Beasley, Hamilton

Beasley is the name of a neighbourhood in the Lower City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The Beasley neighbourhood is bounded in the north by the Canadian National Railway tracks just north of Barton Street, James Street (west), Main Street (south) and Wellington Street (east).HistoryThe Beasley neighbourhood is one of the oldest and one of the first 4 neighbourhoods of Hamilton. The other three being Central, Durand and Corktown. Named after Richard Beasley, (1761-1842), was a soldier, political figure, farmer and businessman in Upper Canada. Richard Beasley was one of Hamilton's first settlers who came to Canada from New York in 1777. Beasley occupied Burlington Heights (now the site of Dundurn and Harvey Parks) in 1790 & was granted land by the Crown in 1799. A local entrepreneur, Beasley's business ventures included fur trading, land acquisition and establishment of a grill mill in Ancaster. He was a member of the legislative assembly of Upper Canada from 1791 to 1804 and was appointed colonel of the 2nd regiment of the York militia in 1809. Financial difficulties forced Beasley to sell lands at Burlington Heights, but it was purchased in 1832 by Sir Allan Napier MacNab who built Dundurn Castle on foundations of Beasley's brick home.