Date Published:
March 2005

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

William Chewitt

Chewett, William (1753-1849), surveyor, was born in London, England, on December 21, 1753, and was educated as a hydrographical engineer in the service of the East India Company. He came to Canada in 1771, and served as an engineer in the defence of Quebec in 1775-6. In 1791 he was appointed deputy surveyor-general of Upper Canada, and afterwards he became, with Thomas Ridout, joint surveyor-general. A considerable part of the province of Ontario was first surveyed by him, and his maps were among the earliest sources of exact information regarding the topography of the province. He retired from the public service in 1832, and he died at Toronto on September 24, 1849. In 1791 he married Isabella, daughter of Major Archibald McDonell, of the Long Sault; and by her he had three sons and one daughter. See Bio graphical sketch of the late Colonel Chewett (Proceedings of the Association of Provincial Land Surveyors of Ontario, 1890).

Source  : W. Stewart WALLACE, ed., The Encyclopedia of Canada, Vol. II, Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 411p., p. 46.