A MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY, RECENTLY DECEASED.
]
Hon. FELIX CARBRAY, M. R. I. A.
A native of Quebec, born in 1835. He died in Quebec in December, 1907.
His parents were from the County Tyrone, Ireland, and came to Canada in
the early 30s. The father, Niall Carbray, was born at Carrickcastle,
near Dungannon. The old Carbray homestead still exists there and is
occupied by a member of the family. His mother was Catherine Connolly, a
native of Clogher, County Tyrone. Felix, the son, subject of this
sketch, was educated at private schools and at the Christian Brothers,
in his native city. Endowed with natural talents of no ordinary
character and with a thirst for knowledge, he applied himself earnestly
in the effort to improve his education in every possible way. He
distinguished himself in mathematics and literature. He was endowed with
a great aptitude for the acquisition of foreign languages, and was
familiar with the Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French. He was as
thoroughly familiar with French as with English. Thus well equipped with
a superior education and a worthy ambition to make his mark in life, he
began a business course in April, 1854, as an accountant, which he
continued in some of the leading houses in his native city for fifteen
years. In May, 1869, he opened an office as a general commission and
shipping merchant, which from the beginning was most successful. In the
spring of 1870, he took as partner, Francis Routh, son of the late Sir
Randolph Routh. His mother was a Taschereau, sister of the late Cardinal
Taschereau and of the late Chief Justice Taschereau. The new firm,
Carbray & Routh, which a few years later became Carbray, Routh & Co.,
opened an office also in Montreal, Mr. Carbray managing the business of
the Quebec office and Mr. Routh that of the Montreal office. The new
firm had a long, prosperous and honorable career. No firm was more
widely known all over the business world, nor did any stand higher for
integrity and honor. The partnership, having expired in 1900, was
dissolved and the affairs liquidated; this being found to the mutual
advantage of the associates. Mr. Carbray continued the business at
Quebec with his son, William, under the name of Carbray, Son & Co., and
Mr. Routh that of Montreal under the style of F. A. Routh & Co. Both
firms have been very successful and bid fair to go on down the
generations like many of the old houses of Europe. The high character
and abilities of Felix Carbray at an earlier date attracted the
attention of his fellow citizens, and every mark of esteem and
confidence was shown him. He loved Ireland, the land of his fathers,
with an intense love, and threw himself heart and soul into every
movement tending to promote her cause or the welfare of his race. No
Irishman of his time in Quebec did more to raise the prestige of the
Irish race and the cause of Ireland among the peoples of other races. In
1883, _Redpath’s Weekly_ says of Mr. Carbray: “He is a gentleman of high
culture and deep learning. His linguistic attainments are also
remarkable. He speaks the French and English languages with equal
fluency, and as both are used in the Quebec legislature, Mr. Carbray
addresses the house in one or the other with equal elegancy, as
circumstances may require. He also converses freely in Italian, Spanish
and Portuguese. The high esteem in which he is held by his Irish fellow
citizens is best shown by the fact that they have never missed an
occasion to put him in every place of honor and trust within their gift.
He is at present their worthy representative in the parliament of the
Province of Quebec, as a member of the West Division of the city, which,
though it contains the leading British commercial men of Quebec, is
controlled by the Irish vote. Mr. Carbray is an eloquent and forcible
orator, his recent speech on the occasion of the reading of ‘the speech
from the throne,’ having been pronounced by the Canadian press as the
most remarkable English speech ever delivered in the Quebec legislature.
In his public capacity Mr. Carbray has never made an enemy, while as a
private citizen he has hosts of friends.” Rose, in his _Cyclopedia of
Canadian Biography_, says of him: He was educated at Quebec, where he
has resided throughout his life, though he has traveled extensively in
America and Europe, principally on business connected with the trade in
lumber, in which his house is engaged. He was one of the pioneers of the
lumber trade between the St. Lawrence and South America, and is still
largely interested in it. In addition to his other duties, he fills the
important position of consul of Portugal at the port of Quebec. A
Catholic in religion, Mr. Carbray has been honored by the St. Patrick’s
congregation of Quebec with election and re-election as one of the
trustees, and is also a trustee of that noble Irish Catholic charity,
the St. Bridget’s Asylum of Quebec. He has taken an equally active and
leading part in all the local national movements of his fellow
countrymen, and has been president of the St. Patrick’s Literary
Institute, the Irish National Association, and other Irish bodies in
Quebec. He is a Liberal-Conservative in politics, and at the provincial
general elections in 1881, yielding to the solicitations of his friends,
he ran as the party candidate for the electoral division of Quebec West,
and, after a hard fight, was elected by a good majority to represent
that constituency in the legislative assembly in the province. His
parliamentary career was very creditable. Though he did not often
address the house, he was always listened to with the utmost respect,
being an equally good speaker and debater in both English and French,
and never wasting his powder except on serious and interesting subjects
with which he was most conversant, such, especially, as questions of
finance and commerce. In May, 1854, he married Miss Margaret Carberry, a
daughter of the late William Carberry of Carrick-on-Suir, Ireland, of
whom he had four sons and six daughters. Those still living are: Herbert
of Montreal; William, Quebec; Thomas John, a promising lawyer; Mrs. P.
L. Connor, Boston; Mrs. Alfred Carroll, Montreal, and Grace. His
youngest daughter, Grace, and son, Thomas, live with him at “Benburb
Place,” and the Ramparts. Mrs. Carbray died in May, 1895. She was a
patriotic Irish woman and revered and esteemed for her piety and
devotedness to God’s poor. In October, 1902, he married Miss Brigid
Carberry—widow of the late Nicholas K. Connolly—sister of his first
wife. The marriage ceremony was performed at St. Gabriel’s Church, New
York, by Archbishop Farley. She died on July 1, 1903, deeply regretted
by her sorrowing husband and all who knew her. A most amiable lady and,
like her sister, devoted to the poor. Mr. Carbray filled many
distinguished positions in his life; he is held in high esteem by his
fellow citizens of all races, creeds and politics. He was a member of
the Quebec Harbor Commission, of the Quebec Board of Trade, consul for
Portugal, and, being the oldest consul here, is dean of the Consular
Corps, senior trustee of St. Patrick’s Church, of the St. Bridget’s
Asylum Association, president of the United Irish League, etc., etc. Mr.
Carbray was an ardent upholder of the movement for the revival of the
Irish language. He delivered a lecture on this subject at Tara Hall,
Quebec, in April, 1899, which displayed profound knowledge of the
subject, and attracted the attention and encomiums of the whole Celtic
world. Mr. Carbray had a collection of books on Ireland which formed
probably the best of its kind in Canada. He was a member of the Royal
Irish Academy.
[Illustration:
HON. THOMAS Z. LEE.
]
[Illustration:
COL. JAMES MORAN.
]
[Illustration:
MR. MICHAEL F. DOOLEY.
]
[Illustration:
MR. JOHN F. O’CONNELL.
]
[Illustration:
MR. PATRICK CARTER.
]