Henry Cockshutt

Henry "Harry" Cockshutt, (July 8, 1868 – November 26, 1944) was a Canadian businessman and politician who served as the 13th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1921 until 1927.

Early life and business career Born in Brantford, Ontario on July 8, 1868, the son of Ignatius Cockshutt and Elizabeth Foster, he started working in the family business, Cockshutt Plow Company, in 1884. He worked his way up through the company, becoming the secretary-treasurer in 1888. In 1893, he became the company's managing director. In 1896, he married Isabelle Rolls. They had two daughters. In 1895, he began an international tour to drum up customers for the family business. In January 1898 he was elected president of the Brantford Board of Trade.

In 1906 he was president of the Canadian Manufacturers' Association. After taking over, the company moved from a family-owned business to one that was publicly traded. He also began expanding the company, acquiring the Avery Wagon Company, the Brantford Carriage Company and the Frost and Wood Company Limited, using them to provide a wide range of farm implements to farmers. Cockshutt also sat on the board of directors of large corporations including the Bank of Montreal, Canadian Pacific Railway, and the Bell Telephone Company, which was special for him as he had met the founder, Alexander Graham Bell, as a child.

Public life In 1889, Cockshutt was elected to Brantford City Council as an alderman. In 1916, Cockshutt was given the rank of honorary colonel of the 25th Brant Dragoons. He retired from the Canadian militia in 1926. He lost to the Liberal–Unionist candidate, John Harold, though there were voting discrepancies as Cockshutt's name was left off ballots provided to soldiers overseas with the CEF. Cockshutt demanded a recount, but after both General Andrew McNaughton, the special election authority designated by the government to oversee the soldiers' vote, and a legal decision stated they had no power to overturn the results, he withdrew his demand. In 1934, he retired as president of the Cockshutt Plow Company

Legacy Cockshutt Park, named after him, is located in West Brant, which has batting cages, a playground, and four baseball diamonds, including Arnold Anderson Stadium, home of the Brantford Red Sox.

Electoral record