John Askin

John Askin
Born	1739 Aughnacloy, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Died	1815 Sandwich, Upper Canada, (today Windsor, Ontario)
Occupation	Fur trader, Merchant, Official
Spouse(s)	Marie-Archange Barthe

John Askin (1739–1815) was a leading fur trader, merchant, and official. He was instrumental in the establishment of British rule in Upper Canada.

He was born in Aughnacloy, Northern Ireland in 1739; his ancestors are believed to have originally lived in Scotland with the surname Erskine. He came to North America with the British Army in 1758. After the British took over New France, he entered the fur trade and operated a trading post at Fort Michilimackinac. In 1781, he formed a partnership with Robert Hamilton and Richard Cartwright; Askin was based in Detroit. From 1786 to 1789, he was part of a group of trading companies known as the Miamis Company. He was also involved in a shipping business and land speculation; he was one of the partners involved in the Cuyahoga Purchase along the south shore of Lake Erie. In 1789, he was named justice of the peace at Detroit. When Detroit was turned over to the Americans in 1796, he became a justice of the peace for the Western District and moved to Sandwich (Windsor) in 1802. Askin was connected to the Family Compact through a number of business and social ties, particularly associating with James McGill, who underwrote much of his debt. Through these connections, he assumed a number of political roles, including lieutenant-colonel for the local militia, member of the Land Board of Hesse, and local magistrate.

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