Ezekiel Hart
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Ezekiel Hart Esq. |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 15, 1770 Trois-Rivières, Province of Quebec |
| Died | September 16, 1843 (aged 73) Trois-Rivières, United Province of Canada |
| Spouse(s) | Frances Lazarus |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, Politician |
| Religion | Jewish |
Ezekiel Hart (May 15, 1770 – September 16, 1843) was an entrepreneur and politician in British North America. He is often said to be the first Jew to be elected to public office in the British Empire, though this assertion is discredited by the election of Francis Salvador to the South Carolina General Assembly in 1774.
He was elected three times by the voters of Trois-Rivières to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada. Some members consistently prevented him from taking his seat by observing that as a Jew, he could not take the oath of office, which included the phrase "on the true faith of a Christian".
Hart was born May 15, 1767 at Trois-Rivières, Quebec, to Aaron Hart and Dorothea Judah. His father was member of the British forces, and a well-known and successful businessman in Lower Canada.
Hart obtained part of his education in the United States. In 1792 his father involved him in his fur trade activities. On January 29, 1794 he married Frances Lazarus, niece of Ephraim Hart. He, along with his brother Benjamin, served as a colonel in the militia during the American War of Independence.
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Wikipedia