canada and Canada East, within the Province of Canada (present-day Quebec). Beginning his career in the hardware sector, he later diversified into steamship operations along the St. Lawrence River and subsequently ventured into banking. Elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, De Witt generally aligned with the Parti patriote, though he refrained from joining the 1837 Lower Canada Rebellion.

After the merger of Lower and Upper Canada into the Province of Canada, De Witt secured election to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. Initially, he supported reform initiatives spearheaded by Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine, but his political stance became increasingly radical over time. He concluded his public service as a member of the Parti rouge, advocating for voluntary annexation by the United States. Throughout his political journey, De Witt remained actively engaged in commercial ventures, particularly banking, until his death in 1859.

Family and early life

Born in Windham, Connecticut in 1785 to Henry De Witt and Hannah Dean, Jacob hailed from a family of Dutch origins tracing back to Tjerck Claessen De Witt, who emigrated to New Amsterdam around 1650. By 1802, his family had established themselves in Montreal.

On January 12, 1816, he married Sophronia Frary from Montreal in Dunham township. The couple had no fewer than four children.

Commercial and banking interests

De Witt’s commercial pursuits likely commenced with an apprenticeship at his father’s hat-making business. By 1814, he had entered a partnership specializing in hardware, capitalizing on opportunities presented by the War of 1812. After dissolving this partnership in 1817, he launched his own hardware enterprise and later formed a business alliance with his nephew Benjamin Brewster.

His business scope broadened to transportation when he acquired three steamships between 1816 and 1833 to facilitate cargo movement along the Saint Lawrence River. Additionally, he invested in real estate and owned a sawmill located in Beauharnois County.

In banking, De Witt was among the founding members of a proposed Bank of Canada in 1822, although this institution never materialized. In 1833, alongside Thomas Storrow Brown, he petitioned for establishment of the City Bank of Montreal. Two years later, in partnership with entrepreneur Louis-Michel Viger, he co-founded La Banque du Peuple (Viger, De Witt et C^ie), with initial capital amounting to £75,000 and De Witt as a principal investor. The bank’s mission was to extend credit facilities to Lower Canada’s petit bourgeoisie, farmers, and artisans—directly challenging the monopoly held by the Bank of Montreal.

Lower Canada

De Witt commenced his political involvement in 1830 when elected as Beauharnois representative to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada. Identified as a liberal reform advocate, he supported the Parti patriote led by figures such as Louis-Joseph Papineau and Denis-Benjamin Viger. He endorsed the 1834 Ninety-Two Resolutions demanding significant constitutional reforms including an elective Legislative Council. That year, he was re-elected amid a sweeping victory for the Patriote faction.

While endorsing reformist goals, De Witt refrained from engaging in revolutionary activities and did not take part in the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837. Nevertheless, political unrest implicated La Banque du Peuple; accusations surfaced alleging that it financed arms for rebels due to its connections with Patriote leaders. In response, De Witt and his associates issued a public denial of such claims. Notably, Louis-Michel Viger abstained from signing this statement as he was incarcerated on charges of high treason—a move widely perceived as an effort to discredit the bank.

Following these events, British authorities suspended Lower Canada’s constitution on March 27, 1838, which terminated De Witt’s legislative duties.

Province of Canada

In the aftermath of the 1837 uprisings in both Lower and Upper Canada, the British authorities combined the two into the Province of Canada through the Union Act, 1840. This legislation established a unified Parliament consisting of an elected Legislative Assembly alongside an appointed Legislative Council. Initially, executive authority was concentrated in the hands of the Governor General.

During the 1841 general election, De Witt campaigned in Beauharnois opposing the union but was defeated by John William Dunscomb, a pro-union candidate. However, De Witt secured a seat in a 1842 by-election for Leinster and aligned himself with LaFontaine’s French-Canadian faction. In 1843, when Governor General Sir Charles Metcalfe clashed with reformers, De Witt sided with LaFontaine and Robert Baldwin against Metcalfe’s administration.

De Witt successfully retained his seat in 1844 as part of the "English" Liberals who supported LaFontaine’s reform policies. By 1848, he had returned to represent Beauharnois and backed the LaFontaine–Baldwin government, endorsing measures such as the contentious Rebellion Losses Bill. This legislation provoked violent unrest and led to the burning of Montreal’s Parliament building following royal assent granted by Governor General Lord Elgin.

Ahead of the 1851 elections, De Witt briefly championed Canadian independence but was defeated by Ovide Le Blanc, a moderate reform candidate. In 1854, he was elected in Chateaugai as a member of Papineau’s newly established Parti rouge. He chose not to run for re-election in 1858.

Later commercial activities

Together with Louis-Michel Viger, De Witt continued managing the Banque du Peuple. In 1843, they obtained a formal charter from the provincial legislature. As the main financier, De Witt became vice-president in 1845 while Viger held the presidency. Following Viger's death in 1855, De Witt took over as president until his own passing in 1859.

The repeal of the Canada Corn Act 1843 by the British government in 1846 eliminated imperial tariff protections on Canadian grain exports, severely damaging the economy of the Province of Canada. This economic downturn fueled a movement among Montreal’s commercial elite advocating voluntary annexation to the United States, which culminated in the 1849 Montreal Annexation Manifesto. Over 300 Montrealers signed this document, including De Witt. By 1851, however, De Witt and others shifted their stance toward promoting Canadian sovereignty, albeit with limited success.

In Canada East, land tenure remained under the seigneurial system—a semi-feudal arrangement dating back to New France. Reform initiatives gained traction during the 1840s and 1850s; notably, De Witt chaired the Anti-Seigniorial Tenure Convention in 1853.

De Witt also played a role in advancing transportation and financial institutions. He contributed to founding the Montreal and Bytown Railway and was a founding director of the Montreal City and District Savings Bank. Although the railway ceased operations after five years, the bank continues today as the Laurentian Bank of Canada (as of 2024).

Religious and charitable activities

A devout Presbyterian, De Witt initially attended Saint Peter Street Church before helping establish Montreal’s American Presbyterian Church during the 1820s due to disagreements over a Scottish minister. He served on its governing board and was ordained as an elder in 1830, earning recognition as the "Grand old man of the Church." His involvement extended to organizations such as the Montreal Temperance Society and Montreal Auxiliary Bible Society.

De Witt also supported numerous charitable institutions within Montreal, including Montreal General Hospital, the house of industry, Montreal’s Immigration Committee, and the Association for the Encouragement of Home Manufactures.

Death

De Witt passed away in Montreal in 1859, maintaining his involvement in the banking sector until his final days. His funeral was conducted at the American Presbyterian Church.

References