Richard Beasley (July 21, 1761 – February 16, 1842) was a soldier, political figure, farmer, and businessman in Upper Canada.
In 1788, he settled in Barton Township on Lake Ontario near the current city of Hamilton,[1] still involved in trading furs.
Richard Beasley became one of the founders of Ancaster when he gave millwright James Wilson half of the financial backing to build a grist-mill in 1791 and a sawmill in 1792.
[3] Beasley occupied Burlington Heights (now the site of Dundurn Castle and Harvey Park) in 1790, establishing a trading operation there.
After the War of 1812, he regained his land from the British and took part in a convention organized by radical reformer Robert Fleming Gourlay.
Notable features of this neighbourhood include Landmark Place, Royal Connaught Hotel and Beasley Park, which was also named after him.