William Thomas Benson

William Thomas Benson (20 April 1824 – 8 June 1885) was born at Kendal, England and, after some years in business in England, immigrated to Canada in 1858. In Montreal, Benson met a man with whom he formed a partnership to open the first starch factory in Canada. Benson and Aspden established a starch factory in 1858 in the village of Edwardsburg (Cardinal), Canada West. This enterprise eventually evolved into the Canada Starch Company in 1906 under his son, George Frederick Benson. He was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in 1882 to represent the riding of Grenville South. He died in office in 1885 in Cardinal, Ontario.