Amos Wright

Amos Wright (November 24, 1809 – March 31, 1886) was a Canadian farmer and politician.

Born in Leeds County, he moved with his family to Richmond Hill, where he seemingly abandoned his education to become a farmer and mill-owner. In 1850 he becomes reeve of Markham Township, but lost in 1854.

In 1857 Wright chaired a meeting which pressed for Richmond Hill's incorporation as a village. This goal, though not immediately achieved, was eventually fulfilled in 1873.

From 1852 to 1867 Wright represented East York as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, and was noted as an ally of George Brown. Following Confederation, and after William Pearce Howland resigned to become Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Amos Wright gained his seat in the Canadian House of Commons in a federal by-election on August 14, 1868 and came to represent York West. He retired from politics on July 8, 1872, before the next election.

In 1875 Wright was appointed Federal Indian Agent and Ontario's Crown Agent for the Thunder Bay area; (Wright resided in the then-named Port Arthur). While his Provincial appointment lasted until 1886, he was involved in alleged conflict of interest controversy in his Federal capacity of Indian Agent. In this controversy, religious issues are also said to have played a part; in any case, Wright, a Methodist from an essentially Protestant background, was replaced as Federal Indian Agent in 1883.

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