James Henry Plummer
Encyclopedia
James Henry Plummer was a Canadian financier, He acquired the Dominion Iron and Steel Company in 1903 and developed it as a major industry before and during the First World War.
Plummer was born in 1848 at Mary Tavy
, England. He emigrated to Canada
with his parents in 1859 and was educated at Upper Canada College
. In 1867 he began work as a clerk in the Toronto
branch of the Bank of Montreal
. He joined the Bank of Commerce
in 1868 as a clerk, rising to become manager of several branches by 1878 and assistant general manager by 1903.
He was the namesake of the canal-sized package freighter J. H. Plummer, built in 1903 by Armstrong Whitworth & Company Ltd. at Newcastle-on-Tyne. This 257-foot, 1,643-ton steamer was owned originally by the Canadian Lake and ocean Navigation Company Ltd., a subsidiary of the McKenzie and Mann Group.
In 1903 Plummer acquired control of the Dominion Iron and Steel Company Ltd. (DISCO) from James Ross of Montreal
, who in turn had purchased it from the Henry Melville Whitney
syndicate of Boston, Massachusetts, in 1901. Plummer was elected president of DISCO in 1904. He acquired control of the Dominion Coal Company Ltd.(DOMCO) from Ross in 1910 and made both companies subsidiaries of the Dominion Steel Corporation (DOSCO).
Upon Plummer's retirement in 1916, he was succeeded as president of DISCO by Mark Workman,
In 1919 Plummer negotiated the sale of DOMCO and DISCO to a syndicate of British investors led by Roy M. Wolvin of Montreal. This led to the organization in 1921 of the British Empire Steel Company (BESCO), which was succeeded in 1930 by the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation.
James H. Plummer lived in retirement in Toronto until his death there at the age of 84 on 10 September 1932.
Plummer was born in 1848 at Mary Tavy
Mary Tavy
Mary Tavy is a village with a population of around 600, located four miles north of Tavistock in Devon in south-west England; it is named after the River Tavy. It used to be home to the world's largest copper mine Wheal Friendship, as well as a number of lead and tin mines. It borders Dartmoor...
, England. He emigrated to 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...
with his parents in 1859 and was educated at Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College , located in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is an independent elementary and secondary school for boys between Senior Kindergarten and Grade Twelve, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The secondary school segment is divided into ten houses; eight are...
. In 1867 he began work as a clerk in the 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...
branch of 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...
. He joined the Bank of Commerce
Bank of Commerce
Bank of Commerce, also known as BankCom, Bancommerce and BoC, is a commercial bank and the 15th largest lender by asset in the Philippines. Its headquarters is at the San Miguel Properties Center, No. 7 Saint Francis Avenue, Mandaluyong...
in 1868 as a clerk, rising to become manager of several branches by 1878 and assistant general manager by 1903.
He was the namesake of the canal-sized package freighter J. H. Plummer, built in 1903 by Armstrong Whitworth & Company Ltd. at Newcastle-on-Tyne. This 257-foot, 1,643-ton steamer was owned originally by the Canadian Lake and ocean Navigation Company Ltd., a subsidiary of the McKenzie and Mann Group.
In 1903 Plummer acquired control of the Dominion Iron and Steel Company Ltd. (DISCO) from James Ross of 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...
, who in turn had purchased it from the Henry Melville Whitney
Henry Melville Whitney
Henry Melville Whitney was an American industrialist, the founder of the West End Street Railway Company of Boston, Massachusetts, and later the Dominion Coal Company Ltd. and the Dominion Iron and Steel Company Ltd. of Sydney, Nova Scotia...
syndicate of Boston, Massachusetts, in 1901. Plummer was elected president of DISCO in 1904. He acquired control of the Dominion Coal Company Ltd.(DOMCO) from Ross in 1910 and made both companies subsidiaries of the Dominion Steel Corporation (DOSCO).
Upon Plummer's retirement in 1916, he was succeeded as president of DISCO by Mark Workman,
In 1919 Plummer negotiated the sale of DOMCO and DISCO to a syndicate of British investors led by Roy M. Wolvin of Montreal. This led to the organization in 1921 of the British Empire Steel Company (BESCO), which was succeeded in 1930 by the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation.
James H. Plummer lived in retirement in Toronto until his death there at the age of 84 on 10 September 1932.