Charles Symmes (April 4, 1798 – August 25, 1868) was an American-born business owner and politician in Quebec.

[2] Philemon Junior founded the village in 1818, when he cleared the farm, built the Wright Hotel, a house, a tavern and two stores to accommodate all the travelers who journeyed above the falls, up the Ottawa River.

[5] Despite the dispute - and contrary to the tales from some historians - relations between Charles and his uncle always remained cordial, as illustrated by their correspondence - Symmes even named two of his children after Wrights.

In 1831, Symmes donated land for the construction of churches and public buildings - the post office, courthouse and jail - and the village began to be called Aylmer to honour Lord Aylmer, the governor of Lower Canada.

Together, they had nine children: Abigail, Elizabeth, Charles, John, Thomas, Edmund, Tiberius and Hannah.