However the drama proper in Montreal dates especially from

1804, when a Mr. Ormsby, from the Theatre Royal, Edinborough,

established a company of comedians to perform a play in five

acts called “The Busy Body” and a farce entitled “The Sultan.” A

building next to the old postoffice was fitted up and the charges

were: boxes, 5s. and gallery, 2s. 6d. Circuses came and went, a

notable one taking place in 1812. In the early ’40s there was

still standing the Theatre Royal, built in 1825 and situated

opposite Rasco’s Hotel on Bonsecours Street, then the great hotel

of the city and it was in this house that Charles Dickens acted

during his visit in 1842. The second Theatre Royal, in Coté

Street was opened in 1850, and which after a long, splendid and

eventful career, closed its doors ignominiously in 1913. One of

its early lessees was J.W. Buckland, who engaged a good stock

company, which gave such plays as “Peg Woffington,” “Rob Roy” and

“The Cricket on the Hearth.” This theatre in its palmiest days

enjoyed the patronage of the élite and military of the city and

when any stars visited Montreal, such as Jenny Lind, Patti and

Kean, the Theatre Royal was the scene of their triumphs.[1]

The present City Hall Annex on Gosford Street is built on the

site of the old Dominion Theatre, which up to 1864 had been an

Anglican church, then a vinegar factory, before being turned

into what the proprietors claimed to be the largest and most

up-to-date theatre in the city. But it did not have a very long

life. One of the first plays to be given on its stage was the

“Commune,” a sensational melodrama of the French Commune. Kate

Quinton, who in her day had somewhat of a reputation, was the

star of the play. After one year of melodrama the proprietors

tried vaudeville, principally using local talent. It was at this

theatre that Madame Albani, then Miss Emma Lejeunesse of Chambly,

whose father was a music teacher, made one of her earliest

appearances as a pianist. In those early days the great singer

did not know that she possessed the wonderful voice which has

since entranced the world with its beauty. In 1871 the Dominion

changed the character of its bill of fare again, this time to

opera, under the name of Debar’s Opera House, though dramatic

plays were given at times as a change. It was at this theatre

that L. Guyon, in 1878, tried his prentice hand as a dramatist

in the play “Le Secret de la Roche Noire.” The following year

another play from his pen was produced “La Fleur de Lys.” The

plays were staged by the local Cercle Dramatique Jacques Cartier.

This society continued to produce plays until 1889 when the

theatre, which had been its home was sold. Since that date many

French Canadian dramatic societies, such as those at the Theâtre

National Français and the Theâtre des Nouveautés, have come into

being most of them being very successful, indeed it has been said

by the critics that the standing of these amateur productions is

often higher than that of visiting professional companies.

As the residential part of the city spread northwards the Queen’s

Hall appeared on St. Catherine Street, between University and

Victoria streets, being burnt down in 1874, about which time a

new theatre was built called “The Academy of Music,” on Victoria

Street, which in a short time took the place of the Theatre

Royal as the fashionable place of amusement. On its stage many

famous actors have appeared--Irving, Terry, Bancroft, Wyndham,

Toole--etc. In time “His Majesty’s Theatre” became the leading

English theatre and about the same time the “Français” was

opened, first for the production of French plays and afterward

for melodrama, as well as a number of small French theatres.

The position of the English theatres in 1908 stood as follows:

leading theatre, “His Majesty’s”; for musical comedy, “Academy of

Music”; for melodrama, the “Français”; for burlesque, the “Royal”

and the “Theatre Royal.” The “Princess” for general purposes

followed immediately.

Until recently, with an occasional visit by an English company,

most of the plays put on the Montreal boards were by companies

from the United States, but during the last four years England’s

best companies have visited Montreal, including Marie Tempest,

Sir Beerbohm Tree, Sir Forbes Robertson, Sir Charles Wyndham,

Horniman Players, Charles Harvey, etc. To-day there are catering

to the English public, two first class theatres (“His Majesty’s”

and “Princess”), one vaudeville (“Orpheum”), one burlesque

(“Gaiety”), and 200 moving picture theatres, headed by the

“Imperial,” which holds about 2,500 people.

There are a number of small French theatres, one or two

running stock, but most of them are the home of amateur

dramatic companies, and consequently circumscribed in doing

really ambitious work, but as already stated, very creditable

performances are to be seen at these theatres. Sarah Bernhardt,

the great French actress, has played in Montreal several times

and her art has always been equally acceptable to English

and French, thus drawing full houses in the largest theatre

available. Of late years the “Arena,” a skating rink, has been

the scene of the greatest gatherings for concerts, horse shows

and motor shows.

The Monument National has been the scene of many ambitious and

successful French dramas and comedies. There also are given, from

time to time, good dramas in Hebrew by competent artists and

these plays, mostly of a serious nature, are much appreciated by

the Jewish residents of Montreal.

Among the amateur dramatic societies there is La Section

Littéraire et Dramatique du Cercle Jeanne D’Arc, while many of

the churches, colleges and schools have their own societies,

the best known of which, that attached to Trinity Church, which

under the well known Montreal actor, W.A. Tremayne, gives, during

the season, a production of a very high order each month. The

Dickens’ Fellowship also gives each season representations of the

dramatized works of the great master.

The amateur drama has not fared ill in Montreal. It was in

Montreal that the great Canadian actress, Margaret Anglin,

received her education in a convent of this city; other artists

educated here being Maxine Elliot, Gertrude Elliot, the wife of

Sir Forbes Robertson; Miss Marie Tempest, and Madame Donalda, the

Canadian singer.

As a sign of the interest being awakened in the drama in

Montreal, it is pleasing to record the birth, during the last two

years, of the Drama League for the purposes of promoting the true

interests of the theatre and the cultivation of a right drama in

the city.

MUSIC

Music naturally came into this country with the French, who are

essentially musical, for the church encouraged this trait by

affording many occasions for the best music. Good voices were

easily procurable and every encouragement was also given to

orchestral music, both in the churches and in the home. From

this there spread out the desire for musical associations. Among

modern societies that of the Société de Ste. Cécile was founded

by A.J. Boucher on November 11, 1860, and there followed in

1861 the Société Musicale des Montaguards Canadiens founded by

François Benoit. The English also did not neglect musical culture

and about this time the “Amateur Musical League of Montreal” was

founded by a Mr. Torrington who was organist of the St. James

Methodist Church.

Perhaps the most noted musical organization which Montreal has

ever possessed was the Mendelssohn Choir, a private society

initiated in 1884 by the late Mr. Joseph Gould, who during its

whole musical life of thirty years, acted as its sole business

manager and conductor. The Choir was composed of picked voices,

to the number, in its later years, of about one hundred and

twenty-five. Its _forte_ lay in its remarkable unaccompanied

part-singing which was compared by competent judges with the best

performances of Henry Leslie’s choir in London, in those days,

perhaps the most famous body of its kind in the world.

The first Mendelssohn Choir concerts were given in Mr. Gould’s

piano warerooms on St. James’ Street, admission being exclusively

by invitation. After a few years, subscribing annual members were

received, in addition to the active members. The concerts thus

became, and thereafter continued to be, subscription concerts;

and were given in the principal public halls, the Mechanics’

Hall, the Queen’s Hall, and others being successively used.

Many of the most celebrated artists, both instrumentalists

and vocalists, who have visited Montreal, were introduced to

the public at Mendelssohn Choir concerts, although the chief

attraction always continued to be the singing of the Choir

itself, whose reputation gradually extended throughout Canada to

the United States and even to Europe.

In 1894 Mr. Gould, owing chiefly to failing health, resigned his

position as conductor and director, and the Choir, unwilling to

sing under any other leader, voluntarily disbanded.

Two other contemporary musical societies at this period have

also left a void in the city. The Handel and Hayden Society and

the Philharmonic, the former being led by Professor Rayner, and

the latter organization as notable as the Mendelssohn Choir,

by Professor Couture. The rôle of the Philharmonic, however,

was oratorio with orchestral accompaniment. The first steps for

organization were taken in 1877 by three concerts given under

the name of the Montreal Musical Festival held in the Victoria

Skating Rink. The object was to produce in Montreal two of the

grand musical productions with first class soloists, choir and

orchestra, after the manner of the great English festivals.

The name of the “Montreal Philharmonic” appeared on December

17, 1877, on the first programme of the new combination, at

the concert held in the Academy of Music, then new. Its first

president and conductor was Dr. McLagan, who was followed in 1879

by Mr. F.E. Lucy-Barnes, and by Mr. Couture, who undertook his

first concert on December 9, 1880, and who directed his large

choirs, averaging two hundred and fifty voices, till the lapse

of the Philharmonic in 1899. From its inception most of the

great oratorios including the works of Wagner were excellently

rendered, supplemented by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and

others of a continental reputation. The soloists were the best

available artists before the public on the continent, including

Emma Thursby, Max Heinrich, Prehn, W. Ludwig, W.H. Regia, Emma

Juch, Martens, Conrad Behrens, Emma Poole King, Frangcon Davies,

Irene Devny, Etalka Gerster and others, the work of inviting

these falling for the last eleven years on the secretary, Mr.

Arthur H. Browning. The presidents of the association have been

Messrs. Arthur W. Perkins, Hector McKenzie, Angus W. Hooper and

Charles Cassels.

Since the cessation of these associations, which fell because

of insufficient support and suitable concert halls, nothing has

replaced them adequately. The most notable body of today is the

“Chorale St. Louis de France,” attached to the church of that

name. Other churches produce oratorios but without the same

resources as the combinations of the past. Although in the more

modern city the great European and American soloists are brought

there is not the same degree of musical education for the people

as in the more quiet and studious times of a quarter of a century

ago.

Miller’s Band, attached to the British regiments stationed in

Montreal, was a most popular musical institution for many years.

It played often at the Viger Gardens and was instrumental in

creating a taste for good music among the residents of the city.

The band remained here until the military left in the fall of

1869, returning to England with the regiments. After it left,

things were somewhat dull in Montreal until a number of the Grand

Trunk employees organized a band made up of the musicians of the

disbanded regiments who preferred to stay in Montreal rather than

go back to England. The conductor was a man named Zeiglar. Early

in the ’70s the Boston Symphony Orchestra began to come and small

opera troupes of Italian singers about the same time who gave

concerts in the Mechanics’ Hall. Christine Neilson was heard in

the Victoria Skating Rink.

In 1871, a season of grand opera was given in Montreal by Sig.

Enrico Corana, the company including the following stars: Madame

Elena Corani, Madle, Caterani Lami, Sigs. Pietro Baccei, G.

Reina, G. Pauliny, Nicolini and Nicolao. The operas included

Donizetti’s Lucretia Borgia and Flotow’s Martha, but it was not

until about four years ago that a full season was given in the

city by the Montreal Grand Opera Company which, after running two

seasons, was disbanded because of the great financial deficit. It

was found that to make grand opera pay in Montreal a much larger

theatre was required to hold a sufficiently big audience to pay

for the elaborate production required today. Practically every

modern musical genius of the world has visited Montreal and since

orchestral music has taken hold of the public, both New York and

Boston having sent their best organizations to the city.

The bands attached to the four local regiments and the St.

Louis Cadets are well trained musicians who periodically, but

not often, give concerts in the parks of the city. A number of

private bands, both orchestral and military are also doing good

work.

Educationally Montreal has made great advances in music during

this last ten years. McGill University has added to its

curriculum courses in instrumental and vocal music through its

Conservatorium of Music, under the directorship of Doctor Perrin

(late organist of Canterbury Cathedral, England) and gives

degrees to its successful pupils, and both the Royal Academy of

Music and the London College of Music have branches in the city.

But for a large city, where there is as much instrumental talent,

there is a singular lack of orchestral entertainment for the

public. The appetite for culture grows on what it feeds; the food

being scanty the growth is small.

NEWSPAPERS--MONTREAL HISTORIES

The newspapers and periodicals of a city being among the chief

means of popular education and also a running historical

commentary of the times, a brief synopsis of the present

situation may now be given:

At present there are the following newspapers:

ENGLISH

The Gazette, originally published by Fleury Mesplet in French

on June 3, 1778, under the title of “Gazette der Commerce et

Littéraire.”

(The Quebec Gazette appeared in French and English from June

21, 1764, to October 30, 1874.) The Gazette in Montreal quickly

became English. Curiously enough there have been others of the

same name. There was the Montreal Gazette, started on August

3, 1795, published by Edwards in both languages, till 1801.

Another of the same name appeared in 1796, by Joseph Roy, but its

existence was short.

The Montreal Herald was founded on October 19, 1811, and was

printed by William Gray.

The Montreal Evening Star was founded as a daily in 1869 by (Sir)

Hugh Graham. (The Weekly Star also appears.)

The Weekly Witness (the sequent of the Montreal Witness) was

established as a weekly in 1846 and as a daily in 1860.

[Illustration: MONUMENT TO JACQUES CARTIER, DISCOVERER OF

MONTREAL, ERECTED AT ST. HENRI, MONTREAL]

The Weekly Standard appeared first September 23, 1905.

The Daily Mail, published by the Daily Mail Publishing Company,

appeared on October 5, 1913.

The Evening News, published by the News Publishing Company at

Montreal (M.E. Nichols and B.A. Macnab editors and managers),

appeared on May 27, 1914.

Beck’s Weekly, published by Edward Beck, appeared March 21, 1914.

FRENCH

La Patrie was founded on February 24, 1879.

La Presse was founded by T. Berthiaume in 1884. (A paper of the

same name appeared with one issue only in the previous year, on

May 1st.)

Le Canada was founded in April, 1903.

Le Devoir, founded by Henri Bourassa, appeared first on January

11, 1910. There are also the following weeklies: Le Pays, Le

Bullétin, Le Canard (illustrated), La Croix, L’Opinion, Le Prix

Courant and Le Samedi.

There are other racial papers, the Jewish Chronicle in English

and Der Adler (The Eagle) in Yiddish, and two Italian papers.

Commercial Montreal has a daily newspaper under the name of the

Journal of Commerce, an amalgamation of the Journal of Commerce,

established in 1852, the Shareholder, established in 1856, and

the following weeklies: The Financial Times; Trade Bulletin,

1882; Le Moniteur de Commerce, 1880.

There are also published in the city a number of educational,

technical, religious and trade periodicals, and the following

monthlies: the Canada West Indian Magazine, the Canadian

Municipal Journal, La Revue Populaire, La Revue Canadienne, etc.

It would be a fascinating study to pursue the history of defunct

newspapers, but, since up to 1904 Dr. Dionne made his abstract of

the names and numbers of 800 newspapers, journals, etc., printed

at one time or another in French in the Province of Quebec,

and 681 in English, of both of which so many have appeared at

Montreal, the treatment to be given would outrun this present

purpose. The same is to be said of the history of publications of

a general character which in 1906 amounted to 2,921 in English

and 3,092 in French, registered and published in the Province of

Quebec.

Montreal has taken a great part as the publication centre of the

above. As, however, the treatment adopted has been the record

of institutions rather than personal works, the appreciation of

Montreal writers in French and English is here foregone. A note

may be placed on our historians.

MONTREAL HISTORIES

The literature of Montreal begins with Jacques Cartier,[2] who

wrote a full description of his visit to Hochelaga in 1535 and

described the people there. The next writer was Samuel de

Champlain in the beginning of the seventeenth century, who made

his map of the island and described his trading post at Place

Royale. After the foundation of Montreal in 1642 the Jesuits in

their “Relations” have given us sidelights of its progress and

after the coming of the Sulpicians in 1657 and Dollier de Casson,

the soldier Sulpician, wrote the first “Histoire de Montreal.”

Another contemporary Sulpician of Montreal, the Abbé de Belmont,

wrote a history of Canada. The Jesuit Charlevoix, who wrote his

history of Canada later, at the end of the first quarter of the

eighteenth century, penned much of his work at Montreal. Peter

Kalm, the Swiss traveller, has left us a valuable picture of

1749. Later writers who have contributed to our knowledge of

Montreal are Montcalm and De Levis, the soldiers who had their

headquarters in this city and whose letters and journals contain

much history leading to the fall of Montreal in 1760.

Under the English rule the French writers, who have contributed

to our knowledge of the history of Montreal have been the

following: The Montreal historian, Michel Bibaud, who in 1837

published the first volume of his “Histoire du Canada Sous

la Domination Française.” Jacques Viger, the first Mayor of

Montreal, began publishing his various archaeological and

historical studies of the city about 1840. Between 1852 and 1865

the Abbé Fallon published the lives of Marguerite Bourgeoys,

Jeanne Mance and Madame d’Youville, and his lengthy work of

the “Histoire de La Colonie Française,” which only went as far

as 1672 but contains valuable Montreal history. The same is to

be said of the history of F.X. Garneau, who, however, is to

be more closely connected with Quebec. The Montreal Societe

Historique and the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society have

each produced writers already named who have surveyed Montreal

under the historical or archaeological aspect. The “Annuaire de

Ville Marie,” by Huguet-Latour, is one of such contributions. A

“Histoire Populaire de Montreal” was published by M. le Bloud

Brumath in 1890.

With reference to English historians of Montreal outside the

fugitive references in works by Heriot, Weld, Lambert and

others, no important specific history of the city appeared

until “Hochelaga Depicta” by Newton Bosworth in 1839, followed

in 1870 by Alfred Sandham’s “Ville Marie, Past and Present,”

which later was succeeded by the Rev. J. Bosworth’s Studies of

Montreal, the History of Montreal (in 1875), that of the prisons

(1886), and others later. In 1887 the Rev. Robert Campbell, D.D.,

published his History of St. Gabriel Street Church, which was

a valuable contribution to the “Scotch” history of the city.

“Lights and Shrines” and “Montreal after 250 Years,” appeared by

W.D. Lighthall in 1892 to celebrate the two hundred and fiftieth

anniversary of the foundation of the city. Terrill’s “Chronology

of Montreal and Canada” appeared in 1893. Of late years there

have also been several sketches and semi-advertising ventures

of a historical nature. In addition there have been numerous

gazeteers and studies, in French and English, of Montreal

personages, the last to appear being that of the History and

Times of George Etienne Cartier by John Boyd.

The occasion of the international war of 1914 affords a suitable

opportunity for the publication of the present work, to fill in

the gaps left by earlier works on Montreal.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] One of the best known of Montreal dramatic writers was

Charles Heavysege whose dramas of Saul, Count Felipo and Jeptha’s

Daughter, published in the early ’60s, gave him an international

reputation.

[2] See the History of Montreal, Volume I Under the French

Regime. (1535-1914.)

CHAPTER XXX

NATIONAL ORIGINS OF THE POPULATION

1834, THE YEAR OF THE SIMULTANEOUS ORIGIN OF THE EARLIEST

NATIONAL SOCIETIES.

ST. JEAN BAPTISTE ASSOCIATION--REORGANIZATION IN 1843--THE

“MONUMENT NATIONAL”--EDUCATION AND SOCIAL AMELIORATIONS--THE

FRENCH-CANADIAN SPIRIT--PRESIDENTS.

ST. GEORGE’S SOCIETY--A CELEBRATION IN 1821--OBJECT--EARLIEST

OFFICERS--THE HISTORY OF ST. GEORGE’S HOME--PRESIDENTS.

ST. ANDREW’S SOCIETY--ORGANIZATION AND FIRST OFFICERS--JOINT

PROCESSIONS OF NATIONAL SOCIETIES--EARLIEST CHARITABLE

ACTIVITIES--THE HEALTH OF THE POPE--THE LORD ELGIN

INCIDENT--THE CRIMEAN WAR--SUBSCRIPTION TO A PATRIOTIC

FUND--THE HISTORY OF ST. ANDREW’S HOME BEGINS--THE HISTORY

OF ST. ANDREW’S HALL--CONDOLENCE ON DEATH OF D’ARCY

MCGEE--PRESIDENTS.

ST. PATRICK’S SOCIETY--ORIGINALLY NON-DENOMINATIONAL--EARLY

PRESIDENTS--THE REORGANIZATION IN 1856--FIRST OFFICERS--FIRST

SOIREE--FIRST ANNIVERSARY DINNER--NATIONAL SOCIETIES

PRESENT--THE TOASTS--IRISH COMPANIES IN CORPUS CHRISTI

PROCESSION--IRISH PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATION--T. D’ARCY

M’GEE--EMIGRATION WORK--ST. PATRICK’S HALL--PRESIDENTS.

IRISH PROTESTANT BENEVOLENT SOCIETY--EARLY

MEMBERS--WORKS--PRESIDENTS.

GERMAN SOCIETY--HISTORY AND PRESIDENTS.

WELSH SOCIETY--ORIGINALLY THE “WELSH UNION OF

MONTREAL”--AFTERWARD--ITS OBJECT--PRESIDENTS.

NEWFOUNDLAND SOCIETY--ORIGIN--PRESIDENTS.

THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT--- THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.

OTHER NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND CENSUS OF POPULATION FOR 1911.

The history of the diverse elements of the population may

be best told through that of their representative national

societies. About 1834 the peculiar political crisis through

which the country was passing turned the thoughts of the racial

leaders of the various component parts of the city towards

self-preservation. Politically there were the two camps, the

Anglo-Saxon Community and the Franco-Canadians. Already there was

in existence for the Anglo-Canadian party the “Constitutional

Association,” but this was not felt to be adequate without the

additional strength of strictly national societies on patriotic

lines. Hence the St. George’s, St. Patrick’s, St. Andrew’s

and the German Societies were formed almost simultaneously.

Racially the motive of self-preservation was stimulated by the

necessity of meeting the needs of the now increasing flow of

immigrants from their respective fatherlands, who looked for

some institution to give them a welcoming hand on reaching the

city. The association of St. Jean Baptiste representing French

Canadian interests had the same dual object, fraternity and

benevolence, and the charters of all resemble one another very

much in this last respect. Latterly other associations have been

formed and cooperate in the welfare of the city. All of these

associations representing the diverse sections of the community,

are in harmony with one another and preserve the principles of

“Concordia Salus.”

ST. JEAN BAPTISTE SOCIETY

The basis of the association of St. Jean Baptiste was laid by

Ludger Duvernay on June 24, 1834, in the critical period when

the seeds were being sown to fructify in the years of rebellion

of 1837-38. The date named was the occasion of a banquet which

was held in Mr. John McDonnell’s garden on St. Antoine Street,

under the chairmanship of the Hon. Jacques Viger, then mayor

of Montreal. The basis of a French Canadian National Society

was then laid. The ends of the society were to unite all French

Canadians for fraternal purposes, for union, and for the

promotion of the national and industrial interests of all French

Canadians and the members of the Association in particular. The

annual subscriptions were to be employed in works of beneficence,

assisting members affected by adversity or sickness, and burying

those who died in poverty.

The sorrows of 1837 suspended the annual celebration of the

national fête and, owing to the exile of M. Ludger Duvernay

and several of the others who had been proscribed, the work of

reorganization did not recommence until the former’s return

in 1842. On June 9, 1843, the first general assembly met

for reorganization in a hall in St. Ann’s market, under the

chairmanship of the Hon. D.B. Viger, with George Etienne Cartier

as secretary.

The city was divided into four sections for the operation of

their works of beneficence. Each section was to have, subject

to annual elections, three vice presidents, a treasurer, two

secretaries and four teachers. In addition the association was to

have the following officers elected annually: A president, four

vice presidents, a treasurer, four secretaries, four teachers and

a “commissaire ordinateur.” The minutes of this meeting of 1843

reveal the following elections:

1. Section de La Ville (embracing the limits of the city as then

known).

President: The Hon. D.B. Viger.

Vice Presidents: Joseph Roy, E.R. Fabre, James McGill

Desrivières, Jean Bruneau.

General Treasurer: Joseph Boulanger.

Secretaries: Joseph Belle, L.O. Lamoureux, M. Martel C. Roy.

Commissaire Ordonnateur: General manager, Ludger Duvernay.

2. Section St. Antoine (comprising St. Ann, St. Joseph and St.

Antoine suburbs and the adjoining districts).

Vice Presidents: John Donegani, E.M. Leprohon, O. Frechette.

Treasurer: Damase Masson.

Secretary: Agapit Morin.

3. Section St. Laurent (comprising the St. Lawrence suburb and

adjoining district).

Vice Presidents: Augustin Perrault, Joseph Vallée, Fleury

St. Jean.

Treasurer: Meneclier de Monochon.

Secretaries: A. Gauthier, M. Pommainville.

4. Ste. Marie (comprising the St. Louis and Quebec suburbs and

the adjoining districts).

Vice Presidents: L.M. Viger, Joseph Grenier, Pierre Damour.

Treasurer: Louis Boyer.

Secretaries: J.P.A. Poitras, C.A. Leblanc.

In addition a general committee was appointed for the association

of the following: Joseph Bourret, C.S. Cherrier, B.H. LeMoyne,

A.M. Deslisle, Jacques Viger, P. Beaubien, C.S. Rodier, G.E.

Cartier, J.D. Bernard, John Jordan, P. Lacombe, François Perrin,

O. Berthelet, J.G. Barthe, A. Laframboise, John McDonnell, Louis

Comte, J.A. Berthelet, N. Dumas, J.A. Labadie, P. Jodoin, R.

Trudeau, J.L. Beaudry, Hubert Lepage.

[Illustration: THE OLD BANK OF MONTREAL. AFTERWARDS THE BANQUE

DU PEUPLE. The above picture was taken in 1872 by W. Raphael and

represents a St. Jean Baptiste procession. The “Flaxman” bas

reliefs on the exterior are now inserted in the portion of the

present General Post Office, which marks the old site of the

above bank.]

On the 24th of June of the following year, 1844, the feast of St.

Jean Baptiste, the national fête, was celebrated in the manner

now customary, a solemn high mass at Notre Dame Parish Church was

followed by an imposing procession and succeeded by patriotic

discourses on love of country and brotherhood. The association

has continued with success to the present day.[1]

Some of the developments of the association may be recorded.

In 1873 Mr. L.O. David took the lead in inviting the French

National Societies of Canada and the United States to join that

of the St. Jean Baptiste Society at Montreal on the 24th of

June of 1874 in a striking demonstration. This was realized. It

was the occasion of many fruitful ideas for further development

which were to bear fruit in time. Thus when there was question

in 1884 of celebrating the fiftieth anniversary, Mr. L.O.

David proposed the foundation of a national headquarters for

French-Canadians. As a result land was bought for the purpose

at the corner of Craig and Gosford streets, and the celebration

of the 24th of June, 1884, included the laying of a foundation

stone of the new building. Financial difficulties delayed further

progress, but in 1886 Dr. E.P. Lachapelle, the president, took

up the project anew. In the following year Mr. L.O. David, who

was a member of the legislative assembly at Quebec, obtained a

new charter and prevailed upon the Mercier government to give

$10,000 for the construction of the building. Further money was

raised by bazaars, concerts and by shares, till the money reached

the round sum of $50,000. In 1890 the land on the present site

of the “Monument National” was purchased on St. Lawrence Main

Street. The foundations of the edifice were laid in the spring

of 1901 and the work was completed in 1903. The name desired by

its founders was the “Académie Nationale,” but popular desire

centered on “Monument National” as the name which best expressed

the demonstration of the sentiment of French-Canadian patriotism

underlying the movement. Before completion, the cost of the

building, apart from the purchase money for the site, rose to

$200,000. The resources of the financial committee and of the

two treasurers of the association, MM. A.S. Hamelin and J.C.

Beauchamp, were highly taxed for a long period. It will be seen

that in the early conception of the functions of the association

popular education held a foremost part, hence the constitutions

provided for “Precépteurs.” The first move, therefore, was to

establish the public free courses in instruction which are

maintained today with such efficiency of development.

The following courses were first instituted: Mines and

metallurgy; industrial mechanics; architecture and building;

electricity; universal history; commerce; elocution; agriculture

and colonization; and Grammaire Parlée. A dramatic section to

promote a taste for the purity of French was early added and

under the name of “Soirée de famille” represented most of the

masterpieces of the French drama. These are now discontinued,

the movement being taken up elsewhere, but the courses have been

continually improved and modernized to meet the requirements

of the hour. The association has pioneered many progressive

educational movements.

At present it is concentrating its attention on the amelioration

of the social conditions of the French-Canadian population. In

1912 it played a leading part in the organization of the very

successful Child Welfare exhibition, the first of its kind in

Canada. The seal of the association “Rendre le peuple meilleur”

indicates its national scope. The chief philanthropic work of

a national description, founded by the association about 1899,

has been the “Caisse Nationale d’Economie,” by which, through

the means of an annual subscription and slight monthly payments,

a system of old-age pensions or funds to meet emergencies of

disablement has been elaborated and has proved wonderfully

successful under the management of Mr. Arthur Gagnon.

Outside the material and intellectual functions indicated, the

aim of the association has always been the preservation of the

French-Canadian spirit. An extract from a speech delivered on

the occasion of a St. Jean Baptiste day celebration about 1901,

by the Hon. Israël Tarte, then minister of public works, will

indicate this: “This manifestation,” he said, “of our patriotism

cannot surely cause umbrage to our fellow citizens of diverse

national origin surrounding us. Moreover our enemies are becoming

scarcer. Today the assimilation of races is out of the question.

No one any longer dreams of it, for the assimilation would

deprive the country of a stimulus of the first importance, an

interesting characteristic. It would cause the healthy (_bien

entendu_) rivalry to disappear between the two races in the

domain of study, the arts, commerce, industry and all that

appertains to the intellectual and material advancement of our

beautiful country. I am a partisan of the union of hearts and

minds for the development of our Canadian, fatherland. Whatever

the language we speak, whatever the altar we kneel at in prayer

and adoration to God, we ought all to practice the cult of

country. The English represent the genius of commerce, the art

of making a fortune, the distinctive characteristics of the

Anglo-Saxon race. We, on this continent, represent some of the

virtues which have distinguished the French race from all time,

generosity, the love of _belles lettres_ and of good taste and

Gallic gaiety and enthusiasm which are the heritage of France and

have been the inspiring cause of so many noble actions inscribed

in the annals of history.” In conclusion he said: “I know no

country more beautiful than our own; I know no happier people in

the world than the French-Canadians: remain such! Let us proclaim

it on high, for our race is the equal of any at present existing

under the sun. There is my last word.”

The original charter has been modified.

In 1903, on St. Jean Baptiste day, a national religious banner

was adopted, recalling the memories of Carillon. It has a blue

background, _fleurdelisé_, and bearing a large white cross with

the emblem of the Sacred Heart in the middle of maple leaves.

This was prepared by the Rev. E. Filiatrault and adopted by

many of St. Jean Baptiste Association. It was a protest against

those who, while desiring a flag to recall their French origin

and their national sentiments, had used the tri-colored flag

of modern France _faute de mieux_, although the ideas conveyed

by it did not represent the ancient regime under which the

French-Canadians had sprung. The _fleur de lys_ of the past

represents the sentiment of their descendants today, rather than

does the modern tri-color.

The list of presidents contains many distinguished names.

1834 Jacques Viger

1843-44 Hon. D.B. Viger

1845 Hon. M. Masson

1846-47 Hon. A.M. Morin

1848-49 Hon. M. Bourret

1850 E.R. Fabre

1851-52 Ludger Duvernay

1853 C.S. Cherrier

1854-55 Sir G.E. Cartier

1856-57 J.B. Meilleur

1858 Damase Masson

1859 Dr. P. Beaubien

1860 Hon. J.A. Quesnel

1861 R. Trudeau

1862 Hon. de Beaujeu

1863 Olivier Berthelet

1864 T. Bouthillier

1865-66 Hon. P.J.O. Chauveau

1867-68 C.E. Leblanc

1869-70 Hon. G. Ouimet

1871 C.S. Rodier

1872-73 Hon. J. Coursol

1874 Sir A.A. Dorion

1875 Jacques Grenier

1876 Louis Archambault

1877-78 T.P. Rottot

1879 Hon. J.B. Rolland

1880 Hon. T.J.D. Loranger

1881 N. Bourassa

1882 Hon. L. Beaubien

1883 Jérémie Perrault

1884 Hon. T.J.D. Loranger

1885-86 A. Ouimet

1887 E.P. Lachapelle

1888-94 L.O. David

1895-98 Honorable Loranger

1899-1903 Hon. F.L. Beique

1905 H. Laporte

1907-10 J.C. Beauchamp

1910 Thomas Gauthier

1912 Olivar Asselin

ST. GEORGE’S NATIONAL SOCIETY

St. George’s National Society became such in 1834. But previously

Englishmen good and true had rallied together on St. George’s day

years before. The following account of a celebration in 1821 will

therefore be interesting:

“Monday last being the day consecrated to the titular Saint

of old England, and, what bestows on it nearly as great a

distinction, being that appointed for the celebration of our

most gracious Sovereign’s Nativity, a royal salute was at one

o’clock fired on the Champ de Mars by the troops in Garrison, and

a holiday was observed at both the Banks. (_Montreal Bank_, and

_Bank of Canada_.)

“In the evening, natives of the Mistress of the Ocean joined at

the Neptune Inn, when the evening was passed in social festivity

in the expression of the loyal sentiments stamped in the bosom of

every Briton, in toasts to the prosperity of the British Empire,

and to the happiness of the illustrious family at its head.

“The dinner given at the Neptune Inn, kept by Geo. Casser,

situate at the corner of St. Joseph Street, (_now St. Sulpice_)

opposite the Montreal Steamboat landing place, was an excellent

one provided for the occasion, to which the Sons of St. George,

in large numbers, sat down precisely at 5 o’clock p. m.

“The utmost harmony and decorum prevailed throughout. A

transparent painting ‘Combating the Dragon,’ done by Mr. Thomas

Honey, was among the most conspicuous decorations of the room.

In the course of the evening, when the circling glass had

excited a high degree of hilarity, the gaiety of the moment was

increased by a few well-selected songs accompanied by appropriate

and patriotic toasts, among which the following few were given

and received with enthusiasm:--The King, God bless him; Queen

Caroline; The Duke of York and the Royal Family; England and the

Day we celebrate; Our worthy Governor, the Earl of Dalhousie;

Sir Peregrine Maitland and our Sister Province (_Upper Canada_);

Lady Dalhousie and the Canadian Fair; may the Rose, Thistle and

Shamrock ever entwine; the Duke of Wellington and the Army of

Great Britain; Capt. Byner and our Navy; Trade and prosperity

to the Canadas; Colonel De Salaberry and the surviving heroes

of Chateauguay; Colonel Burer and the Garrison of Montreal; May

the seeds of dissention never find growth in the soil of Great

Britain; the immortal memory of Nelson (in silence); Colonel

Morrison and the surviving heroes of Chrysler’s farm; Captain

Broke and the surviving tars of the ‘Shannon’; the liberal heart

that gives, and the tender heart that forgives; may the sins of

our forefathers descend upon our foes; firmness in the Senate,

valour in the field and fortitude on the waves; The Constitution

of Great Britain--a pattern to the world.

“At a late hour the company separated, highly gratified with

their entertainment.”

Although therefore Britishers had naturally, since the beginning

of the English régime often combined, the St. George’s National

Society as such was also born at a time when racial feeling ran

high, and preceded the rebellion of 1837, being founded in 1834.

Its first quarterly meeting was held on January 10, 1835, with

a membership of forty-eight. On the cover of its first printed

constitution and by-laws it is stated that the society was

organized in the city of Montreal for the purpose of relieving

brethren in distress, and in the introduction thereto feelings

are expressed which indicate that the founders were indeed

animated by the keenest sympathies and sincerest desires to aid

unfortunate English people in the city at the time, expressing

sentiments of intense patriotism. In an original introduction,

dated December 19, 1834, it can be seen that its intention was to

uphold in Canada a union of Britons to cherish in the descendants

of Englishmen, Scotchmen and Irishmen born in the colony their

veneration for everything British and their attachment for

British laws and British rule and of holding out the hand of

welcome and of brotherly love and charity to those numerous

and frequently distressed countrymen whom the pressure of a

superabundant population is annually forcing to emigrate to this

distant land.

A pamphlet published in 1855 gives a list of the earliest

officers at the foundation of St. George’s Society as follows:

President, Hon. George Moffatt; first vice president, George

Gregory, Esq.; second vice president, John Molson, Jr., Esq.;

treasurer, Frederick Griffin; secretary, Samuel Tubby; assistant

secretary, Arthur C. Webster; first physician, Thomas Walter

Jones, M.D.; stewards, James Holmes, Edward S. Maitland, Charles

Penner, Teavill Appleton, Isaac Valentine, William Snaith;

charitable committee, Benjamin Hall, George Weatherel, Henry

Corse, John Platt, Turton Penn; committee of accounts, Albert

Furness, Benjamin Smith, Joseph Shuter, Hon. G. Moffatt, S.

Gerrard, George Gregory, A.H. Griffin, Joseph Shuter, John

Molson, Jr., George Crew Davies, H.W. Jackson, Benjamin Hale, W.

Badgely, J. Henry Lambe, Edward J.S. Maitland, John P. Ashton,

William Bradbury, W. Hall, George Weatherit, H.G. Webster,

Chilion Ford, William Sharp, Thomas W. Jones, M.D., Isaac

Valentine, Albert Furness, John Platt, Samuel Tubby, Charles B.

Radenhurst, F. Griffin, James Duncan Gibb, T. Appleton, William

Stephens, Thomas Philips, Hon. John Molson, John Jones, Thomas

B. Wragg, Charles Penney, John Carter, Turton Penn, M. Radiger,

Benjamin Ansell, James Holmes, William Pring, John Millichap,

Henry Dyer, R.H. Hamilton, William Snaith, Henry Corse, Benjamin

Smith.

The records of the first twenty years were destroyed by fire. By

1856 it had a membership of 147 and in the year of incorporation,

1861, it was increased to 170. During the presidency of Mr. John

Leeming, 1867-8-9, the home on St. Antoine Street was built at

a cost of $14,000. The Society has steadily kept to its purpose

as a national society and has treated the immigration question

theoretically and practically during its long career having

demonstrated beyond dispute that the society has lived up to its

original principles. In 19--the Society purchased a new home

on Lagauchetière and Cathedral streets to meet the increasing

demands on its charitable usefulness. It has two days in the year

especially observed, that of Christmas eve, when a distribution

of good things for the poor takes place, and that of April

23d, the feast of St. George, when conviviality reigns at the

annual banquet to which the official representative of the other

National Societies is invited.

The following gentlemen have served as president for the Society

since its formation:

1834-35-36-37 The Hon. George Moffat

1838 The Hon. John Molson

1839-40-41 The Hon. George Moffat

1842-43 The Hon. Wm. Badgley

1844-45 Henry Griffin

1846-47 Charles Penner

1848 C.H. Cassels

1849-50 W.F. Coffin

1851 John Jones

1852-53 John Dyde

1854-55 T. W, Jones, M.D.

1856 H.H. Whitney

1857 Henry Bulmer

1858 James Parkin

1859-60 Robert Hart Hamilton

1861 John Lewis

1862-63 The Hon. George Moffat

1864-65-66 J.J. Day, Q.C.

1867-68-69 John Leeming

1870-71 W.H. Clare

1872-73 C.J. Brydges

1874-75 Nathan Mercer

1876-77-78 John Kerry

1879-80 Edward Rawlings

1881-82 T.H. Hodgson

1883-84-85 The Hon. J.K. Ward

1886-87 W.D. Stroud

1888-89 J.H. Redfern

1890-91 C.P. Sclater

1892-93 F. Stancliffe

1894-95 F. Wolferstan Thomas

1896-97 Joseph Richards

1898-99 William Nivin

1900-01-02 H.A. Hodgson

1903-04 A.W. Grant

1905-06 A.W. Abater

1907 R.S. Clift

1908 W.H. Trenholme

------

1909 R. Meredith

1910 James Mitchell

1911 James Mitchell

1912 Robert Beckerdike

1913 F.W. Mitchell

1914 C A. Jacques

ST. ANDREW’S SOCIETY

Scotchmen have ever been clannish. They early formed their Scotch

church on St. Gabriel’s Street and were a distinct national

factor in the community, as the lists of names of the North West

Company will attest, but their National Association, St. Andrew’s

Society, arose thus:

On Monday, December 1, 1834, upwards of one hundred leading

Scotchmen met at the Albion Hotel in the rear of the theatre

to celebrate St. Andrew’s day, the ecclesiastical feast having

been celebrated on the Sabbath previously. During the dinner, in

consequence of strong national feeling, it was resolved to form a

national society for fraternity and benevolence. The stewards of

this meeting met on January 17th and a sub-committee of Messrs.

Adam Ferrie, William Ritchie, William Edmonstone, Archibald Hume,

Robert Armour, Jr., and William Wilson, Jr., was appointed to

draw up a constitution. That of St. Andrew’s Society of New York

became the model. A general gathering of the Scotch of the town

was then called to attend a meeting in the North West building on

St. Gabriel Street on the 6th of February, 1835. The chair was

taken by the Hon. Peter McGill and a constitution was adopted. On

March 9th a meeting was held in Mr. John Fisher’s premises on St.

Paul Street, when the following office bearers were elected to

serve till November 30, 1835: President, Hon. Peter McGill; first

vice president, Adam Ferrie; second vice president, John Boston;

treasurer, Charles Tait; secretary, William Edmonstone; chairman

committee of management, J. Redpath.

The members in the first year numbered nearly three hundred.

One of the first public acts of the association was to accept

the invitation of the German Society to march in procession

with them, and St. George’s and St. Patrick’s societies, to

the Protestant Episcopal church on August 3d, it being “their

anniversary.”

At this time an arrangement was entered into by these four

national societies for a general procession on each national

festival day. At the anniversary meeting of November 30th, held

in the morning, the Earl of Selkirk was, at his own request,

proposed and elected a life member. The society, followed by the

other national societies, then marched to St. Gabriel’s Church,

where the sermon was preached by the Reverend Mr. Esson. In the

evening the banquet took place at Rasco’s Hotel, when 150 members

and guests dined together. The annual dinner and the public

procession of November 30, 1837, were omitted, this being the

year of the civil rebellion of which the first act took place

on November 6th, in the collision of “Fils de la Liberté” and

the British residents of Montreal. The members of St. Andrew’s

Society being all Loyalists, were immediately put under arms and

performed military duty. At the magistrates’ request that the

usual procession should be omitted in the disturbed portion of

the country and in the excited state of the public mind, this was

done, but it was hoped to hold the annual dinner. This was also

found impossible, since on account of the regular military being

withdrawn from the city, most of the members were on guard. About

thirty, however, made arrangements for supper, at Orr’s Hotel,

which took place.

Although another rebellion broke out on November 3, 1838, much

less danger was anticipated, so the anniversary festival was

observed, both with a procession and the annual dinner, but

after the commencement of the rebellion of 1837 the custom of

the national association of joining in each other’s anniversary

processions was discontinued.

At the quarterly meeting of February, 1839, the Right Reverend

Mr. McDonnell, Roman Catholic bishop of Kingston, was elected an

honorary member.

In 1841, the first opportunity was offered of assisting destitute

Scotchmen, outside the city. In September an application from Mr.

Morris, president of the emigrant association of the district

of St. Francis, applied for pecuniary aid for a body of 229

utterly destitute immigrants recently arrived from the island of

Lewis (Scotland). A collection of £234 14s. 6d. was accordingly

forwarded. The following year relief was granted to the Rev.

John Taylor of Lachine to assist the Scotch immigrants who

survived the very sad accident on Lake St. Louis when a small

high pressure steamer, called the “Shamrock,” having burst her

boiler shortly after leaving Lachine, sank almost immediately on

account of the force of the steam which blew the bow completely

out of the boat. Another opportunity for developing their

charitable work was afforded in 1846 when, owing to the severity

of this winter, a special collection was taken up to relieve

the necessities of the poor. The Society identified itself with

public movements thus:

On the 8th of August it took part on the Champ de Mars in the

celebration of the opening of the Atlantic Railway, and in 1847

the Society joined the other national societies in a procession

in honour of the entry of the Earl of Elgin into Montreal as

governor-general on the 29th of January.

The relations of St. Andrew’s with others of diverse national

origin have always been cordial.

On the 11th of February resolutions were passed to open a

subscription for the destitute inhabitants of the Highlands

of Scotland, while another read “that this meeting deeply

sympathizes with the distress caused by famine in Ireland as

well as that affecting their own native land, and are ready to

admit that next to the claims of their own countrymen the poor

of Ireland have the greatest right to consideration, yet in the

belief that more money will be raised by two separate committees

than by a united one, as proposed, they recommend that this

junction be not entered into.”

At the annual banquet held at Donegana’s Hotel, among the guests

were the Hon. A.N. Morin, president of St. Jean Baptiste’s

Association, His Worship, the Mayor, the Hon. Messrs. Molson and

Badgeley, both past presidents of St. George’s Society, thus

showing that the racial hatchet was being buried.

The following record throws an interesting sidelight on the

political state of the country and the keen interest which public

events evoked: In 1849, at a special meeting held April 28th,

three days after the signing of the Rebellion Losses bill by Lord

Elgin, under the presidency of Mr. Hugh Allan with seventy-one

members present, Mr. Andrew McGill moved the following resolution

which, having been seconded by Mr. Robert Esdaile, was put to the

meeting from the chair and unanimously adopted:

“Resolved, That the Earl of Elgin, having so conducted himself

as to insult and outrage the feelings of every British subject

in Canada, and to disgrace the Scottish name, this society with

the deepest regret considers him unworthy to continue longer its

patron and that he be, therefore, from henceforth, removed from

that office.”

John Boston, Esq., having entered the room and finding that the

previous resolution had been carried, left the meeting. Mr.

John Auld, seconded by Mr. George Macrae, moved the following

resolution which was unanimously adopted:

“Resolved, That the name of the Earl of Elgin be erased from the

list of honorary members of St. Andrew’s Society.”

Mr. E.P. Taylor, seconded by Mr. John Armour, submitted the

following resolution, which was also unanimously adopted:

“Resolved, That the secretary be instructed to intimate the above

resolutions to his Lordship.”

In preparation for the annual banquet of 1850 the office

bearers resolved by a majority to omit from the list of toasts

“the governor general.” In consequence as the presence of the

band of the Twentieth Regiment had been previously sanctioned

for the occasion, its commander, Lieut.-Col. Frederick Horn,

countermanded the permission. At a subsequent meeting of office

bearers it was resolved to place on the programme the toast of

the governor general, though the services of the band were not

required. This year the annual banquet was held at Corse’s Hotel

on St. James Street, the governor general’s toast being received

with groans, hisses, reversing of glasses and other marks of

disapprobation. In 1851 a significant resolution proposed by Mr.

Edmonstone and seconded by Mr. Alexander reads: “That those who

had left the society from conscientious scruples and who might

wish to join again be readmitted without entrance fee.” This was

carried unanimously.

Not only politics but religious matters were serious matters at

this period.

A more pleasing incident is the following:

At a special meeting called on November 15, 1852, to consider

what part the society should take in the approaching funeral

solemnities of the late Duke of Wellington, it was unanimously

resolved:

“That the St. Andrew’s Society as a society do proceed, with

their banners and badges, with their brethren of St. George’s

Society to the Cathedral.”

In November, 1854, during the Crimean war, the Society raised

a subscription for the widows and orphans of those “who may

fall during the present war.” Out of sympathy the annual social

gathering was omitted, the amount to be devoted to the patriotic

fund. This reached the sum of £305 15s. 2d. (equal to £372 0s.

1d. currency).

The history of St. Andrew’s Home is now to be told.

On April 24, 1857, a committee reported that the experiment of

maintaining a home for emigrants and other homeless Scots had

been successfully tried for six months in Hermine Street, a

house having been rented for the purpose. The lease of a house

was taken on St. George Street for seven years. This home was

opened on June 11th, Mr. Norman Macdonald being appointed the

first superintendent. In the same month, the new St. Andrew’s

Home received seventy-six of the survivors of the steamer

“Montreal,” burned at the water’s edge opposite Cape Rouge on the

way from Quebec, out of whose 450 passengers 320 were Scotch. A

subscription was raised by the committee of £1,182 5s. 11d. The

disaster caused deepest sympathy and cooperation in Montreal’s

ever charitable circles. It was one of the disasters of this

terrible year of 1857. The social event of the year was omitted

and the money devoted to the enlargement of the home.

Meanwhile other Scotch societies were growing up. On September 1,

1858, the mayor having requested the different national societies

in the city to join a procession to commemorate the successful

laying of the Atlantic telegraph cable, the Society marched to

the Champ de Mars, accompanied by the Caledonians and Thistle

societies, which had grown up of recent years. The “Burns”

Society being then organized, it was agreed that the St. Andrew’s

Society should cooperate with it in the celebration of Burns’

centenary.

The next events chronologically are:

In 1859 the Society assisted the people of the townships of

Bruce and Kinloss, C.W., distressed by the failure of their

crops. On August 25, 1860, the society joined in the procession

in honour of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, on the occasion of his

arrival in Montreal. A committee of ladies was appointed on

November 16, 1861, to cooperate with the charitable committee

in the management of St. Andrew’s Home. The Hon. Mrs. Rollo was

appointed its president. On December 1, 1862, the thanks of

the committee were given to Miss Edmonstone, of Scotland, for

twenty-five years’ supply of heather on St. Andrew’s day. On

September 22, 1863, the secretary was instructed to subscribe

$25 to the funds of the House of Industry and Refuge, so as

to secure for St. Andrew’s Society the privilege of electing

a representative in this governorship. Mr. J.C. Becket was so

chosen. A committee was held on January 18, 1864, to confer with

the St. George’s and the Irish Protestant Benevolent Societies

regarding a proposal to establish a United Protestant Immigration

Home. In April, 1866, $2,000 having been subscribed for a St.

Andrew’s Home on Dorchester Street, arrangements were made for

completing the deed.

St. Andrew’s Society has wide sympathies, as the following will

show:

In April, 1868, at a special general meeting, the following

resolutions, moved by T.K. Ramsay, seconded by Andrew Wilson,

were passed:

“That the members of St. Andrew’s Society of Montreal have

learned with deep regret of the death of Hon. Thomas D’Arcy McGee

by assassination.”

Moved by Mr. McKay, seconded by A. McGibbon:

“That the St. Andrew’s Society, feeling their deep obligation

to the late T.D. McGee for his many acts of kindness, deem the

present a suitable occasion to acknowledge the same, as well

as their utter abhorrence of the dastardly deed by which the

Dominion and the world have lost one of our most enlightened

philanthropic and able statesmen, our national and benevolent

societies a liberal contributor and a respected family its loving

and affectionate head, desire to mingle their sympathy with

the entire Dominion who mourn his death, and would offer the

widow and bereaved family cordial and deep sympathy for their

irreparable loss.”

Moved by Mr. McLennan, seconded by Mr. Burnett:

“That in order to show the appreciation of this society of

Mr. McGee’s worth as a public man and a statesman, and their

gratitude for the sympathy and assistance he extended to it on so

many occasions, it was resolved that this society do attend his

funeral in a body, wearing suitable mourning badges.”

In May, 1869, on the occasion of the departure from the city

of the Seventy-eighth Highlanders, an address was presented

to Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie and his men. The St. Andrew’s

Society and the Caledonia Society, the latter having since its

formation about 1855 been closely connected with the National

Society, sent addresses to England on the happy marriage of

Princess Louise Caroline Alberta with the Marquis of Lorne. On

the occasion of the destruction of St. Patrick’s Hall by fire

a resolution was passed on November 7th, sympathizing with St.

Patrick’s Society.

In February, 1873, funeral of Sir George Etienne Cartier was

attended by the body as a National Society. On November 2, 1876,

a resolution was passed “that the annual procession on St.

Andrew’s day be discontinued.”

The history of “St. Andrew’s Ball” may now be told:

In 1878 the presence of the new governor general, the son of

MacCallain More, His Excellency, the Marquis of Lorne, and his

royal consort, Princess Louise, was the occasion of a brilliant

ball on St. Andrew’s day in the Windsor Hotel. As the annual St.

Andrew’s ball has become one of the great social events of the

city we may chronicle that the first quadrille was formed as

follows:

His Excellency and Lady Macdonald,

Lieutenant-Colonel Stevenson and H.R.H. the Princess,

Captain Charter, A.D.C., and Lady Sophia MacNamara,

Hon. T. Harbord, A.D.C., and Hon. Mrs. Moreton,

Colonel McNeil and Miss Dow,

Hon. M. Moreton and Miss Gordon,

Mr. Hector Mackenzie and Mrs. Daglish,

Mr. McCrae, Q.C., and Mrs. Hickson,

Mr. J. Johnson and Mrs. Ewing,

Hugh McKay and Mrs. Rose.

The Scotch reel was then danced by His Excellency and Miss

Ogilvie and afterwards with Miss McGibbon, while the Princess

danced the reel with Mr. Ewan McLennan, the president. The ladies

who had the honor of dancing with His Excellency were: Lady

Macdonald, Miss Ogilvie, Miss Allan, Miss Greenshields, Miss

Campbell, Miss McFarlane, Miss Robertson and Miss McGibbon.

In 1881 the Society adopted a revised constitution. In 1883

an address was presented to His Excellency, the Marquis of

Lansdowne, Governor-General, on his first visit to Montreal.

The year 1887 saw the completion of the purchase of the Gould

property on Mountain Street from the Canadian Pacific Railway

Company for $22,500, as the site of the new St. Andrew’s Home.

The same year an address was presented for the Society to Queen

Victoria on her Jubilee by the Reverend Dr. Barclay, who had the

honour to be commanded to preach at Balmoral on June 12th. As Her

Majesty was ill the petition was presented through the ordinary

official channel. On September 28, 1893, an address of welcome

was presented to the governor general, Lord Aberdeen, and Lady

Aberdeen on the occasion of their first visit to the city. St.

Andrew’s day, 1895, saw a return after twelve years to the

banquet instead of the annual ball. In 1896 McDonald Campbell,

the chairman of the charitable committee, died, having been

preceded in 1895 by the decease of his wife. For over a quarter

of a century these two had faithfully managed the “Home.” The

annual ball was revived in 1896.

The death of Queen Victoria in January, 1901, caused the loyal

Scots of Montreal to send a resolution of sympathy to His

Majesty, Edward VII. On the occasion of the official visit of

their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall to

the city in the fall of the same year, the Society erected a

grandstand and a triumphal arch in the Scottish baronial style.

In June, 1902, an address was forwarded to King Edward on the

occasion of his coronation. At the annual ball the governor

general, Lord Minto, and the Countess of Minto were present.

During the last decade the Society has continued to carry on its

various works and public functions so happily inaugurated as

described.

The past presidents of St. Andrew’s Society have been:

1835-41 Hon. Peter McGill

1841-43 Sheriff John Boston

1844-45 Hon. Peter McGill

1846 Hon. William Morris

1847 Hon. James Ferrier

1848-49 Sir Hugh Allan

1850 William Edmonstone

1851 James Gilmour

1852-54 Hon. John Rose (afterwards Sir John Rose, Bart.)

1855-56 William Murray

1857-58 Alexander Morris

1859-60 John Greenshields

1861 David Brown

1862-63 Hon. James Ferrier

1864-65 Hon. John Young

1866 J.C. Becket

1867 Walter Macfarlan

1868-69 Andrew Robertson

1870 Hon. A.W. Ogilvie, M.P.P.

1871-72 Alexander McGibbon

1873-74 Sir Alexander T. Galt

1875 David Mackay

1876-77 Ewan McLennan

1879 Lieut.-Col. A.A. Stevenson

1879 John C. Watson

1880 Hugh Mackay

1881 James Stewart

1882 George Macrae, Q.C.

1883-84 W.W. Ogilvie

1885-86 Hugh McLennan

1887-88 R.B. Angus

1889-90 Sir Donald A. Smith (afterwards Lord Strathcona

and Mount Royal, G.C.M.G.)

1891-92 Duncan McIntyre

1893-94 Hon. Robert Mackay

1895-96 Donald Macmaster, K.C. (M.P. England)

1897-98 Hugh Paton

1899-1900 James Stewart, M.P.

1901-02 A.F. Riddell

1903 Principal William Peterson, C.M.G.

1904-06 W.M. Ramsay

1907-08 Charles Cassils

1909-10 Lieut.-Col. Robert Gardner

1911-12 Sir Hugh Montagu Allan, C.V.O.

1913 Farquhar Robertson (present president)

ST. PATRICK’S SOCIETY

St. Patrick’s Society was originally organized in 1834 as a

society for benevolent and national purposes and included

Irishmen of all religious denominations. At the time of its

formation Irishmen were beginning to be a force in the community

and the mention of the names of J. Holmes, William Workman, and

Sir Francis Hincks bears this out.

The records of the transactions of this period until 1856 and

long after are not to be found, but other information of the year

1856 is ample and enables us to trace the separation of the joint

association into two, the St. Patrick’s Society of today and the

Irish Protestant Benevolent Association.

The events leading to the reorganization of St. Patrick’s Society

are as follows:

On February 12, 1856, a special meeting of the Society was held

at St. Patrick’s Hall to consider the propriety of dissolving

the Society. This was to allow an amalgamation of the Catholic

portion of the original St. Patrick’s Society with the Catholic

Hibernian Association, thus forming a new St. Patrick’s Society

and to allow the Protestant members of the original St. Patrick’s

to form one of their own which, in fact, they did, now known

as the Irish Protestant Benevolent Society. After a series of

resolutions in which there was recognition paid to the fact

that the St. Patrick’s Society of Montreal, since it foundation

in 1834, had carried out its prime objects according to its

constitution, and recognizing that there was a move to allow

the formation of other societies which would “embrace elements”

now divided and in which jealous feelings would be extinguished

amidst conflicting opinions and opposing parties among the Irish

inhabitants of this city, it was moved by Mr. James Flynn and

seconded by John McCloskey, that consequently this society do now

decide to dissolve unequivocally and unreservedly and that on

the termination of the proceedings this Society do adjourn _sine

die_. The motion so moved was carried; and an acknowledgement

made of the services of W.P. Bartley, Esq., for his conduct as

president during the last two years.

Showing how easy was transition from one side to the other, it

was moved by James Donnelly and Francis Dolan, recommending “that

the paying members of this Society be admitted into the new

organization without initiation fees,” and the resolution further

expressed a hope that from the dissolution of the present may

spring the germ of life of another organization on such a basis

that sectional and petty rivalries may be merged.

It is pleasing to note that ever since the separation of St.

Patrick’s Society into the two component parts, St. Patrick’s

Society and the Irish Benevolent Society, there has never been

any rift.

The first officers after reorganization in 1856 were: Henry

Howard, president; Hon. Marcus Doherty, first vice president;

Thomas McGrath, second vice president; James E. Mullins,

treasurer; James Daly, corresponding secretary; Thomas C.

Collins, recording secretary; W. Wallace O’Brien, assistant

recording secretary; John McDonald, chief marshal; Rev. J.J.

Connolly, P.P., chaplain.

The early minutes of St. Patrick’s Society having been burnt

in the fires of St. Patrick’s Hall in 1872 we find from other

sources that the new St. Patrick’s Society held its first soirée

at the latter end of 1856 with the National Benevolent Societies

present; it was followed by dancing to an advanced hour. The

president was then Doctor Howard.

A meeting was held, February 8, 1857, in the Bishop’s Chapel

of the Catholic citizens with the Catholic societies present,

when it was moved by Doctor Howard, president of St. Patrick’s

Society, and seconded by Mr. John Kelly, to the effect that “in

order that the new cathedral may be a monument worthy of the size

and wealth of this extensive diocese it should be built so as

to meet not only the wants of the diocese, but those which may

arise in the future from the rapid and constant increase of the

population, both of the city and rural districts.”

On March 17, 1857, at John O’Meara’s Hotel, the first anniversary

dinner was held. Presidents of numerous national societies and

representatives of the city press were guests. The Hon. Mr.

Marcus Doherty was in the chair. The following toasts were

proposed: “The Day and All Who Honour It,” “The Pope,” “The

Queen,” “The Emperor of France,” “The President of the United

States,” “The Preacher of the Day,” “The Army and Navy, as

Composed of Saxon and Celt,” “Irishmen at Home and Abroad,” “The

Memory of Father Matthew,” “The Memory of O’Connell,” “The Mayor

and Corporations,” “The National Association,” “The Press,”

and finally “The Ladies.” Between the toast to the President

of the United States and the Preacher of the Day the health

of the Governor General was proposed and drunk by some of the

party present, the “Orange” governor, Sir Edward Head, not being

popular.

These were days of bitter animosities which a wiser generation

has drowned.

On June 14, 1857, at the Corpus Christi procession, citizens,

soldiers of Captains Devlin’s, Bartley’s, Bell’s and Latour’s

Volunteer Montreal Rifles Companies, marched with St. Patrick’s

Society and St. Jean Baptiste Society.

This was opposed by the Montreal Witness, but answered by the

True Witness that it was the custom enjoyed by the French

subjects and its legality had been formally recognized by the

British government, which till a few years ago furnished in the

persons of its soldiers a Guard of Honour for the procession.

This is interesting in view of the recent attempt at disallowing

the Sixty-fifth Regiment of Militia from continuing the

time-honoured custom.

On December 1, 1857, a public meeting of Irish Catholics was held

for the election of an Irish representative, being the first

movement for such. Doctor Howard took the chair. Marcus Doherty,

Esq., barrister, moved that the Irish, according to the last

census, were entitled to name one of the three members allowed by

law to represent this city in parliament. He was seconded by P.

Ronayne. Barney Devlin, Esq., barrister, moved “as the unanimous

sense of this meeting Thomas D’Arcy McGee, Esq., be requested

to allow himself to be put in nomination as our candidate for

Montreal in the approaching contest.” Seconded by Mr. Lanigan.

Mr. McGee who had been brought to the city some time before for

this purpose and had fulfilled the conditions of domicile was

then brought into the room and introduced to the chairman as “our

candidate.” Mr. McGee responded with wit and humour and sagacity

and was most vociferously cheered. A resolution was moved by

Mr. James Sadlier to form a committee to work the wards for the

election, which was seconded by Mr. Henry Kavanagh. Mr. Henry

Kavanagh was next called to the chair and a vote of thanks was

moved to Doctor Howard for his able conduct therein. Seconded by

Mr. McGee. The meeting then separated. “On reaching the street

they made the welkin ring three times three cheers for ‘our

candidate.’” Mr. McGee as told elsewhere was elected.

In later contests he was to be opposed by his proposer, Mr.

Devlin, the lively remembrances of which still live.

The True Witness on June 12, 1857, announced an emigrant agency

for St. Patrick’s Society opened at 35 Common Street under

Doctor McKeon. This work had interested the Society for many

years. Hence it is also that it took great interest in the

establishment of St. Bridget’s Home and St. Patrick’s Orphanage

and other similar charities.

The meeting place of St. Patrick’s Society, according to an

advertisement of September 18, 1857, was the new hall on Place

d’Armes Hill. The next move was to a hall over Donnelly and

O’Brien’s store at the corner of McGill and Recollet streets,

with the entrance on Recollet (N). This meeting was on May 3,

1858.

The next meeting place was a room in Bonaventure Hall, built at

the northwest corner of St. James Street and Victoria Square,

facing the Square. When this building was remodeled under the

name of St. James Hotel[2] the Society remained there.

The Coffee House at the northeast corner of Craig and St.

Alexander streets was then the meeting place until the new St.

Patrick’s Hall was erected at the corner of Craig and McGill

streets, facing Victoria Square and bounded on the north by

Fortification Lane. It was a large and handsome building. The

foundation stone was laid on March 18, 1867, and in it was placed

a plate[3] recording the event as follows:

The Revd. P. Dowd, chief pastor of St. Patrick’s Church, on the

18th of March, 1867, in the 30th year of the reign of her Most

Gracious Majesty,

Queen Victoria.

The Rt. Hon. Charles Stanley Viscount Monck, Baron Monck

of Balling Trimmon, Governor-General of British America,

Lieutenant-General Sir J. Michel, Bart., K.C.B., Commander of the

Forces. Administrator of the Government of Canada, Henry Starns,

commissioner of Montreal.

DIRECTORS (Ab Initio)

Bernard Devlin, Hon. T.D. McGee, Hon. Thos. Ryan, W.H. Hingston,

M.D., M.P. Ryan, Edward Murphy, J.W. McGovern, Luke Moore, C.J.

Cusack, Neil Shannon, J.W. Hopkins, architect, Howley & Sheriden,

builders, E.J. Gilbert, iron founder, etc.

“Then praise to the Highest, in the Height and in the Depth be

Praised.”

This fine building met with disaster, its roof fell in shortly

afterward and finally it was burned down on October 2, 1872,

after which the affairs of St. Patrick’s Hall Association were

wound up and left the stockholders with 55% of their shares. In

1863 it was incorporated, its charter in part running as follows:

“WHEREAS, Thomas McKenna, Edw. McKeown, Dennis Downey, Wm.

P. McGuire, J.J. Curran, Patrick O’Meara, M. Cuddihy, Daniel

Lyons, P. Jordan, John H. Duggan, F.B. McNamee, O.J. Devlin,

A. Brogan, Richard McShane, P. Mullin, J.E. Mullin, B. Devlin,

Wm. Mansfield, M. Doherty and others have by their petition to

the legislature represented that the Society of which they are

members, known as the ‘St. Patrick’s Society of Montreal,’ has

for many years been organized for benevolent and other purposes,

and

“WHEREAS, They have prayed by the said petition that for the

better attainment of the object of the said Society it may

be invested with corporate powers, and by reason of the good

effected by the said Society it is expedient to grant the prayer

of the said petition;

“THEREFORE Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the

legislative council and assembly of Canada, enact as follows:”

Since this time St. Patrick’s Society has carried on its good

work, but it has never had a permanent building of its own. It

has continued its interest in Irish charities, caring for orphans

and immigrants. It has watched over the fortunes of Irishmen

in civic, provincial and federal life and has always promoted

Home Rule for Ireland. On April 24, 1893, St. Patrick’s Society

telegraphed, through the Hon. Edward Blake, then a member of

the English Parliament, congratulations to Mr. William Ewart

Gladstone and himself on the second reading of the bill. Of

recent years its activities in this line of similar promotion

of their national cause have been great. Their annual dinner

on St. Patrick’s day has seen the presence of some of the most

distinguished Irish orators from Ireland and the American

Continent.

The past presidents of the Society have been:

1856-57 Henry Howard, M.D.

1858-59 Hon. Marcus Doherty, J.S.C.

1860-61 Hon. Edward Murphy

1862-63 James A. Sadlier

1864 Thos. McKenna

1865-66-67 Bernard Devlin

1868 J.E. Mullin

1869 F.B. McNamee

1870 Bernard Devlin

1871 Francis Cassidy, Ex-Mayor

1872 James Homley

1873 Michael Donovan

1874-75-76-77 Bernard Devlin

1878 P.J. Coyle

1879-80-81-82-83 F.B. McNamee

1884-85-86-87-88 Hon. Denis Barry

1889-90 Hon. Henry Cloran

1891-92 Hon. J.J. Curran

1893-94 Hon. James McShane

1895-96-97 Hon. Jas. J. Guerin M.D.

1898-99 E.J. Kennedy, M.D.

1900-01 W.E. Doran

1902-03 Hon. C.J. Doherty

1904 F.E. Devlin, M.D.

1905-06 Frank J. Curran, B.C.L.

1907-08 W.P. Kearney

1909-10 Henry Kavanagh, K.C.

1911-12 J. C Walsh

1913-14 Walter G. Kennedy

IRISH PROTESTANT BENEVOLENT SOCIETY

The Irish Protestant Benevolent Society of Montreal was formed

in 1856, after having separated from the joint St. Patrick’s

Society. In that year an act of incorporation was granted, on

March 18th, on the petition of a certain number of petitioners

“and others of Irish birth or extraction, residents of Montreal

(who) have maintained by voluntary contributions a certain

charitable association whereof they are members, for the relief

of distressed immigrants and others from Ireland or of Irish

descent, under the name of the Irish Protestant Benevolent

Society of Montreal.”

The incorporators’ names appended are James L. Mathewson,

William A. Merry, W.H. Gault, Hugh Mathewson, George Horne,

George Armstrong, William Rodden, Richard Holland, J.J. Arnton,

Campbell Bryson, William Clendenning, George S. Scott, Robert

Miller, William Middleton, James Parker, Richard Thomas, W.S.

Davenport, Howard Ransom, John Shinnick, Thomas Workman, William

McWalters, the Rev. John Cordner, the Rev. John Irwin, Dr.

Robert L. Macdonell, Dr. John Reddy, Dr. William P. Howard,

etc. The Society was instituted to advance the welfare of

Irish Protestants in Canada, to afford advice, information

and assistance to those immigrating hither, to promote their

settlement within the province, to protect their widows and

orphans and to afford pecuniary aid to those in need.

A great work has been the maintenance of the Irish Protestant

Benevolent Home in Belmont Park. Its activities along Irish

patriotic lines have also been similar to those of St. Patrick’s

Society.

The presidents of the Society since its formation have been as

follows:

1856 *Benjamin Workman, M.D.

1857-59 *Hugh Mathewson

1859-61 *R.D. Collis

1861 *M.H. Gault

1862 *W.A. Merry

1863-65 *J.L. Mathewson

1865-67 *Thos. Workman

1867-69 *William Workman

1869 *John Lovell

1870 *Geo. S. Scott

1871 *Robert Miller

1872 *Thomas Simpson

1873 *Wm. Rodden

1874 *Sir Francis Hincks, K.C.M., G.C.B.

1875 William Clendenning

1876-78 W.J. McMaster

1878-80 *J.C. Sinton

1880-82 *John J. Arnton

1882 *James Moore

1883-85 *J.C. Wilson

1885-87 *Richard Thomas

1887-89 *D.H. Henderson

1889-91 *W.H. Arnton

1891 *Richard White

1892-94 *James Wilson

1894-96 *Moses Parker

1896-98 James H. McKeown

1898-00 J. Hamilton Ferns

1900-02 *Charles Byrd

1902-04 MacDuff Lamb

1904-05 William Henry

1906-07 Thos. Gilday

1908-09 J.W. Percival

1910-11 Wm. Rodden

1912-13 J.A. Mathewson

1914 F. Gilday, M.D.

* Deceased.

THE GERMAN SOCIETY

Of the other societies the German Society is the oldest, being

contemporaneous in its birth with the former. A consultation

of the lists of citizens at this early period will show that

the German community then had some very notable names among its

members.

The German Society was started in April, 1835, for the purpose

of assisting poor German immigrants, without regard to creed,

in order to prevent them from being a charge to the community;

it has also often assisted Austrian, Swiss, Russian and other

immigrants of German descent. It is a purely benevolent

association, being supported entirely by voluntary contributions.

Its presidents since 1835 have been:

1835-39 Louis Gugy

1839-49 Dr. Daniel Arnoldi

1849-55 Heinrich Meyer

1855-58 Ernst Idler

1859-60 Gottlieb Reinhardt

1860-65 Gerhard Lomer

1865-66 Heinrich Drescher

1866-67, 70-73 Emanuel Häusgen

1867-70 Wilhelm Wagner

1873-77, 81-93 Wilhelm C. Munderloh

1877-81 Freidrich Geriken

1893 Eugen von Rappard

1893 *Edward Schultze

* Still in office.

ST. DAVID’S WELSH SOCIETY

It was about the years 1884-5, that the first society to weld

together the various members of the Welsh Colony of Montreal was

established, and the moving spirit in this matter, was the late

Mr. Jabez Jones, a native of Mold, Flintshire, North Wales, an

energetic and enterprising organizer.

The society was called the “Welsh Union of Montreal.” Its first

president was the late Mr. John Lewis, surveyor of customs, for

the port of Montreal. He continued to fill the office until his

death, and, with his distinguished and delightful personality and

support, helped materially to make it a success.

The first vice-president, was the late Mr. Thomas Harries, who at

the time was the senior commercial traveller in Canada, a man of

strong convictions and noble character.

The nature of the Society in its early years was largely

religious and most of its gatherings were held on Sundays. Its

rooms were in the old Y.M.C.A. Building on Victoria Square.

This edifice was considered one of the landmarks both for

architectural beauty and position among the great buildings of

the city in those days. The Society justified its existence

in many ways, and proved a necessary and helpful anchorage,

particularly in bringing together the sons and daughters of

Wales, more especially at such times as the Patron’s Saint Day,

an event of importance, and a day dear to the Welshman’s heart,

all over the world, known as “St. David’s Day,” always held on

the first day of March; the time of the “Congresses of Bards and

Contests of Minstrels,” and the feast day of one of the guardians

of the nation’s ideals and inspirer of its genius.

However, the element of decay entered into the vitals of the old

Society and it ceased to exist for some time.

About twelve years ago, the present Welsh Society was founded,

known as the “St. David’s Welsh Society.” It was incorporated in

1910 on a far broader basis than the old Society. Its aims are,

the bringing together of men and women of Welsh parentage or

associated by marriage with Welsh people, to create an interest

in the study of Welsh music, literature, folklore, poetry and all

subjects of interest to the race and a culture of a true Canadian

nationality among the descendants of this ancient and historic

people.

The honorary president since its inception, with the exception of

one year, is Mr. Lansing Lewis, D.C.L., a son of the president of

the old Welsh Union, the exception being the year the late Mr.

Samuel Carsley held the office.

The first president was Mr. Richard Roberts, L. Mus., the first

vice president, Mr. James Kirkham (Iago Tegai), the latter, in

consort with Mr. Evan Jones and Mr. Jos. Jenkins, B.A., being

among the most important moving spirits in the organization of

the Society.

The following gentlemen filled the position of president:

Mr. Evan Jones, Mr. Jos. Jenkins, B.A., B.C.L., Mr. M.E.

Pritchard, Mr. W.G. Bithell, and the present holder of the

position is Mr. Wm. Evans, merchant.

The Welsh people are renowned for their intense patriotism and

loyalty, and by training and temperament make good citizens,

invariably lending their influence and support to every effort to

advance the interests of the cities and towns wherein they may

chance to reside and it is estimated that there are in Montreal,

at the present time, from one to two thousand Welsh people.

Some of them are large employers of Canadian labor, and the

majority of them are interested in the manifold forces at work

of beautifying and making known the varied advantages, present

and prospective of this regal and beautiful metropolis of the

Dominion of Canada.

THE NEWFOUNDLAND SOCIETY

The youngest National Society formed on lines similar to the

foregoing was founded in September, 1911.

Its presidents have been as follows:

1911-12 F.M. Renouf

1913 C.A. Peters, M.D.

1914 W.A. Gaden

The object of the Society was to encourage Newfoundlanders

who were migrating to other lands to settle in Canada under

the British flag and to welcome them when in the city with

information to enable them to succeed here.

A great opportunity offered itself to the members in 1914, when

on the occasion of the great Newfoundland sealing disaster in

March of that year, it organized a relief fund in the city

and realized a sum of $13,000, which was forwarded to the

Newfoundland Government.

THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT

The Jewish community, whose earliest settlers and prominent

citizens will be noticed elsewhere, has not been regarded as

possessing a national society as such, although the Baron de

Hirsch Institute, now long founded, has been the centre of

charitable activities for Jewish immigrants. Of late years,

however, there has arisen a movement which may have a place here.

Montreal is the head centre of the Zionist Movement in the

Dominion, and the executive offices of the Federation of Zionist

Societies of Canada are situated in this city. No Jewish body in

this country counts as large a membership or is as thoroughly

representative of the entire Jewish population of Canada as

the Zionist Movement, for it has its branches in every city,

town and village from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The first

Zionist society was founded in Montreal in January, 1898. Among

its founders were Clarence I. de Sola, Rev. A. Ashinsky, H.

Bernstein, L. Aronson, Lazarus Cohen, Jacob Cohen, Leon Goldman,

J.S. Leo, Rev. Meldola de Sola, Dr. D.A. Hart and Moses Shapiro.

From small beginnings this movement, having for its object the

re-establishment of the Hebrew nation in Palestine, spread with

phenomenal rapidity, and within one year from its foundation

so numerous had the branches become that they were formed into

a federation under a central federal executive. This was in

December, 1899. The enormous strides which the organization has

made is shown in its ever-increasing revenue and membership from

year to year. Its conventions have become one of the striking

events of Jewish communal life in this country. At the eleventh

convention, held in Toronto in December, 1910, the Canadian

Zionist Federation started the undertaking of establishing a

Jewish agricultural colony in Palestine with funds entirely

contributed by members of the movement in Canada. This enterprise

was carried through so successfully that at the thirteenth

convention, held in Montreal in 1913, the president was able to

announce that the establishment of the first colony had been

completed and the work of establishing a second colony was

begun. This convention was also rendered noteworthy by President

de Sola’s plea for the restoration of the Jewish Sanhedrin in

Palestine, a plea which attracted world-wide notice and received

the approval of many of the leading Jews throughout the world.

The present executive of the Zionist Federation counts among

its officers some of the most capable and active workers in the

Jewish community of Canada. To mention them all would entail the

giving of a long list, but among the Montrealers, in addition to

those already mentioned above, are A. Levin, who is treasurer; M.

Markus, Rev. Nathan Gordon, Rev. H. Abramowitz, Joseph Fineberg,

L. Heillig, Mrs. Clarence de Sola, Mrs. J.S. Leo, and H. Lang.

The first Jew known to have settled in Montreal was Lazarus

David, who came to this city in 1759. He was connected with the

army, but on the close of the war settled in Montreal and became

an extensive owner of real estate. He was a man of public spirit

who took a prominent part in civic affairs in those early days.

He was born in Swansea, Wales, in 1734 and his name appears in

a list of residents published in Montreal in 1763. He continued

to play a prominent part, in what was then but a little town,

until his death on the 22d of October, 1776, and the headstone

which marks the place of his interment is still to be seen in

the cemetery of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews on Mount Royal.

Very shortly after the arrival of Lazarus David there also

came to Montreal Uriah Judah and other members of the Judah

family, Emanuel de Cordova, Hananiel Garcia, Isaac Miranda,

Judah Elvada, Uriel Moresco, Abraham Franks, Simon Levy, Levy

Solomons and Fernandez da Fonseca. They were joined by another

band of settlers, among whom were included Abram Franks, David

Salesby Franks, Isaac Miranda, Jacob de Maurera, Andrew Hays,

Levy Solomons and Joseph Bindona. De Cordova, Garcia and Miranda

held military offices. Nearly all of these men belonged to

distinguished families of Jews who had come to America originally

from Spain and Portugal and known among the Hebrews as Sephardin

and were members of the first Jewish Synagogue.

Although the members of this congregation were in those days but

small in number, they produced a remarkably large number of men

who took a very prominent part in public affairs. At the time

that Lazarus David was settling in Montreal there had arrived in

Canada Commissary General Aaron Hart, who was on the staff of

General Amherst’s invading army and who took an important part

in the operations which led to the British Conquest. He was born

in London in 1724 and had married a member of the Judah family,

and after serving under Amherst he afterwards joined the troops

under General Haldimand, stationed at Three Rivers, and when that

city fell into the hands of the British he took up his residence

there. After the war he was created seigneur of Bécancour for his

services, and became the owner of six other seigneuries. Another

man of prominence was David Salesby Franks. He and his father,

Abraham Franks, first appear as residents of Quebec in 1767 and

afterwards they settled in Montreal. David Salesby Franks was

president of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue previous to

1775. He agitated for the establishment of a House of Assembly

and the establishment of representative government in Canada.

Business affairs, however, drew him to Philadelphia and New York

and when the American Revolutionary War broke out he espoused the

cause of the American colonists and became major of a regiment.

In May, 1778, he became aide-de-camp to Major Benedict Arnold.

When in 1780 the affair of West Point occurred and Arnold fled

to escape punishment for his treason to the Revolutionary cause,

Major Franks was arrested on suspicion and courtmartialed, but

was honourably acquitted and was afterwards placed on the staff

of George Washington, under whom he fought during the rest of

the war. He played a prominent part in the negotiations for

peace between the American colonists and Great Britain and was

sent on a mission in this connection to Europe in 1781, and in

1784 he was again sent to Europe by the United States Congress

with the triplicate copies for the ratification of the definite

treaty of peace. He assisted Benjamin Franklin and Mr. Jay in

these negotiations. He was afterwards appointed American consul

at Marseilles and he was one of the commissioners of the American

Government who negotiated a treaty of peace and commerce with

Morocco in 1787. He was one of the marshals who inaugurated

George Washington as first President of the United States.

There were other members of the Franks family who remained in

Montreal and who fought on the side of the British against the

American colonists. A sister of David Salesby Franks married the

Levy Solomons who is mentioned above and who was at that time

president of the Montreal Jewish Congregation “Shearith Israel.”

One of their daughters, Rachel Solomon, became the wife of Henry

Joseph, who in his day was one of the most prominent Jews in

Canada. Henry Joseph was born in England in the latter part of

the eighteenth century. He was nephew of Commissary General Aaron

Hart and came to Canada when but a youth and entered the army,

being attached to the troops that formed the garrison of Fort

William Henry at the mouth of the Richelieu River. He afterwards

became interested in the Northwest Trading Company and eventually

retired from the army to develop trade from Hudson’s Bay to

Quebec and Montreal. His headquarters were for a long while at

Berthier, but he perceived even in that early day that Montreal

was destined to become a place of importance, and he removed

his home to this city in his latter days. It is claimed that

he was the actual founder of Canada’s merchant marine service,

for he was the owner of a line of ships that were the first to

be registered as Canadian vessels engaged exclusively in direct

traffic between Canada and England. He rejoined the army when

the War of 1812-14 broke out between England and the United

States and fought for the British crown in many engagements.

Associated with him as a Hudson’s Bay trader was Jacob Franks, a

member of the family above mentioned, who had married a sister of

Mrs. Henry Joseph and who was also noted as a very enterprising

northwest and Hudson’s Bay trader. He was the founder of Green

Bay, Wisconsin, and Jacob Astor was originally employed by him

there. Another very influential member of the early Jewish

community in this city was David David, the eldest son of Lazarus

David. He was born in Montreal in 1764 and took a prominent part

in almost everything which affected the interests of Montreal in

his day. Possessed of considerable wealth he employed his means

in works of benevolence, and his generous assistance to the early

philanthropic societies of Montreal is on record. He was either

president or director of a number of institutions. It was due

largely to his initiative that the Bank of Montreal was founded

in 1817, and he was elected a director on its first regular

board on the 27th of February, 1818, and continued to hold this

office until his death in 1824. He was also president of the

Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in Montreal for many years.

In addition to members of the David and Joseph families already

mentioned, who fought for the British flag in the War of 1812-14,

the names of a number of other Hebrew citizens are to be found

also participating on the British side in that struggle, and

there was also a large number of Canadian Jews who fought on the

loyalist side in the rebellion of 1837-38, notably Colonel David,

Aaron Philip Hart, Jacob Henry Joseph and several members of the

Hays family.

The exact legal status of the Jews in Canada was not made very

clear at an early date by any definite enactments, and for long

they labored under the disability of not having the right of

sitting in Parliament. This question was brought to a definite

test by the election in 1807 of Mr. Ezekiel Hart, second son of

Commissariat General Hart, as member of the Legislative Assembly

for Three Rivers. When he entered the House he was required

to take the oath in the usual form “on the true faith of a

Christian” and upon his declining to do this on account of his

Jewish faith the majority of the members objected to his taking

his seat and declared the seat vacant. Appealing again to his

constituents he was once more elected by a heavy majority, but

again the House refused to permit him to take his seat, and after

a stormy session a bill was pushed through to its second reading

to disqualify Jews from being eligible to sit as members of the

House of Assembly. This aroused the indignation of Sir James

Craig, who was then governor, and he angrily dissolved the House

and prevented the bill from passing. After a long struggle an act

was introduced and passed in 1831 by which Jews were accorded

the fullest civil rights in Canada and were placed upon an equal

footing with all other citizens of the land. Ezekiel Hart was

deservedly popular and it is stated that the opposition which

was shown to his taking his seat was due more to the political

partisanship of his political opponents than to any real feeling

of religious intolerance. It is worthy of note that Canada

extended full political rights to the Jews more than a quarter of

a century earlier than the mother country.

Of the later Hebrews may be mentioned Moses J. Hays, who was one

of the most active men engaged in municipal affairs in Montreal

in the early part of the nineteenth century, and to his energy

the city was indebted for many civic improvements. It was he who

established the first Montreal waterworks. He also reorganized

Montreal’s police force, of which he was the chief commissioner,

and he was the builder of the Hays House, the leading hotel of

Montreal in its day, situated on what was then known as Dalhousie

Square, but which has since been swept away to make room for the

Place Viger entrance of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Abraham de Sola, the rabbi attached to the Shearith Israel

Congregation, was recognized as in the first rank of Jewish

leaders in the cabinet. He was elected in 1848 professor

of Semitic literature and oriental languages of the McGill

University.

During the period of Doctor De Sola’s administration the Spanish

and Portuguese Jewish Congregation of the Shearith Israel

Synagogue, formed by the first Jew settlers in 1768, counted

among its members a number of men who were very prominent in

Montreal’s social, intellectual and commercial life. Amongst

these was Dr. A.H. David, a grandson of Lazarus David, who,

besides being a prominent physician, was dean of the medical

faculty of Bishop’s College. Samuel Benjamin, Goodman Benjamin

and William Benjamin were three brothers who were all very well

known in Montreal between the ’40s and ’60s in the past century.

Samuel Benjamin took a very prominent part in civic affairs and

was for a long while member of the city council, being the first

Israelite to attain that position in Montreal. Four sons of

Henry Joseph, Jacob Henry, Abraham, Jesse and Gershom, were all

prominent. Probably there was no citizen of Montreal better known

in his day and associated with more of our public activities than

Jesse Joseph. He was either president or director of over fifteen

different companies or institutions.

Another member of the Congregation of Shearith Israel was Isidor

Ascher, who earned a respectable reputation as a poet. He was the

author of “Voices from the Hearth” which Longfellow so highly

commended, and of a number of other works, both in verse and

in prose. His father, G.I. Ascher, was long a patriarchial and

familiar figure in Montreal life in the nineteenth century, for

he reached the venerable age of ninety-six years. Alexander

Levy, Jacob Levy, Samuel Israel Rubenstein, Edward Cohen and

Lewis A. Hart were well-known officers of the congregation in

more recent years. The last mentioned was for some years lecturer

on notarial practice at McGill University.

Dr. Abraham de Sola died in 1882, and was succeeded by his eldest

son, Meldola de Sola.

The Jews have always shown an interest in both civic and national

politics, and at the present moment there are two Jewish citizens

who are members of the city council.

OTHER NATIONAL ORIGINS OF THE PEOPLE

The foregoing do not exhaust the list of Societies for national

and racial conservation. There are others such as the “Société

Suisse de Montréal,” “The Scandinavian National Society,” “The

Jersey (Channel Island) Society of Canada” and others. Suffice it

to say that Montreal is now veritably cosmopolitan as the census

of 1911 will demonstrate.

CENSUS OF MONTREAL

ORIGINS OF THE PEOPLE BY SUB-DISTRICTS OF THE CITY OF MONTREAL

FOR 1911

LEGEND:

British

E = English;

I = Irish;

S = Scotch;

O = Other.

Fr. = French

Ge. = German

A-H. = Austro-Hungarian

Be. = Belgian

BR. = Bulgarian and Rumanian

Ch. = Chinese

Districts and British

Sub-districts /--------^----------\

En. Ir. Sc. Oth. Fr. Ge. A-H Be. B.R. Ch.

St. Raphaël de l’Ile

Bizard 36 1 -- -- 549 -- -- -- -- --

Summerlea t 51 8 13 -- 82 -- -- -- -- --

Beaconsfield t 129 16 16 -- 206 1 2 -- -- --

Dorval t 220 101 139 1 479 8 1 1 -- --

Lachine t 2,316 364 554 163 6,593 35 21 7 13 15

Montreal W-O t 302 121 212 4 44 11 -- -- -- --

Notre-Dame de Grâces 1,538 310 257 -- 2,735 23 136 5 1 --

Outremont t 1,593 447 575 25 1,911 40 2 5 3 8

Pointe Claire t 147 22 55 2 549 5 -- -- -- 1

Ste. Anne de Bellevue t 127 46 77 3 1,141 -- -- 1 -- 3

St. Laurent t 29 10 36 -- 1,759 1 -- 10 -- 3

Verdun t 3,860 892 922 10 5,534 72 -- 95 -- 10

Ville Emard 674 69 41 3 5,119 16 -- 44 -- 1

Youville 197 60 74 -- 1,962 11 7 4 8 --

Cartierville v 41 24 4 -- 817 3 -- -- -- --

Côte des Neiges 351 129 104 1 1,797 9 1 -- -- 2

Côte St. Luc v 58 -- -- -- 237 -- -- -- -- --

Ste. Geneviève v 3 -- -- -- 609 -- -- -- -- --

St. Pierre aux Liens 208 120 178 2 1,480 4 49 -- 88 3

Senneville v 48 12 23 1 326 -- -- 6 -- --

MONTREAL-STE. ANNE 4,846 6,549 1,311 51 6,539 136 155 8 6 47

Centre ward 17 19 8 -- 395 -- -- -- -- 1

Ste. Anne ward 4,773 6,466 1,288 48 6,082 134 155 8 6 39

West ward 56 64 15 3 62 2 -- -- -- 7

MONTREAL-ST. ANTOINE 13,355 8,996 6,974 166 14,230 696 37 75 6 236

St. Joseph ward 3,184 3,042 1,128 13 8,636 178 7 26 -- 34

St. Georges ward 4,741 2,975 2,855 70 1,688 259 11 29 2 137

St. Andrews ward 5,430 2,979 2,991 83 3,906 259 19 20 4 65

MONTREAL-ST. JACQUES 1,246 915 414 2 38,384 117 10 163 11 87

East ward 141 69 19 -- 2,785 1 -- 3 -- 13

Lafontaine ward 802 565 306 -- 21,620 76 5 84 11 40

St. Jacques ward 303 281 89 2 13,979 40 5 76 -- 34

MONTREAL-ST. LAURENT 6,751 4,996 2,791 77 18,307 400 240 141 61 460

St. Laurent ward 4,507 3,792 2,353 74 4,785 279 145 31 53 334

St. Louis ward 2,244 1,204 438 3 13,522 121 95 110 8 126

MONTREAL-ST. MARIE 3,500 2,642 997 5 45,941 133 34 35 11 42

Papineau ward 2,697 2,086 732 4 32,420 102 12 22 1 30

Ste. Marie ward 803 556 265 1 13,521 31 22 13 10 12

HOCHELAGA 15,837 6,217 6,729 108 43,032 524 63 20 7 148

Ste. Cunégonde ward 1,519 581 390 -- 8,285 18 10 -- -- 25

St. Gabriel ward 4,875 2,625 1,888 35 8,690 160 37 4 -- 26

St. Henri ward 3,463 804 640 1 24,734 95 4 10 7 28

Westmount c 5,980 2,207 3,811 72 1,323 251 12 6 -- 69

JACQUES-CARTIER 14,001 3,303 3,606 216 40,920 289 236 215 118 --

Côte St. Paul 996 155 54 -- 2,069 21 -- 6 -- --

Notre Dame des 71 221 7 -- 593 2 -- 6 -- --

Neiges W

Présentation de la

Ste. Vierge 8 1 1 -- 210 -- -- -- -- --

Saints-Anges de Lachine 195 82 83 -- 415 15 -- 8 -- --

Ste. Anne du Bout de

l’Ile 151 25 51 -- 557 3 -- -- -- --

Ste. Geneviève 18 3 1 -- 1,045 7 -- -- -- --

St. Joachim de la

Pointe Claire 142 8 7 -- 647 -- -- -- -- --

St. Laurent 492 56 122 1 1,455 2 17 17 5 4

CENSUS OF MONTREAL

ORIGINS OF THE PEOPLE BY SUB-DISTRICTS OF THE CITY OF MONTREAL

FOR 1911

Dutch = Du.

Greek = Gr.

Hindu = Hi.

Indian = In.

Italian = Ital.

Japanese = Jp.

Jewish = Jew.

Districts and

Sub-districts Du. Gr. Hi. In. Ital. Jp. Jew.

MONTREAL-ST. ANNE 5 18 -- 1 201 2 913

MONTREAL-ST. ANTOINE 61 114 -- 7 1,116 2 1,288

Centre ward -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Ste. Anne ward 5 18 -- 1 201 2 905

West ward -- -- -- -- -- -- 8

St. Joseph ward 19 54 -- 1 688 -- 504

St. Georges ward 26 58 -- 4 271 2 436

St. Andrews ward 16 2 -- 2 157 -- 348

MONTREAL-ST. JACQUES 7 45 -- 3 1,115 -- 549

East ward 1 5 -- -- 48 -- 1

MONTREAL-ST. JACQUES

Lafontaine ward 5 8 -- 2 857 -- 408

St. Jacques ward 1 32 -- 1 210 -- 140

MONTREAL-ST. LAURENT 19 292 -- 3 837 -- 19,256

St. Laurent ward 13 179 -- 2 205 -- 7,733

St. Louis ward 6 113 -- 1 632 -- 11,523

MONTREAL STE. MARIE 4 24 -- 2 439 -- 356

Papineau ward -- 21 -- -- 400 -- 306

Ste. Marie ward 4 3 -- 2 39 -- 50

HOCHELAGA 79 17 -- 11 315 -- 589

Ste. Cunégonde ward 12 7 -- 3 163 -- 102

St. Gabriel ward 23 -- -- -- 8 -- 56

St. Henri ward 4 10 -- 8 143 -- 50

Westmount c. 40 -- -- -- 1 -- 381

JACQUES-CARTIER -- -- -- -- 7 -- --

Côte St. Paul -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Notre Dame des Neiges W -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Présentation de la Ste.

Vierge -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Saints-Anges de Lachine -- -- -- 2 9 -- 13

Ste. Anne du Bout de l’Ile -- -- -- -- -- -- 8

Ste. Geneviève -- -- -- -- -- -- --

St. Joachim de la Pointe

Claire -- -- -- -- -- -- --

St Laurent 7 -- 2 6 -- 9 4

St. Raphaël de l’Ile Bizard -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Summerlea t -- -- -- -- 2 -- 3

Beaconsfield t -- -- -- -- -- -- 2

Dorval t -- -- -- -- 15 -- 11

Lachine t 1 14 -- 1 134 -- 342

Montréal W-O t 1 -- -- -- -- -- --

Notre-Dame de Grâces -- -- -- 1 130 -- 4

Outremont t 3 -- -- -- 63 -- 41

Pointe Claire t -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Ste. Anne de Bellevue t -- 1 -- -- -- -- 9

St. Laurent t -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Verdun t 3 1 -- -- 3 -- 67

Ville Emard 5 5 -- -- 158 -- --

Youville -- 2 -- -- 56 -- 2

Cartierville v -- -- 1 -- -- -- 10

Côte des Neiges 2 -- -- -- 9 -- 23

Côte St. Luc v -- -- -- -- 8 -- --

Ste. Geneviève v -- -- -- -- -- -- --

St. Pierre aux Liens v 1 -- -- -- 3 -- 5

Senneville v 2 -- -- -- -- -- --

CENSUS OF MONTREAL

ORIGINS OF THE PEOPLE BY SUB-DISTRICTS OF THE CITY OF MONTREAL

FOR 1911

Negro = Ne.

Polish = Po.

Russian = Ru.

Scandinavian = Sc.

Swiss = Sw.

Unspecified = Unsp.

Districts and

Sub-districts Ne. Po. Ru. Sc. SW. Unsp.

MONTREAL-ST. ANNE 1 496 243 58 4 86

MONTREAL-ST. ANTOINE 189 84 62 156 53 735

Centre ward -- -- 17 -- -- 1

Ste. Anne ward 1 496 226 57 4 77

West ward -- -- -- 1 -- 8

St. Joseph ward 133 53 13 38 2 126

St. Georges ward 2 6 4 50 34 184

St. Andrews ward 54 25 45 68 17 425

MONTREAL-ST. JACQUES 2 25 63 37 24 838

East ward -- -- 8 7 2 458

MONTREAL-ST. JACQUES

Lafontaine ward 2 5 40 7 13 170

St. Jacques ward -- 20 15 23 9 210

MONTREAL-ST. LAURENT 19 94 109 106 36 865

St. Laurent ward 14 32 84 83 17 324

St. Louis ward 5 62 25 23 19 541

MONTREAL STE. MARIE 4 271 280 16 12 162

Papineau ward -- 85 50 9 7 95

Ste. Marie ward 4 186 230 7 5 67

HOCHELAGA 47 318 100 127 55 706

Ste. Cunégonde ward 2 2 8 5 10 32

St. Gabriel ward -- 237 63 48 13 173

St. Henri ward 38 77 23 38 2 156

Westmount c. 7 2 6 36 20 345

JACQUES-CARTIER -- -- -- 6 -- 5

Côte St. Paul -- -- -- -- -- --

Notre Dame des Neiges W -- -- -- -- -- --

Présentation de la Ste.

Vierge -- 1 -- -- -- --

Saints-Anges de Lachine -- 2 1 1 2 --

Ste. Anne du Bout de l’Ile -- 10 -- -- -- 8

Ste. Geneviève -- -- -- -- -- 1

St. Joachim de la Pointe

Claire -- -- -- -- -- 1

St Laurent 4 16 5 -- -- 8

St. Raphaël de l’Ile Bizard -- -- -- -- -- --

Summerlea t -- -- 2 -- -- --

Beaconsfield t -- -- -- 2 -- 1

Dorval t -- -- -- 8 -- 21

Lachine t 1 34 18 6 1 66

Montréal W-O t -- -- -- -- -- 8

Notre-Dame de Grâces -- 8 11 11 -- 47

Outremont t -- 1 8 7 16 72

Pointe Claire t -- -- -- 4 2 6

Ste. Anne de Bellevue t -- -- -- -- -- 8

St. Laurent t -- -- -- -- -- 12

Verdun t 1 15 2 51 8 83

Ville Emard -- 10 10 5 -- 19

Youville -- -- 1 5 -- 5

Cartierville v -- -- -- -- 1 4

Côte des Neiges -- -- -- 2 2 12

Côte St. Luc v -- -- -- -- -- --

Ste. Geneviève v -- -- -- -- -- --

St. Pierre aux Liens v 2 33 15 3 -- 7

Senneville v -- -- -- -- -- --

FOOTNOTES:

[1] January 24, 1858, St. Jean Baptiste Festival was kept as a

national fête in Toronto by French-Canadians

[2] This hotel was finally burnt on March 17, 1873.

[3] This plate with the documents contained in the box of the

corner-stone, was taken out of the ruins of St. Patrick’s Hall by

Mr. B. Tansey in 1872 and is now in his possession.

CHAPTER XXXI

PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES

FIGHTING FIRE--DARKNESS--FLOODS--DROUGHT

1. FIRE FIGHTING--THE FIRE OF 1765--“THE CASE OF THE CANADIANS

OF MONTREAL”--THE EXTENT OF THE FIRE--FIRE PRECAUTIONS

SUGGESTED--OTHER HISTORICAL FORCES--THE MONTREAL FIRE FORCES OF

THE PAST AND PRESENT.

2. THE LIGHTING OF MONTREAL--OIL LAMPS, 1815--GAS,

1836--ELECTRICITY--FIRST EXPERIMENTS IN THE STREETS, 1879--THE

ELECTRIC LIGHTING COMPANIES--NOTES ON INTRODUCTION OF THE

TELEGRAPH--FIRE ALARM--ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

3. FLOODS, EARLY AND MODERN, 1848, 1857, 1861, 1865, 1886--THE

PRACTICAL CESSATION IN 1888.

4. THE CITY WATER SUPPLY--THE MONTREAL WATER WORKS--PRIVATE

COMPANIES--THE MUNICIPAL WATER WORKS--THE PUMPING PLANTS--THE

WATER FAMINE OF 1913.

FIGHTING FIRE

Hardly had the English rule started in Montreal when on

Saturday, May 18, 1765, a great fire raged for three hours,

nearly endangering the safety of the whole city. There is in

the McGill University Library bound up with sermons and essays,

the first being an essay concerning the human rational soul, a

rare pamphlet bearing the title, “The case of the Canadians of

Montreal, distressed by fire.” There is no date of publication or

publisher’s name. It is marked “Second Edition” and a postscript

in it shows that this second edition was printed after March

20, 1766; probably in London. The second page has the following

sub-title:

“Motives

for a

Subscription

Towards the relief of the sufferers at

Montreal in Canada

“by a dreadful fire on the 18th of May, 1765, in which 108 houses

(containing 125 families, chiefly Canadians)

were destroyed; and the greater part of the inhabitants

exposed to all the miseries attending such misfortunes.

The whole loss in buildings, merchandise,

furniture and apparel

amounted to £87,580 8. 10d.

sterling; no part of which could be insured.”

Underneath there is a wood cut of Canada kneeling before

Britannia pointing with her left hand to the burning blocks and

appealing for relief. Underneath are the words: MONTREAL MAY

MDCCLXV. By consulting the concluding pages of “The case for the

Canadians” we see that the pamphlet is the appeal of a committee

of trustees in London “who meet at the New York Coffee House

every Thursday at 11 o’clock and will be glad to be favored

with the assistance of any subscriber.” The treasurer was John

Thornton, Esq., and there were twenty-three members, of whom

Edward Green, secretary, concludes the list. There follows a list

of firms of merchants and others in the city to the number of

twenty who would take subscriptions.

The motives as eloquently expressed in the opening part of the

appeal are firstly those of common humanity; secondly, the

“Canadians are our fellow subjects.” “The consideration of

distance ought to make no difference in the minds of a people

whose EMPIRE is extended to so many places over the earth.”

“There are other weighty considerations: much the greater part

of these sufferers are _strangers_ who, to use the language of

liberty, the fortune of war has put under _our_ protection;

and those who have not seen them may form some idea of them

by report. They are _stout_, _comely_ and _intrepid_, of a

vigilant, laborious, and _obedient_ disposition. They have given

proof of their discernment as well as of the _necessity_ of

their situation by the preference they have shown to _British

Sovereignty_ when they were at their liberty to have gone to

_Old France_, and though military government, which took place,

is seldom the most favourable to a commercial people, they had

reason to be sensible of the advantageous change. There is now

a form of _Civil Oeconomy_: if it is duly administered and not

tinctured with military power it will be the most grateful to

a brave and intelligent people. It is our wisdom and our duty

to show them in every instance that we are as willing to be

_Their_ friends as _They can be Ours_, and let us endeavour to

secure their fidelity to the crown of the realm by engaging their

_Hearts_ as well as their _tongues_. They profess allegiance

to the _King_, let us engage them by every tye to render that

allegiance inviolable.”

The details of the disaster are then given. The concluding words

of the appeal, after an allusion to the “Most Awful Gratitude”

to “_Divine Providence_” which has blessed His Majesty’s arms

and given him “the possession of the country of which the city

in question is in several respects the principal” are: “In

these several views we present the cause of the sufferers in

_Montreal_. It is meant that no circumstance which religion,

humanity or True Policy can suggest shall be omitted. Thus

shall we conciliate their minds to the British Government and

render the oeconomy of it in that quarter of the world so much

the _safer_. In proportion to the encouragement afforded by the

promotion of useful industry and labour it is to be presumed

their attachment to their country will increase by such means

we shall also show them that _Our Protestantism_ inspirs the

most essential part of Christianity: We shall show them that the

_British_ nation is not more to be dreaded for their _valor_

and _intrepidity_ than beloved, for the exercise of the _social

virtues_; and these qualities, displayed on this occasion, will

in their natural tendency promote that harmony on which the

prosperity of the state depends. Thus shall we behold commerce

and navigation, _Fixed on the securest basis_; benevolence

cherished; the hearts of all the subjects of the _British Empire_

united by a concordance of sentiment; a just discernment of

what is right and fit for the common good; and a resolution to

adhere to such right. And being thus bound by a sincere and

mutual affection, even the most adverse events may in the issue

contribute to give permanancy to the state and uninterrupted

happiness to the _King_ and his people.”

This committee by March 20, 1766, had collected £1,818 16s 8d, of

which His Majesty contributed £500. The “case of the Canadians”

is worth quoting further, since it gives a picture of the city

at this period from an English point of view. “Montreal contains

about seven thousand inhabitants. It is here that the French

Canadians were most desirous of retreating when they had acquired

a subsistence; the adjacent country where they had many seats and

farms on the banks of the river being delightfully pleasant and

the climate more agreeable than at Quebec.” It was computed that

one-fourth of the city was consumed and about one-third part in

value. The loss sustained by the “dreadful fire” was carefully

attested by His Excellency, the Honourable James Murray. An

abstract is given:

Value in Buildings (an exact survey being made

by masons and carpenters) £31,980 0 0

Value in Merchandise 54,718 5 9

Value in Furniture and Apparel 25,261 12 6

Value in Cash, plate and Bills 4,814 0 3

------- -- --

Their currency £116,773 18 6

Equal to sterling 87,580 8 10

“It is worthy of notice that these people were so tender of what

they evidenced on oath that great numbers declared, some time

after, that they found their loss considerably greater than the

account they had sworn to.

Families.

In St. François Street were burnt out 54

In St. Paul Street were burnt out 87

In the Market Place were burnt out 26

In Hospital Street were burnt out 1

In St. Louis Street were burnt out 15

In St. Eloit Street were burnt out 6

In St. Sacrement Street were burnt out 6

In St. Nicholas Street were burnt out 1

In St. Ann Street were burnt out 1

In St. Ann Suburbs were burnt out 10

Grey Sisters Hospital, Suburbs and houses nearest were burnt out 8

In all 215 families, of whom much the greater part were

Canadians newly become subjects.”