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History
William Kingsford, born in 1819 in the parish of St Lawrence Jewry, London, England, was a soldier, surveyor, journalist, publisher, civil engineer, businessman, office holder and author. He was educated at Nicholas Wanostracht's school in Camberwell, and in 1836 he enlisted in the 1st Dragoon Guards. He came with his regiment to Canada in 1837, and in 1840 was offered a commission, but preferred to obtain his discharge. In 1841, he entered the office of the city surveyor of Montreal, and in due course he qualified as a civil engineer. In 1873, he was appointed by the Canadian government to be the engineer in charge of the harbours of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence, but was dismissed in 1879. He devoted the rest of his life to historical research and wrote several volumes on the history of Canada. He died in 1898.