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The Carson family has been in Kingston since 1840 or thereabouts when Robert Carson arrived. Two of his sons went on to become mayors of Kingston.

The Hon. Richard Cartwright (1759-1815) was born in Albany, New York. His early years were spent in study, until the outbreak of the American Revolution. In 1777 he left for Canada where he was appointed secretary to Colonel Butler of the Queen's Rangers. He served in that capacity for two years and in 1780 formed a partnership with the Hon. Robert Hamilton. Together they became two of the foremost merchants in Upper Canada. In 1784 the partnership was legally dissolved but they continued to cooperate closely in business affairs and became firmly established in a wholesale mercantile and shipping trade. In 1788, Cartwright was appointed judge of the Court of Common Pleas for the district of Mecklenburgh and in 1792 became a member of the Legislative Council of Upper Canada. During the War of 1812, he was commandant of the Midland District.

James Cartwright (1786-1811) was the eldest son of Richard and Magdalen Cartwright. After being educated by the Reverend John Strachen, James was sent to Quebec in 1803 for legal training and to learn French. In 1811, James and brother Richard Jr. took a journey to the Bahamas, Cuba and the south-eastern United States hoping to improve Richard's health. Richard died during the trip. James died later in 1811.

John Solomon Cartwright (1804-1845) was born in Kingston, Upper Canada, son of Richard Cartwright and twin brother of Rev. Robert Cartwright. He studied law in York (Toronto) and later at Lincoln's Inn, London. In 1831 he became president of the Commercial Bank of Kingston. In 1836 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada and in 1841 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of United Canada for Lennox and Addington. Offered the position of Solicitor General for Governor General Sir James Bagot in 1842, he declined.

Sir Richard Cartwright (1835-1912) was born in Kingston, the son of Rev. Robert David Cartwright and the grandson of the Hon. Richard Cartwright. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and upon returning to Canada became president of the Commercial Bank of the Midland District. In 1863 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly as a Conservative and in 1867 was elected to the Canadian House of Commons. He "crossed the floor" to join the ranks of the Liberal Party and was Minister of Finance in the Alexander Mackenzie administration from 1873 to 1878. In 1896 he became Minister of Trade and Commerce in the Laurier administration and in 1904 was appointed to the Senate, a post he held until his death.

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The Chown family holds an important place in Kingston’s local history. They have earned recognition because of the Chown Hardware business and its success. The Chown Hardware firm remained family owned and operated for over a hundred and twenty years. Over several generations, the descendents of Roger Chown expanded the hardware business, providing employment and prosperity from many Kingston locals. Arthur and Edwin Chown were the company’s primary founders, entering into the tinsmith trade 1837, four years after their arrival in Canada. In 1938, Chown Hardware Ltd. was formed as various family operations merged. The company operated in its limited form until 1967. Chown family members through their various endeavors, business and otherwise, had a significant impact on the Kingston community and local history.

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To date, little is known about the Code family aside from the knowledge that they resided in Smith Falls, Ontario at the end of the 19th century. Samuel Barber and T.F. Code both, attended the University of Toronto's School of Practical Science to study civil engineering. Samuel Barber Code graduated from the program in 1907. There is no further mention of T.F. Code. The material attributed to Thomas Singleton contains deeds of land and a record of financial transactions both of which suggest he was a wealthy resident of Smith Falls. It is assumed Samuel Barber Code and T.F. Code were related, but from the existing material no connection has been made to Thomas Singleton.

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George William Henry Comer was born the third son of John F.R. Comer and Elizabeth Barbara Comer on October 21, 1840 in Niagara, Upper Canada. The Comer family moved to a number of different places in Upper Canada including Port Robinson, Chippewa and Kingston. While in Kingston, George Comer attended grammar school from 1850 to 1854.

After leaving school Comer studied the business of printing, working at the Commercial Advertiser office in Kingston. George Comer continued to work in printing over the next ten years though not exclusively in Kingston. He worked for The Constitutional in St. Catherines, The Times in Hamilton, The Herald in Cleveland, Ohio and The Lorain County News in Oberlin, Ohio.

Comer returned to Kingston, Canada in 1861where he continued working at a variety of printing and accounting jobs. In 1868 George Comer was granted a Purser's position with the Canadian Navigation Company. His first appointment was on the Steamer Corinthian, and throughout the next twenty seasons worked on that ship as well as the Algerian and Spartan. During the winters Comer worked as a bookkeeper for a variety of companies and businesses in the area.

On April 1, 1891 George Comer was personally appointed to the Customs Department as a Preventative Officer by Sir John A. Macdonald. He worked for the Department for over 25 years and in 1919 received the Long Service Medal from King George IV.

George W. H. Comer died on January 5th, 1929. He had been predeceased by his wife Ellen Elizabeth Charles, of Garden Island and was survived by three of his seven children, Jessie Comer, Bessie Comer and Elizabeth Cassa White.

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