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Ezekiel Hart (May 15 1770 - September 16 1843) was a Canadian entrepreneur and politician.

He was born at Trois-Rivières, Quebec in 1770, the son of Aaron Hart and Dorothea Judah. Hart established a brewery in Trois-Rivières and, on April 11 1807 was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada. He caused great controversy when, being Jewish he swore his oath on a Jewish Bible. At the time, British laws prohibited Jews from such positions, and Hart was expelled from the assembly. Hart's expulsion, in part, led to the dissolution of the assembly a short time later. He was elected again in 1808 and once again expelled.

Hart did not run for public office again. He continued to live in Trois-Rivières until his death where he was a successful businessman and well-respected member of the community. He served in the militia during the War of 1812 and became colonel in 1830. He was one of the founders of the Bank of Montreal in 1817.

His brother Moses was a businessman and property owner at Trois-Rivières. His brother Benjamin was an important businessman at Montreal. His cousin Henry Judah later became a member of the legislative assembly for the Province of Canada.

See also

• Jews in Canada

External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• The Canadian Encyclopedia
• Hart's obituary

• 1770 births
• 1843 deaths
• Canadian Jews
• Mauricie Politicians
• Members of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
• People from Trois-Rivières
• Pre-Confederation Canadian businesspeople