| Wilson Ruffin Abbott | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | c. 1801 Richmond, Virginia |
| Died | 1876 (aged 74–75) Toronto, Ontario |
| Resting place | Necropolis Cemetery 43°40′06″N 79°21′37″W / 43.668282°N 79.360259°W / 43.668282; -79.360259 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse | Ellen Toyer |
Wilson Ruffin Abbott (c. 1801 – 1876) was an American-born Black Canadian and successful businessman and landowner in Toronto, Ontario. He was the father of Anderson Ruffin Abbott, Canada's first Black physician.
Biography
Born to a Scotch-Irish father and a free West African mother in Richmond, Virginia, Wilson Ruffin Abbott left home when he was aged 15 to work as a steward on a Mississippi River steamer.
He married Ellen Toyer, and moved to Akron, Ohio, where he opened a general grocery store, but left in 1834 after receiving a warning that his store was to be pillaged. In late 1835 or early 1836, he moved to Toronto, Upper Canada, where he prospered as a businessman. He served in the militia that protected Toronto from the rebels in the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion and was elected to Toronto city council in 1840.
His son Anderson Ruffin Abbott in 1861 became the first African Canadian to practise medicine.
Death
Wilson Ruffin Abbott died in Toronto, aged 74 or 75.
References
- ^ Winks, Robin W. (1972). "Wilson Ruffin Abbott". Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Vol. X. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-3287-7.
- Henry, Natasha L. (7 January 2012). Talking About Freedom: Celebrating Emancipation Day in Canada. Dundurn. pp. 49–. ISBN 978-1-4597-0050-5.
- Thomas, Owen, "Abbott, Anderson Ruffin", Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online.
Sources
- Winks, Robin W. (1972). "Wilson Ruffin Abbott". Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Vol. X. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-3287-7.
- Hill, Daniel G. (1960). Negroes in Toronto: A Sociological Study of a Minority Group. University of Toronto Press.
- Hill, Daniel G. (1981). The freedom-seekers: Blacks in early Canada. Book Society of Canada. ISBN 0-7725-5283-5.
- "The Freedom Seekers". Black Dominion. 2009. Archived from the original on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
- 1801 births
- 1876 deaths
- American emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario
- American people of Scotch-Irish descent
- Businesspeople from Richmond, Virginia
- Politicians from Richmond, Virginia
- Canadian people of African-American descent
- Canadian people of Ulster-Scottish descent
- People from Old Toronto
- 19th-century Canadian businesspeople
- Toronto city councillors
- Immigrants to Upper Canada
- Black Canadian businesspeople
- Black Canadian politicians
- Upper Canada Rebellion people
- 19th-century American businesspeople
- 19th-century African-American businesspeople
- 19th-century American landowners
- Burials at Toronto Necropolis