He was born on April 12, 1776, in
Cornwallis Township, to Mason Cogswell and Lydia Huntington, and was educated at
King's College. He studied law with
Richard John Uniacke and was called to the bar in 1798, setting up practice in
Halifax. In 1805, Cogswell married Isabella Ellis. He was named deputy provincial secretary in 1812 and, in 1818,
Registrar of the Court of Chancery. In 1816, he purchased
The Carleton. With
Martin Gay Black and others, he helped establish the
Halifax Banking Company in 1825, serving as the first president for the bank. In 1831, Cogswell was named to the province's
Council. He also served as commissioner of the
vice admiralty court and president of the Halifax Board of Health. Cogswell was president of the Albion Fire and Life Insurance Company and of the Annapolis Iron Mining Company. An obvious target for political reformers, he lost most of his political appointments by 1841. Cogswell helped support the
Halifax Mechanics' Institute, was a generous supporter of King's College, and contributed to Halifax charities. In his later years, he lobbied for a railway link between Halifax and
Quebec City. He died at Halifax at the age of 78. His daughter
Isabella Binney Cogswell went on to become a prominent philanthropist, and his son
James Colquhoun Cogswell later served as president of the Halifax Banking Company. His son William Cogswell became a highly respected author and minister in the Anglican Church. == Legacy ==