Solomon Yeomans Chesley (April 29, 1796 – November 5, 1880) was a public servant and political figure in Canada West.
He was born in Shodack, in Rensselaer County, New York, in 1796 and came to Cornwall with his parents in 1800. In 1806, he settled on Mohawk land at St. Regis. He became fluent in the language and became an interpreter in the Indian Department. He served during the War of 1812, becoming lieutenant of the St Regis Company of Indian Warriors in 1814. In 1832, he became superintendent at St Regis. Chesley created some controversy in 1835 when he arranged for a schoolmaster to teach there without consulting the Roman Catholic Church.[1]
He continued working with the Indian Department until 1859, when it was transferred from the British government to the government of the Province of Canada. He retired that year, having served several times as acting superintendent-general and being the longest-serving member of the Indian Department.[1]
On his retirement, Chesley returned to Cornwall. In 1860, he was elected mayor of the city, serving for one year.[3] He later moved to Ottawa. In 1872, he became a member of the New England Company, a Church of England society that promoted education for native people. Chelsey died in Ottawa in 1880.
^Paul G. Cornell, Alignment of Political Groups in Canada 1841-67 (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1962; reprinted in paperback, 2015), at pp. 6, 7, 10, 17, 74.