H. Montagu Allan
Encyclopedia
Sir Hugh Andrew Montague Allan, CVO (October 13, 1860 – September 26, 1951) was a Canadian
banker, ship owner, and a sportsman who donated the Allan Cup
, the trophy symbolic of men's amateur ice hockey
supremacy in Canada.
, he was the second son of Sir Hugh Allan
of Ravenscrag and Caroline Matilda Smith, the daughter of John Smith, a wealthy dry goods merchant of Montreal. From 1878 he was known as H. Montagu Allan to avoid confusion with his cousin Hugh Andrew Allan (1857–1938). He studied at Bishop's College School
in Lennoxville, Quebec
, then in Paris
before joining his father's shipping business, the Allan Line
.
He served on the Board of Directors of several major companies including Canada Steamship Lines Inc., Royal Trust Company, Montreal Rolling Mills Company, the Montreal Street Railway Company, the Montreal Light, Heat & Power Company, the Ogilvie Flour Mills Company, the Montreal Investment Trust and the Guarantee Company of North America. He was a director and the President of the Merchant's Bank of Canada (which had assets of $190 million in 1921) during its amalgamation into the Bank of Montreal
in 1922. He also served as a Councillor and Treasurer of the Montreal Board of Trade.
Sir Montague Allan was honourary Lieutenant-Colonel of the 5th Regiment of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
, and in 1915 was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the Canadian Expeditionary Force
, accompanying them to Europe, where he saw action during World War I.
He filled many positions in Montreal and Canada including Chairman of the Bishop's College School
Association, President of the Montreal General Hospital
, President of the St. Andrew's Society of Montreal, Vice-President of the Montreal Racquets Club and was one of the founders of the Mount Royal and Winter Clubs. He was a leader in the Charity Organisation Society and a director for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Sir Montagu Allan was an avid sportsman and outdoor enthusiast, and a member of a number of sporting clubs. He had a special passion for horses and served as Master of the Montreal Hunt, President of the Canadian Racing Association, a Director of the International Horse Shows in London
, President of Montreal Jockey Club and Chairman of Montreal Horse Show Association. He owned a thoroughbred
horse-racing stable where his horses won several Queen's Plate
s, Montreal Hunt Cups, Members' Plates and the Hunters' Handicap Steeplechase Cup.
enthusiast, Sir Montagu donated The Allan Cup
in 1908, as a championship trophy for senior hockey, which is still competed for today. Like the Stanley Cup
, the Allan Cup was originally a challenge trophy, meaning teams could issue challenges to the reigning champion, hoping to defeat them and earn the status of champion for themselves. But when challenges for the Allan Cup grew so frequent that they became unmanageable, the format was altered in 1914 so that regional champions would compete for this prestigious national trophy.
Beginning in 1920, when hockey was first introduced to the Olympic Games
, the reigning Allan Cup champion was chosen to represent Canada
. This continued until Father David Bauer (ice hockey) introduced a national hockey program that produced a team of selects at the 1964 Olympic Games.
For his contribution to the sport of Ice Hockey, in 1945 he was made a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
in the Builders
category. His cousin, Lady Isobel Brenda (Allan) Meredith (1867–1959) donated the Lady Meredith Cup in 1920, which was the first ice hockey trophy to be competed for amongst women in Canada. She was the wife of his friend Sir Vincent Meredith
, 1st Baronet of Montreal.
by King Edward VII of the United Kingdom
in 1906 and the following year was decorated Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
. He held the Order of the Rising Sun
of Japan
(3rd Class), after entertaining Prince Fushimi Sadanaru
at his Montreal home, Ravenscrag,. where he also played host to Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
and King Edward VIII.
, Montreal with whom he would have four children :
In May 1915, during World War I
, his wife, along with daughters Anna, 16, and Gwen, 15, were aboard the RMS Lusitania
when it was sunk by German submarine U-20. After she and her daughters jumped into the water, Lady Allan was severely injured. While she was rescued, both daughters drowned. Anna's body was never found but Gwendolyn's was recovered the next day and returned to Montreal for burial.The wife of Montagu's cousin, Rita Jolivet
was also a passenger on the Lusitania. Two years after this tragedy, the War claimed a third child when son Hugh Allan, a Flight Sub-Lieutenant with the Royal Naval Air Service
, was killed in action.
Sir Montague and Lady Allan lived at 'Ravenscrag' (now known as the Allan Memorial Institute
) and kept two summer houses, 'Montrose' at Cacouna and 'Allancroft' at Beaconsfield, where he reared his horses. He and his wife are interred in the Mount Royal Cemetery
next to two of their daughters.
Canada
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...
banker, ship owner, and a sportsman who donated the Allan Cup
Allan Cup
The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men’s ice hockey champions of Canada. It has been competed for since 1909. The current champion is the Clarenville Caribous hockey club of Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:...
, the trophy symbolic of men's amateur 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...
supremacy in Canada.
Early life
Born at MontrealMontreal
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 was the second son of Sir Hugh Allan
Hugh Allan
Sir Hugh Allan, KCMG was a Scottish-born Canadian shipping magnate, railway promoter, financier and capitalist...
of Ravenscrag and Caroline Matilda Smith, the daughter of John Smith, a wealthy dry goods merchant of Montreal. From 1878 he was known as H. Montagu Allan to avoid confusion with his cousin Hugh Andrew Allan (1857–1938). He studied at Bishop's College School
Bishop's College School
This article is about the school in Canada. Alternatively, visit Diocesan College in Cape Town, South Africa.Bishop's College School is a private school in Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada....
in Lennoxville, Quebec
Lennoxville, Quebec
Lennoxville is an arrondissement, or borough, of the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Lennoxville is located at the confluence of the St. Francis and Massawippi Rivers approximately five kilometers south of downtown Sherbrooke....
, then 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...
before joining his father's shipping business, the Allan Line
Allan Line Royal Mail Steamers
The Allan Shipping Line was started in 1819, by Captain Alexander Allan of Saltcoats, Ayrshire, running dry goods from Greenock to sell in Montreal and returning with Canadian produce to sell back in Scotland, a route which quickly became synonymous with the Allan Line...
.
Public Life
Sir Montague rose to Deputy Chairman of the Allan Steamship Line, retiring from the family business in 1912. By then he was President of Acadia Coal Co., Ltd., the Canadian Rubber Company, the Canadian Paper Company, the Carlton Hotel Company and Royal Securities.He served on the Board of Directors of several major companies including Canada Steamship Lines Inc., Royal Trust Company, Montreal Rolling Mills Company, the Montreal Street Railway Company, the Montreal Light, Heat & Power Company, the Ogilvie Flour Mills Company, the Montreal Investment Trust and the Guarantee Company of North America. He was a director and the President of the Merchant's Bank of Canada (which had assets of $190 million in 1921) during its amalgamation into the Bank of Montreal
Bank of Montreal
The Bank of Montreal , , or BMO Financial Group, is the fourth largest bank in Canada by deposits. The Bank of Montreal was founded on June 23, 1817 by John Richardson and eight merchants in a rented house in Montreal, Quebec. On May 19, 1817 the Articles of Association were adopted, making it...
in 1922. He also served as a Councillor and Treasurer of the Montreal Board of Trade.
Sir Montague Allan was honourary Lieutenant-Colonel of the 5th Regiment of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
The Black Watch of Canada is a reserve infantry regiment in 34 Brigade Group, Land Force Quebec Area. The regiment is located on rue de Bleury in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and is currently commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Bruno Plourde...
, and in 1915 was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the Canadian Expeditionary Force
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
, accompanying them to Europe, where he saw action during World War I.
He filled many positions in Montreal and Canada including Chairman of the Bishop's College School
Bishop's College School
This article is about the school in Canada. Alternatively, visit Diocesan College in Cape Town, South Africa.Bishop's College School is a private school in Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada....
Association, President of the Montreal General Hospital
Montreal General Hospital
The Montreal General Hospital is a hospital in Montreal, Canada, established on May 1, 1819 and an early teaching hospital. First located on the corner of Craig and St-Lawrence Streets with only 24 beds, it moved in 1822 to a new 72-bed building on Dorchester Street. It is currently situated on...
, President of the St. Andrew's Society of Montreal, Vice-President of the Montreal Racquets Club and was one of the founders of the Mount Royal and Winter Clubs. He was a leader in the Charity Organisation Society and a director for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Sir Montagu Allan was an avid sportsman and outdoor enthusiast, and a member of a number of sporting clubs. He had a special passion for horses and served as Master of the Montreal Hunt, President of the Canadian Racing Association, a Director of the International Horse Shows in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, President of Montreal Jockey Club and Chairman of Montreal Horse Show Association. He owned a thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horse-racing stable where his horses won several Queen's Plate
Queen's Plate
The Queen's Plate is Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race. It is run at a distance of 1¼ miles for 3-year-old thoroughbred horses foaled in Canada. The race takes place each summer in June or July at Woodbine Racetrack, Etobicoke , Ontario...
s, Montreal Hunt Cups, Members' Plates and the Hunters' Handicap Steeplechase Cup.
The Allan Memorial Cup
An Ice HockeyIce 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...
enthusiast, Sir Montagu donated The Allan Cup
Allan Cup
The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men’s ice hockey champions of Canada. It has been competed for since 1909. The current champion is the Clarenville Caribous hockey club of Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:...
in 1908, as a championship trophy for senior hockey, which is still competed for today. Like the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
, the Allan Cup was originally a challenge trophy, meaning teams could issue challenges to the reigning champion, hoping to defeat them and earn the status of champion for themselves. But when challenges for the Allan Cup grew so frequent that they became unmanageable, the format was altered in 1914 so that regional champions would compete for this prestigious national trophy.
Beginning in 1920, when hockey was first introduced to the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, the reigning Allan Cup champion was chosen to represent Canada
Canada
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...
. This continued until Father David Bauer (ice hockey) introduced a national hockey program that produced a team of selects at the 1964 Olympic Games.
For his contribution to the sport of Ice Hockey, in 1945 he was made a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in the Builders
Builder (hockey)
A builder, in ice hockey, is a person who works to "manage" or build the game. It does not include forwards, defencemen nor goaltenders. The Hockey Hall of Fame has a section specifically for builders.- Hockey Hall of Fame Builders :...
category. His cousin, Lady Isobel Brenda (Allan) Meredith (1867–1959) donated the Lady Meredith Cup in 1920, which was the first ice hockey trophy to be competed for amongst women in Canada. She was the wife of his friend Sir Vincent Meredith
Vincent Meredith
Sir Vincent Meredith, 1st and last Baronet of Montreal , was a Canadian banker and philanthropist; President of the Bank of Montreal, the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts...
, 1st Baronet of Montreal.
Honours
Montagu Allan was created a Knight BachelorKnight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
by King Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
in 1906 and the following year was decorated Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
. He held the Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(3rd Class), after entertaining Prince Fushimi Sadanaru
Prince Fushimi Sadanaru
was the 22nd head of the Fushimi-no-miya shinnōke . He was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army.- Early life :...
at his Montreal home, Ravenscrag,. where he also played host to Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the shared British and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha royal family who served as the Governor General of Canada, the 10th since Canadian Confederation.Born the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and...
and King Edward VIII.
Family
On October 18, 1893, Montagu Allan married Marguerite Ethel MacKenzie (1873–1957), daughter of Hector MacKenzie of J.G. MacKenzie & Co., dry goods merchants, and the Hudson's Bay CompanyHudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
, Montreal with whom he would have four children :
- Martha Allan (1895–1942), founder of the Montreal Repertory Theatre and the Dominion Drama FestivalDominion Drama FestivalThe Dominion Drama Festival was an organisation in Canada that sought to promote amateur theatre across the country. It lasted, in one form or another, from 1932 until 1978.- Founding :...
- Hugh Allan (1897-6 July 1917)
- Anna Marjory (18 November 1898- 7 May 1915)
- Gwendolyn Evelyn (20 April 1900-7 May 1915)
In May 1915, during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, his wife, along with daughters Anna, 16, and Gwen, 15, were aboard the RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland. The ship entered passenger service with the Cunard Line on 26 August 1907 and continued on the line's heavily-traveled passenger service between Liverpool, England and New...
when it was sunk by German submarine U-20. After she and her daughters jumped into the water, Lady Allan was severely injured. While she was rescued, both daughters drowned. Anna's body was never found but Gwendolyn's was recovered the next day and returned to Montreal for burial.The wife of Montagu's cousin, Rita Jolivet
Rita Jolivet
Rita Jolivet was an English actress of French descent in theater and silent movies in the early twentieth century...
was also a passenger on the Lusitania. Two years after this tragedy, the War claimed a third child when son Hugh Allan, a Flight Sub-Lieutenant with the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
, was killed in action.
Sir Montague and Lady Allan lived at 'Ravenscrag' (now known as the Allan Memorial Institute
Allan Memorial Institute
The Allan Memorial Institute , located in Montreal, Quebec, houses the Psychiatry Department of the Royal Victoria Hospital, part of the McGill University Health Centre. Although currently a respected psychiatric hospital, the institute is known for its role in the Project MKULTRA by the CIA...
) and kept two summer houses, 'Montrose' at Cacouna and 'Allancroft' at Beaconsfield, where he reared his horses. He and his wife are interred in the Mount Royal Cemetery
Mount Royal Cemetery
Opened in 1852, Mount Royal Cemetery is a 165-acre terraced cemetery on the north slope of Mount Royal in the borough of Outremont, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The burial ground shares the mountain with the much larger adjacent Roman Catholic cemetery -- Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges...
next to two of their daughters.