The Cawthra Family of Toronto was famous for its business, social and cultural contributions to the city. They are one of the oldest families in Toronto, and many descendants of the House of Cawthra's founder, Joseph Cawthra, continue to play significant roles in Toronto society.
Joseph Cawthra migrated to Canada from Yorkshire in 1803. In 1809, he acquired a large parcel of land along the Ontario lakeshore and the Credit River, near the present-day Port Credit. The narrow dirt road that cut through his property is now the Cawthra road of Mississauga. Sometime later, the Cawthra family moved to the Town of York, where William Cawthra acquired several properties.