Edmund Allen Meredith
Encyclopedia
Edmund Allen Meredith LL.D., was Under Secretary of State for Canada
; a prison reformer, writer, and the third principal of McGill University
from 1846 to 1853.
, October 7, 1817. He was the fourth son of Rev. Thomas Meredith
and Elizabeth Maria Graves (1791–1855), the eldest daughter of Richard Graves, Dean of Ardagh, whose wife was a first cousin of Henry Pearce Driscoll
. He was named after his aunt's (Martha Meredith's) husband, "that eccentric genius, the late truly learned and honest" (Christopher) Edmund Allen (1776–1826) LL.D, formerly the King's Professor of Common Law
at Trinity College, Dublin
, of the Allens of the Manor of Highgate, County Fermanagh
. He was a nephew of Robert James Graves
and a brother of Sir William Collis Meredith
. He was the great uncle of James Creed Meredith
and Ven. Ralph Creed Meredith
, and a cousin of Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell
, Francis Brinkley
, Admiral Richard Charles Mayne
, John Dawson Mayne
and John Walsingham Cooke Meredith
. The last named was the father of The Eight London Merediths, who included amongst them Sir William Ralph Meredith
, one of the pall-bearers at his funeral.
Meredith's father died suddenly and mysteriously in 1819 and his mother's second marriage led her to Lower Canada
from 1824 until 1832. She took four of her children, but left the other three, including Meredith, in Ireland
. He was left in the care of his uncle, "Ireland's most celebrated surgeon", Robert James Graves
, who "was very good to him", and his third wife Anna Grogan.
Predominantly brought up by Graves' elderly housekeeper, in 1827 he was sent to Castleknock, a boarding school outside of Dublin. In 1833, he entered Trinity College, Dublin
, winning a classical scholarship in his second year and prizes in political economy and science. After graduating (B.A.
and M.A. degree) he entered King's Inns
, Dublin to study law (becoming a Doctor of Laws).
and so he embarked on a voyage there in 1842. He joined his elder brother, William Collis Meredith
in Montreal
and briefly resumed his study of law at his offices there. He returned to Ireland
in 1844 to be called to the Irish Bar, but later that year returned to Montreal, invited to do so by William.
In his first diary entry of that year Meredith talks of his decision to leave Ireland for Canada, revealing his personal angst over the upheaval: "It now seems strange to me that I could have dreamed, even for an instant, of banishing myself from the society of my brother (Richard - Secretary of the Literary Association of the Friends of Poland
), and setting up on my own account among complete strangers."
In Montreal
he became a member of The Shakespeare Club, a meeting of which was painted by fellow member Cornelius Krieghoff
in 1847. Meredith is depicted along with other members including future Judge Frederick William Torrance, Sir Allan Napier MacNab and John Young (Canadian politician)
. In 1846 his brother, William, had used his influence to secure him the unpaid but prestigious position of Principal of McGill University
in Montreal, a position he held until 1853.
While at McGill, Edmund Meredith played in one of the earliest games of ice hockey
to have been described. It took place in the 1850's and thirty years later was written up in the Montreal Star
:
he joined the civil service and moved with the government to Quebec
, becoming Under Secretary of State for Canada in Sir John A. Macdonald
's government. When the new capital, Ottawa
, was founded in 1865, much to his disappointment, he and the rest of the government were forced to move there, writing "the more I see of Ottawa
, the more do I dislike and detest it." He was described as ‘one of the outstanding civil servants of his generation’, even if he was "destined to be a man forever ahead of his time." In 1870, John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar
offered to Meredith the Chief-Justiceship of St. Lucia, which he declined.
Meredith is best remembered for his role in prison reform, of which he was an active exponent. Following the British North America Act, in 1867 he was appointed the Inspector then Chairman of the Board of Inspectors of Asylums and Prisons etc. Concerning his work on Prison Reform, the Montreal Gazette reported,
Mr Meredith deserves thanks that in this as in other directions he is labouring to promote social and educational reforms. We are happy in having men in the public service whose hearts are so thoroughly in their work as he has shown his is in the giant task of the amendment of our disgraceful prison life and prison discipline, and in cognate subjects
He founded the Ottawa Art Association, served as President of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec
, the Park Lawn Tennis Club (Toronto
), the Civil Service Board, the Ottawa Literary and Scientific Society, and Vice-President of the Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto, and finally the part-time position in retirement as Vice-President of the Toronto Loans and Assurance Company (a.k.a. Toronto General Trusts). However, Meredith's capacity for involving his own money in costly speculative ventures (that included organising a trip to Mexico
in search of lost treasure) would have been something of a family joke if it hadn't proved to be so expensive for them!
He wrote and published numerous articles and pamphlets including "An Essay on the Oregon Question (1846)"; "Influence of Recent Gold Discoveries on Prices" (1856); "An Important but Neglectd Branch of Social Science" (1861); "Note on some Emendations (not hitherto suggested) in the text of Shakspeare, with a new explanation of an old passage" (1863); "Glance at the Present State of the Common Gaols of Canada; the individual separation of prisoners (with shortened sentences), recommended on moral and economic grounds" (1864); "Earth Sewage versus Water Sewage", and even a pamphlet on militia
training in schools, though he himself did not enjoy "playing at soldiers." His writings, A Trip from Boston to Montreal in 1844 was published in 1925 by his eldest daughter http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayEcopies&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3434472&rec_nbr_list=3434472,3421096,3492844,3479275,3479273,3479272,3477306,3477305,3472352,3472334&title=Meredith%2C+M.+Miss.+&ecopy=a197367-v6&back_url=(http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/results/arch?module=arch&Language=eng&FormName=from+MIKAN+Search+Results&PageNum=1&SortSpec=score+desc&Language=eng&QueryParser=lac_mikan&Sources=mikan&Archives=&SearchIn_1=&Operator_1=AND&SearchIn_2=&SearchInText_2=&Operator_2=AND&SearchIn_3=&SearchInText_3=&MaterialDateOperator=after&MaterialDate=&ResultCount=10&Media=&Level=&DigitalImages=&Source=&cainInd=&SearchInText_1=miss+meredith+)Mary Meredith].
Meredith was awarded an honourary M.A., from Bishop's University
, and that of LL.D., from McGill University
. He was an honourary member of the American Association for the Promotion of Social Science
.
of Rosedale by his wife, the grand-daughter of William Dummer Powell
, Mary Boyles Powell. Rosedale, Toronto
, previously the Jarvis' 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) estate is now Toronto's wealthiest residential district.
Meredith's wife enjoyed "a blessed childhood, with love on all sides", though she was undoubtedly spoilt as the eldest and prettiest daughter. In 1835, to celebrate her fifth birthday, her mother planted a sapling which has since grown into the famous Rosedale Elm. When she was seven she crept out of bed to witness "a magnificent masquerade ball (at Rosedale) that a whole generation of Toronto party-goers would hold benchmark the rest of their lives." She loved horses, keeping two for her carriage and another for cross country adventures, when she would sport a low-crowned beaver hat with a green veil. Her summers were filled with constant riding parties and picnics, including 'a never-to-be-forgotten adventure: Bark canoes paddled by Indians through five miles (8 km) of rapids', whilst on a visit to cousins at Hawkesbury, Ontario
on the Ottawa River
. She spent two years at finishing school in Paris
(where she was delighted to witness the barricades being flung up in the streets during the French Revolution of 1848
) before returning to Canada to spend the winter of 1848/49 in Montreal with the family of Edmund's brother, William Collis Meredith
, beginning her courtship with Meredith.
After living in Quebec City
and Ottawa
the Meredith family, with the help of 'a handsome inheritance' from Meredith's Aunt Bella in 1879, finally retired to Toronto
. On what had been the apple orchard of the original Rosedale they made their new home, 'a spacious, white-brick house of twenty two rooms', where he died 12 January 1899. Meredith Crescent in Rosedale is named in his memory.
The Merediths were the parents of eight children. One of their daughters was the mother of Escott Reid
and another married Archibald McLean, grandson of Chief Justice Archibald McLean
, a close friend of Mrs Meredith's father. Their eldest son, Arthur, married Isabella Osler, niece of Sir William Osler
, and after Arthur's death in 1895 she lived with another of her well known uncles, Sir Edmund Boyd Osler
. Their younger son, Lt.-Colonel http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayEcopies&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3357212&rec_nbr_list=1312859,1312858,1312833,1312830,1312817,1312188,3743013,106103,105701,3357212&title=Mr.+%26+Mrs.+C.P.+Meredith+at+the+Seigniory+Club%2C+Montebello%2C+1933.+&ecopy=c003128&back_url=(http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/results/arch?module=arch&Language=eng&module=arch&Language=eng&FormName=from+MIKAN+Search+Results&SortSpec=score+desc&Language=eng&QueryParser=lac_mikan&Sources=mikan&Archives=&SearchIn_1=&Operator_1=AND&SearchIn_2=&SearchInText_2=&Operator_2=AND&SearchIn_3=&SearchInText_3=&MaterialDateOperator=after&MaterialDate=&ResultCount=10&Media=&Level=&DigitalImages=&Source=&cainInd=&SearchInText_1=meredith+quebec&Paging=true&PageNum=2&MaxDocs=-1)Colborne Powell Meredith] (1874-1965) was Commissioner of the Ottawa Improvement Commission (1908), President of the Ontario Architects Association (1912), and Councillor of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
. He designed many of the principal buildings and residences in Ottawa, including the Château Laurier
Hotel, as well as a number of schools and convents throughout Canada. From 1925 to 1934 Colborne Meredith served as General-Secretary to the League of Nations
Society of Canada. Their nephew was Sir Augustus Meredith Nanton
.
Secretary of State for Canada
The position of Secretary of State for Canada was a Canadian Cabinet position with a corresponding department. It was established in 1867 as the official channel of communication between the Dominion of Canada and the Imperial government in London...
; a prison reformer, writer, and the third principal of McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
from 1846 to 1853.
Early life in Ireland
Born at the "large and handsome residence," Ardtrea House, County TyroneCounty Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, October 7, 1817. He was the fourth son of Rev. Thomas Meredith
Thomas Meredith
The Rev. Dr Thomas Meredith D.D., F.T.C.D. was an Anglo-Irish clergyman and mathematician, best remembered for his association with the poet Charles Wolfe, and as the subject of a ghost story related in True Irish Ghost Stories and Memorials to the Dead-Background:Born at Templerany House, Co...
and Elizabeth Maria Graves (1791–1855), the eldest daughter of Richard Graves, Dean of Ardagh, whose wife was a first cousin of Henry Pearce Driscoll
Henry Pearce Driscoll
Lt.-Col. Henry Pearce Driscoll Q.C., J.P., was an Irish officer court-martialled and discharged from the British Army at Montreal. Remaining there he edited two newspapers and became well-known as a lawyer, poet and wit.-Early Life:...
. He was named after his aunt's (Martha Meredith's) husband, "that eccentric genius, the late truly learned and honest" (Christopher) Edmund Allen (1776–1826) LL.D, formerly the King's Professor of Common Law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
at Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, of the Allens of the Manor of Highgate, County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
. He was a nephew of Robert James Graves
Robert James Graves
Robert James Graves, M.D., F.R.C.S. was an eminent Irish surgeon after whom Graves' disease takes its name. He was President of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Fellow of the Royal Society of London and the founder of the Dublin Journal of Medical Science...
and a brother of Sir William Collis Meredith
William Collis Meredith
The Hon. Sir William Collis Meredith, Kt., Q.C., D.C.L. was Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec.-Early life:...
. He was the great uncle of James Creed Meredith
James Creed Meredith
James Creed Meredith K.C., LL.D. was an Irish nationalist of the early 20th century, who upheld Brehon Law. He was President of the Supreme Court of the Irish Republic, Chief Judicial Commissioner of Ireland and a Judge of the High Court and the Supreme Court of Ireland...
and Ven. Ralph Creed Meredith
Ralph Creed Meredith
The Ven. Ralph Creed Meredith, M.A., was an Anglican Cleric who succeeded Edward Keble Talbot as Chaplain to His Majesty, King George VI and afterwards Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II...
, and a cousin of Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell
Richard Graves MacDonnell
Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell KCMG CB was an Anglo-Irish lawyer, judge and colonial governor...
, Francis Brinkley
Francis Brinkley
Francis Brinkley was an Irish newspaper owner, editor and scholar who resided in Meiji period Japan for over 40 years, where he was the author of numerous books on Japanese culture, art and architecture, and an English-Japanese Dictionary...
, Admiral Richard Charles Mayne
Richard Charles Mayne
Richard Charles Mayne RN CB FGS MP was a Royal Navy Captain, later Admiral and explorer.Richard Mayne was the son of Sir Richard Mayne KCB and the grandson of Judge Edward Mayne. Both his father and grandfather were graduates of Trinity College, Dublin,. Richard Mayne was educated at Eton...
, John Dawson Mayne
John D. Mayne
The Rt. Hon. John Dawson Mayne P.C. was a British lawyer and legal expert who practised largely in the Madras Presidency. He is largely remembered as the author of Mayne's Hindu Law regarded as a classic and the most authoritative book on the subject.- Life :Mayne was born on December 31, 1828 to...
and John Walsingham Cooke Meredith
John Walsingham Cooke Meredith
John Walsingham Cooke Meredith J.P., an Anglo-Irish-Canadian office holder and businessman, best remembered as the father of the Eight London Merediths.-Background:...
. The last named was the father of The Eight London Merediths, who included amongst them Sir William Ralph Meredith
William Ralph Meredith
The Hon. Sir William Ralph Meredith, Q.C., LL.D. was Leader of the Ontario Conservatives from 1878 to 1894; Chancellor of the University of Toronto from 1900 until his death, and Chief Justice of Ontario from 1913 until his death...
, one of the pall-bearers at his funeral.
Meredith's father died suddenly and mysteriously in 1819 and his mother's second marriage led her to Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
from 1824 until 1832. She took four of her children, but left the other three, including Meredith, in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He was left in the care of his uncle, "Ireland's most celebrated surgeon", Robert James Graves
Robert James Graves
Robert James Graves, M.D., F.R.C.S. was an eminent Irish surgeon after whom Graves' disease takes its name. He was President of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Fellow of the Royal Society of London and the founder of the Dublin Journal of Medical Science...
, who "was very good to him", and his third wife Anna Grogan.
Predominantly brought up by Graves' elderly housekeeper, in 1827 he was sent to Castleknock, a boarding school outside of Dublin. In 1833, he entered Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, winning a classical scholarship in his second year and prizes in political economy and science. After graduating (B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and M.A. degree) he entered King's Inns
King's Inns
The Honorable Society of King's Inns , is the institution which controls the entry of barristers-at-law into the justice system of Ireland...
, Dublin to study law (becoming a Doctor of Laws).
Canada
While still at King's Inns, he was interested to see how his estranged brothers and sisters lived in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and so he embarked on a voyage there in 1842. He joined his elder brother, William Collis Meredith
William Collis Meredith
The Hon. Sir William Collis Meredith, Kt., Q.C., D.C.L. was Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec.-Early life:...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and briefly resumed his study of law at his offices there. He returned to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1844 to be called to the Irish Bar, but later that year returned to Montreal, invited to do so by William.
In his first diary entry of that year Meredith talks of his decision to leave Ireland for Canada, revealing his personal angst over the upheaval: "It now seems strange to me that I could have dreamed, even for an instant, of banishing myself from the society of my brother (Richard - Secretary of the Literary Association of the Friends of Poland
Literary Association of the Friends of Poland
Literary Association of the Friends of Poland is a British organization of solidarity with Poles, co-founded February 25, 1832 in United Kingdom by Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski and the Scottish poet Thomas Campbell.-History:...
), and setting up on my own account among complete strangers."
In Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
he became a member of The Shakespeare Club, a meeting of which was painted by fellow member Cornelius Krieghoff
Cornelius Krieghoff
Cornelius David Krieghoff is probably the most popular Canadian painter of the 19th century. Krieghoff is most famous for his paintings of Canadian landscapes and Canadian life outdoors, which were sought-after in his own time as they are today. He is particularly famous for his winter scenes,...
in 1847. Meredith is depicted along with other members including future Judge Frederick William Torrance, Sir Allan Napier MacNab and John Young (Canadian politician)
John Young (Canadian politician)
John Young was a member of the Parliament of Canada.- Early life :Young was born in Ayr, Scotland. His family had no particular social position or money. His father William was a cooper by trade....
. In 1846 his brother, William, had used his influence to secure him the unpaid but prestigious position of Principal of McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in Montreal, a position he held until 1853.
While at McGill, Edmund Meredith played in one of the earliest games of ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
to have been described. It took place in the 1850's and thirty years later was written up in the Montreal Star
Montreal Star
The Montreal Star was an English-language Canadian newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It folded in 1979 following an eight-month pressmen's strike....
:
Career
During his tenure at McGill UniversityMcGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
he joined the civil service and moved with the government to Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, becoming Under Secretary of State for Canada in Sir John A. Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
's government. When the new capital, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, was founded in 1865, much to his disappointment, he and the rest of the government were forced to move there, writing "the more I see of Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, the more do I dislike and detest it." He was described as ‘one of the outstanding civil servants of his generation’, even if he was "destined to be a man forever ahead of his time." In 1870, John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar
John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar
John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar, Bt, GCB, GCMG, PC was the second Governor General of Canada, in office from 1869 to 1872.-Biography:...
offered to Meredith the Chief-Justiceship of St. Lucia, which he declined.
Meredith is best remembered for his role in prison reform, of which he was an active exponent. Following the British North America Act, in 1867 he was appointed the Inspector then Chairman of the Board of Inspectors of Asylums and Prisons etc. Concerning his work on Prison Reform, the Montreal Gazette reported,
Mr Meredith deserves thanks that in this as in other directions he is labouring to promote social and educational reforms. We are happy in having men in the public service whose hearts are so thoroughly in their work as he has shown his is in the giant task of the amendment of our disgraceful prison life and prison discipline, and in cognate subjects
He founded the Ottawa Art Association, served as President of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec
Literary and Historical Society of Quebec
-External links:*, managed by the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec.*, virtual exhibit on the history of Canadian learned societies.*, virtual library containing all publications from 1824-1924....
, the Park Lawn Tennis Club (Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
), the Civil Service Board, the Ottawa Literary and Scientific Society, and Vice-President of the Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto, and finally the part-time position in retirement as Vice-President of the Toronto Loans and Assurance Company (a.k.a. Toronto General Trusts). However, Meredith's capacity for involving his own money in costly speculative ventures (that included organising a trip to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in search of lost treasure) would have been something of a family joke if it hadn't proved to be so expensive for them!
He wrote and published numerous articles and pamphlets including "An Essay on the Oregon Question (1846)"; "Influence of Recent Gold Discoveries on Prices" (1856); "An Important but Neglectd Branch of Social Science" (1861); "Note on some Emendations (not hitherto suggested) in the text of Shakspeare, with a new explanation of an old passage" (1863); "Glance at the Present State of the Common Gaols of Canada; the individual separation of prisoners (with shortened sentences), recommended on moral and economic grounds" (1864); "Earth Sewage versus Water Sewage", and even a pamphlet on militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
training in schools, though he himself did not enjoy "playing at soldiers." His writings, A Trip from Boston to Montreal in 1844 was published in 1925 by his eldest daughter http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayEcopies&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3434472&rec_nbr_list=3434472,3421096,3492844,3479275,3479273,3479272,3477306,3477305,3472352,3472334&title=Meredith%2C+M.+Miss.+&ecopy=a197367-v6&back_url=(http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/results/arch?module=arch&Language=eng&FormName=from+MIKAN+Search+Results&PageNum=1&SortSpec=score+desc&Language=eng&QueryParser=lac_mikan&Sources=mikan&Archives=&SearchIn_1=&Operator_1=AND&SearchIn_2=&SearchInText_2=&Operator_2=AND&SearchIn_3=&SearchInText_3=&MaterialDateOperator=after&MaterialDate=&ResultCount=10&Media=&Level=&DigitalImages=&Source=&cainInd=&SearchInText_1=miss+meredith+)Mary Meredith].
Meredith was awarded an honourary M.A., from Bishop's University
Bishop's University
Bishop's University is a predominantly undergraduate university in Lennoxville, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Bishop's is one of three universities in the province of Quebec that teach primarily in the English language...
, and that of LL.D., from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
. He was an honourary member of the American Association for the Promotion of Social Science
American Association for the Promotion of Social Science
The American Association for the Promotion of Social Science was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, by several high-profile academics. Officers in the first years of the society included William B. Rogers, Thomas Hill, George S. Boutwell, Francis Lieber, Erastus O. Haven, Mary Eliot Parkman, David...
.
Family
At Rosedale, July 17, 1851 ("the sun shone in unclouded majesty and we had the most delightful breeze"), Meredith married Anne Frances (Fanny) Jarvis (1830–1919), the eldest and favourite daughter of William Botsford JarvisWilliam Botsford Jarvis
William Botsford Jarvis was an important member of the Family Compact and Sheriff of the Home District. His estate in what was then York, Upper Canada gave it's name to Rosedale, Toronto...
of Rosedale by his wife, the grand-daughter of William Dummer Powell
William Dummer Powell
William Dummer Powell was a Loyalist lawyer, judge and political figure in Upper Canada.-Early life and education:...
, Mary Boyles Powell. Rosedale, Toronto
Rosedale, Toronto
Rosedale is an affluent neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which was formerly the estate of William Botsford Jarvis, and so named by his wife, granddaughter of William Dummer Powell, for the wild roses that grew there in abundance....
, previously the Jarvis' 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) estate is now Toronto's wealthiest residential district.
Meredith's wife enjoyed "a blessed childhood, with love on all sides", though she was undoubtedly spoilt as the eldest and prettiest daughter. In 1835, to celebrate her fifth birthday, her mother planted a sapling which has since grown into the famous Rosedale Elm. When she was seven she crept out of bed to witness "a magnificent masquerade ball (at Rosedale) that a whole generation of Toronto party-goers would hold benchmark the rest of their lives." She loved horses, keeping two for her carriage and another for cross country adventures, when she would sport a low-crowned beaver hat with a green veil. Her summers were filled with constant riding parties and picnics, including 'a never-to-be-forgotten adventure: Bark canoes paddled by Indians through five miles (8 km) of rapids', whilst on a visit to cousins at Hawkesbury, Ontario
Hawkesbury, Ontario
Hawkesbury is a town in the Eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada, on the Ottawa River, near the Quebec-Ontario border.It lies on the south shore of the Ottawa River about halfway between Downtown Ottawa and Downtown Montreal in Prescott and Russell Counties. The Long-Sault Bridge links it...
on the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
. She spent two years at finishing school in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(where she was delighted to witness the barricades being flung up in the streets during the French Revolution of 1848
French Revolution of 1848
The 1848 Revolution in France was one of a wave of revolutions in 1848 in Europe. In France, the February revolution ended the Orleans monarchy and led to the creation of the French Second Republic. The February Revolution was really the belated second phase of the Revolution of 1830...
) before returning to Canada to spend the winter of 1848/49 in Montreal with the family of Edmund's brother, William Collis Meredith
William Collis Meredith
The Hon. Sir William Collis Meredith, Kt., Q.C., D.C.L. was Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec.-Early life:...
, beginning her courtship with Meredith.
After living in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
and Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
the Meredith family, with the help of 'a handsome inheritance' from Meredith's Aunt Bella in 1879, finally retired to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. On what had been the apple orchard of the original Rosedale they made their new home, 'a spacious, white-brick house of twenty two rooms', where he died 12 January 1899. Meredith Crescent in Rosedale is named in his memory.
The Merediths were the parents of eight children. One of their daughters was the mother of Escott Reid
Escott Reid
Escott Graves Meredith Reid, CC , was a Canadian diplomat who helped shape the UN & NATO, author, international public servant and academic administrator....
and another married Archibald McLean, grandson of Chief Justice Archibald McLean
Archibald McLean (judge)
Chief Justice The Hon. Archibald McLean was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Upper Canada.-Early life:...
, a close friend of Mrs Meredith's father. Their eldest son, Arthur, married Isabella Osler, niece of Sir William Osler
William Osler
Sir William Osler, 1st Baronet was a physician. He was one of the "Big Four" founding professors at Johns Hopkins Hospital as the first Professor of Medicine and founder of the Medical Service there. Sir William Osler, 1st Baronet (July 12, 1849 – December 29, 1919) was a physician. He was...
, and after Arthur's death in 1895 she lived with another of her well known uncles, Sir Edmund Boyd Osler
Edmund Boyd Osler (Ontario politician)
Sir Edmund Boyd Osler was a Canadian banker and politician.Osler was born at Tecumseh Township, Simcoe County, Canada West; he was brother of Britton Bath Osler , and doctor Sir William Osler...
. Their younger son, Lt.-Colonel http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayEcopies&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3357212&rec_nbr_list=1312859,1312858,1312833,1312830,1312817,1312188,3743013,106103,105701,3357212&title=Mr.+%26+Mrs.+C.P.+Meredith+at+the+Seigniory+Club%2C+Montebello%2C+1933.+&ecopy=c003128&back_url=(http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/results/arch?module=arch&Language=eng&module=arch&Language=eng&FormName=from+MIKAN+Search+Results&SortSpec=score+desc&Language=eng&QueryParser=lac_mikan&Sources=mikan&Archives=&SearchIn_1=&Operator_1=AND&SearchIn_2=&SearchInText_2=&Operator_2=AND&SearchIn_3=&SearchInText_3=&MaterialDateOperator=after&MaterialDate=&ResultCount=10&Media=&Level=&DigitalImages=&Source=&cainInd=&SearchInText_1=meredith+quebec&Paging=true&PageNum=2&MaxDocs=-1)Colborne Powell Meredith] (1874-1965) was Commissioner of the Ottawa Improvement Commission (1908), President of the Ontario Architects Association (1912), and Councillor of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada , founded in 1907, is a Canadian association representing over 3,600 architects, and faculty and graduates of Canadian Schools of Architecture.RAIC is the voice for architecture and its practice in Canada...
. He designed many of the principal buildings and residences in Ottawa, including the Château Laurier
Château Laurier
The Fairmont Château Laurier is a landmark hotel in Downtown Ottawa, Ontario located near the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive designed in the Châteauesque style.-History:...
Hotel, as well as a number of schools and convents throughout Canada. From 1925 to 1934 Colborne Meredith served as General-Secretary to the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
Society of Canada. Their nephew was Sir Augustus Meredith Nanton
Augustus Meredith Nanton
Sir Augustus Meredith Nanton was one of the principal investors and developers of Western Canada, particularly Winnipeg and Vancouver. He later served as President of The Dominion Bank in Toronto.-Early Life:...
.
Writings
- Glance at the Present State of the Common Gaols of Canada, 1864
- Earth Sewage versus Water Sewage, 1868
Further reading
- The book The Private Capital by Sandra Gwynn gives a fascinating insight to his life and Canadian politics of the time based on the diary (held at the National Archives in Ottawa) he kept every day from 1844 until his death. The book was made into a television series shown on the Canadian Broadcasting CorporationCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
.
Photographs
- The Gate Lodge to Ardtrea House, Co. Tyrone
- Edmund Allen Meredith with his family at their home in Toronto c.1890
- Frances Anne (Jarvis) Meredith in 1865
- http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayEcopies&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3434472&rec_nbr_list=3434472,3421096,3492844,3479275,3479273,3479272,3477306,3477305,3472352,3472334&title=Meredith%2C+M.+Miss.+&ecopy=a197367-v6&back_url=(http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/results/arch?module=arch&Language=eng&FormName=from+MIKAN+Search+Results&PageNum=1&SortSpec=score+desc&Language=eng&QueryParser=lac_mikan&Sources=mikan&Archives=&SearchIn_1=&Operator_1=AND&SearchIn_2=&SearchInText_2=&Operator_2=AND&SearchIn_3=&SearchInText_3=&MaterialDateOperator=after&MaterialDate=&ResultCount=10&Media=&Level=&DigitalImages=&Source=&cainInd=&SearchInText_1=miss+meredith+) Daughter Mary Meredith (1856-1924) in fancy dress, 1876]
- http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/ENGLISH/exhibits/slavery/pics/wm_jarvis_and_son_270.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/ENGLISH/exhibits/slavery/henry-lewis.htm&h=436&w=270&sz=53&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=G56UHqLqyr7m1M:&tbnh=126&tbnw=78&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwilliam-jarvis%2Bprovincial%26 um%3D1%26hl%3DenWilliam Botsford Jarvis's cousin, William Jarvis (1756-1817) with his family]
- Edmund Allen Meredith, 1863
- http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayEcopies&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3357215&rec_nbr_list=2071760,2070423,2070364,2061244,2059731,3357217,3357216,3357215,3357214,3357213&title=Edmund+Allen+Meredith+%28Under+Secretary+of+State%29%2C+b.+7+Oct.+1817+-+d.+12+Nov.+1898.+&ecopy=a033230&back_url=(http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/results/arch?module=arch&Language=eng&module=arch&Language=eng&module=arch&Language=eng&FormName=from+MIKAN+Search+Results&SortSpec=score+desc&Language=eng&QueryParser=lac_mikan&Sources=mikan&Archives=&SearchIn_1=&Operator_1=AND&SearchIn_2=&SearchInText_2=&Operator_2=AND&SearchIn_3=&SearchInText_3=&MaterialDateOperator=after&MaterialDate=&ResultCount=10&Media=&Level=&Source=&cainInd=&SearchInText_1=meredith+&DigitalImages=1&Paging=true&PageNum=2&MaxDocs=-1)Edmund Allen Meredith, 1869]
- http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayEcopies&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3357213&rec_nbr_list=2071760,2070423,2070364,2061244,2059731,3357217,3357216,3357215,3357214,3357213&title=Edmund+Allen+Meredith%2C+Under+Secretary+of+State.+&ecopy=a033228&back_url=(http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/results/arch?module=arch&Language=eng&module=arch&Language=eng&module=arch&Language=eng&FormName=from+MIKAN+Search+Results&SortSpec=score+desc&Language=eng&QueryParser=lac_mikan&Sources=mikan&Archives=&SearchIn_1=&Operator_1=AND&SearchIn_2=&SearchInText_2=&Operator_2=AND&SearchIn_3=&SearchInText_3=&MaterialDateOperator=after&MaterialDate=&ResultCount=10&Media=&Level=&Source=&cainInd=&SearchInText_1=meredith+&DigitalImages=1&Paging=true&PageNum=2&MaxDocs=-1)Edmund Allen Meredith, 1868]
