Sydney Robert Bellingham
Encyclopedia
Sydney Robert Bellingham (August 2, 1808 – March 9, 1900) was an Irish-born
businessman, lawyer, journalist and political figure in Canada East
. He represented Argenteuil
in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec
from 1867 to 1878.
, Ireland in 1808, the fourth son of Sir Alan Bellingham (1776-1827) 2nd Bt., of Castle Bellingham, Co. Louth, and his wife Elizabeth (1788-1822), daughter of The Rev. Rees Edward Walls of Boothby Hall, Lincolnshire
. His grandfather was Sir William Bellingham, 1st Baronet
.
until 1827 when he took a job at Montreal
under the brother of George Hamilton (lumber baron)
, in the timber business. A few months before his marriage he started an import-export business with his friend James Wallis (1807-1893) of Drishane Castle, Co. Cork and Fenelon Falls, Upper Canada.
In 1831, Bellingham married, Arabella Holmes (1808-1887), a distant relation through both the Hamilton and Cairnes families, and the youngest daughter of one of his father's friends, William Holmes (1762–1834) of Quebec
. In Lower Canada
, her family were well-connected as part of the Château Clique
, and she was also the heiress to 15000 acres (60.7 km²) of land in the counties of Buckland and Bellechasse, Quebec. After the failure of his business with Wallis, aided by his wife's money, Bellingham entered Canadian politics.
. He opposed the reforms to government being proposed by the Parti Patriote. He was named a Justice of the Peace
in 1837. During the Lower Canada Rebellion
, Bellingham served as a captain with the Royal Montreal Cavalry - The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal)
- and aide-de-camp
to Lt.-Colonel George Augustus Wetherall
. As a civil magistrate he led many daring raids deep into patriote territory to arrest the rebel leaders during the war.
He studied law with Alexander Buchanan, and was called to the Lower Canadian bar in 1840, entering into practice with William Walker
at Montreal
. He also edited the Canada Times, a reform-oriented newspaper. Bellingham supported the reforms proposed by Lord Durham
but opposed the union of Upper
and Lower Canada
. In 1843, he became editor of the Times and Daily Commercial Advertiser. Bellingham was a proponent of annexation with the United States
and served as secretary of the Montreal Annexation Association. In 1853, he co-founded the Montreal and Bytown Railway.
In 1853, he bought a tract of land on the north brough of Mount Royal
overlooking Montreal
, where he and his wife made their home, Dunany Cottage, named for his grandmother's house in Co. Louth. In 1854, Bellingham was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
for Argenteuil. He bought 21,000 arpents of land there, bringing many settlers, both French and English to the area, aiding them to farm successfully. He was also made a colonel of the local militia, the Argenteuil Rangers. However his election was declared invalid twice after it was alleged that he had used intimidation and bribery but he was re-elected in the by-elections that followed and he finally took his seat in May 1856. He was elected again in 1858, his election was overturned in 1860.
After Confederation
, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec
. In 1871, he criticized Joseph-Édouard Cauchon, another member of the assembly, for the deplorable conditions in his asylum which received government grants; this led to Cauchon's resignation. In 1871, he became editor of the Daily News of Montreal. Originally elected as a Conservative
, Bellingham became a Liberal
following the Tanneries scandal
in 1874.
to take up residence at his ancestral home, Castle Bellingham, which he had inherited in 1874 after the deaths of his elder brothers. His ties with Montreal
remained strong, always keeping abreast of Canadian politics. In 1895, he dictated his Canadian memoirs to his nurse, and they were published privately the year after his death by his nephew. He and his wife lived at Southgate House, Castlebellingham
, where he died 9 March, 1900, without children. In his will he left the Castlebellingham
estate to his nephew, Sir Henry Bellingham, 4th Baronet
, and he left all his personal effects (valued at £2,500) to Edward Graves Meredith, the second son of his wife's niece, Lady Meredith
.
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...
businessman, lawyer, journalist and political figure in Canada East
Canada East
Canada East was the eastern portion of the United Province of Canada. It consisted of the southern portion of the modern-day Canadian Province of Quebec, and was primarily a French-speaking region....
. He represented Argenteuil
Argenteuil (provincial electoral district)
Argenteuil is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. It was created in 1853.-Members of Parliament of the Province of Canada:* Sydney Robert Bellingham...
in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec
Legislative Assembly of Quebec
The Legislative Assembly of Quebec was the name of the lower house of Quebec's legislature until 1968, when it was renamed the National Assembly of Quebec. At the same time, the upper house of the legislature, the Legislative Council, was abolished...
from 1867 to 1878.
Birth
He was born in CastlebellinghamCastlebellingham
Castlebellingham is a village and townland in County Louth, Ireland. The village has got a lot quieter since the construction of the new M1 motorway which bypasses the village...
, Ireland in 1808, the fourth son of Sir Alan Bellingham (1776-1827) 2nd Bt., of Castle Bellingham, Co. Louth, and his wife Elizabeth (1788-1822), daughter of The Rev. Rees Edward Walls of Boothby Hall, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. His grandfather was Sir William Bellingham, 1st Baronet
Sir William Bellingham, 1st Baronet
Sir William Bellingham, 1st Baronet was an Irish-born British politician and the "controller of the storekeepers' accounts" for the Royal Navy. Bellingham was charged with organizing and procuring provisions for the Vancouver Expedition...
.
Arrival in Canada and marriage
His father being unable to support him financially, he came to Canada at the age of fifteen to seek his fortune. He travelled widely throughout Upper CanadaUpper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
until 1827 when he took a job at 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...
under the brother of George Hamilton (lumber baron)
George Hamilton (lumber baron)
George Hamilton was a lumber baron and public official in Upper Canada.Hamilton was born at Hamwood House, in County Meath, Republic of Ireland in 1781 and came to Quebec City sometime before 1807. He was a descendant of the Hamiltons of Killyleagh Castle, Co...
, in the timber business. A few months before his marriage he started an import-export business with his friend James Wallis (1807-1893) of Drishane Castle, Co. Cork and Fenelon Falls, Upper Canada.
In 1831, Bellingham married, Arabella Holmes (1808-1887), a distant relation through both the Hamilton and Cairnes families, and the youngest daughter of one of his father's friends, William Holmes (1762–1834) of 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....
. In 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...
, her family were well-connected as part of the Château Clique
Château Clique
The Clique du Château or Château Clique was a group of wealthy families in Lower Canada in the early 19th century. They were the Lower Canadian equivalent of the Family Compact in Upper Canada...
, and she was also the heiress to 15000 acres (60.7 km²) of land in the counties of Buckland and Bellechasse, Quebec. After the failure of his business with Wallis, aided by his wife's money, Bellingham entered Canadian politics.
Politics, Business & Military
In 1834, Bellingham was an unsuccessful candidate in Montreal East for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Lower CanadaLegislative Assembly of Lower Canada
The Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada was the lower house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The legislative assembly was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791...
. He opposed the reforms to government being proposed by the Parti Patriote. He was named a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in 1837. During the Lower Canada Rebellion
Lower Canada Rebellion
The Lower Canada Rebellion , commonly referred to as the Patriots' War by Quebeckers, is the name given to the armed conflict between the rebels of Lower Canada and the British colonial power of that province...
, Bellingham served as a captain with the Royal Montreal Cavalry - The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal)
The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal)
The Royal Canadian Hussars is a Primary Reserve armoured regiment of the Canadian Forces. The unit is based in Montreal.-Lineage:...
- and aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Lt.-Colonel George Augustus Wetherall
George Augustus Wetherall
General Sir George Augustus Wetherall was a British General.-Military career:He was the son of General Sir Frederick Wetherall and was educated in the senior department of the Royal military college, and entered the army in 1803...
. As a civil magistrate he led many daring raids deep into patriote territory to arrest the rebel leaders during the war.
He studied law with Alexander Buchanan, and was called to the Lower Canadian bar in 1840, entering into practice with William Walker
William Walker (Quebec politician)
William Walker was a Quebec lawyer and political figure.He articled in law with Michael O'Sullivan and Charles Richard Ogden, was admitted to the bar in 1819 and set up practice in Montreal. Although loyal to the British authorities, following the Lower Canada Rebellion, he served as lawyer for...
at 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 also edited the Canada Times, a reform-oriented newspaper. Bellingham supported the reforms proposed by Lord Durham
John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham
John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham GCB, PC , also known as "Radical Jack" and commonly referred to in history texts simply as Lord Durham, was a British Whig statesman, colonial administrator, Governor General and high commissioner of British North America...
but opposed the union of Upper
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
and 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...
. In 1843, he became editor of the Times and Daily Commercial Advertiser. Bellingham was a proponent of annexation with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and served as secretary of the Montreal Annexation Association. In 1853, he co-founded the Montreal and Bytown Railway.
In 1853, he bought a tract of land on the north brough of Mount Royal
Mount Royal
Mount Royal is a mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the city to which it gave its name.The mountain is part of the Monteregian Hills situated between the Laurentians and the Appalachians...
overlooking 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...
, where he and his wife made their home, Dunany Cottage, named for his grandmother's house in Co. Louth. In 1854, Bellingham was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the legislature for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as Canada West and later the...
for Argenteuil. He bought 21,000 arpents of land there, bringing many settlers, both French and English to the area, aiding them to farm successfully. He was also made a colonel of the local militia, the Argenteuil Rangers. However his election was declared invalid twice after it was alleged that he had used intimidation and bribery but he was re-elected in the by-elections that followed and he finally took his seat in May 1856. He was elected again in 1858, his election was overturned in 1860.
After Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec
Legislative Assembly of Quebec
The Legislative Assembly of Quebec was the name of the lower house of Quebec's legislature until 1968, when it was renamed the National Assembly of Quebec. At the same time, the upper house of the legislature, the Legislative Council, was abolished...
. In 1871, he criticized Joseph-Édouard Cauchon, another member of the assembly, for the deplorable conditions in his asylum which received government grants; this led to Cauchon's resignation. In 1871, he became editor of the Daily News of Montreal. Originally elected as a Conservative
Parti conservateur du Québec
The Parti conservateur du Québec was a political party in Quebec, Canada.-Origins:The party originated as the Parti bleu which was formed around 1850 by the followers of Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine...
, Bellingham became a Liberal
Parti libéral du Québec
The Quebec Liberal Party is a centre-right political party in Quebec. It has been independent of the federal Liberal Party of Canada since 1955....
following the Tanneries scandal
Tanneries scandal
The Tanneries scandal was a scandal implicating the government of the Province of Quebec, which led to the resignation of Conservative premier, Gédéon Ouimet, in September 1874....
in 1874.
Return to Ireland
Bellingham was recognized as 'one of the best political writers in Lower Canada'. In 1877, he was appointed president of the Lovell Publishing Company of Montreal, but the following year he and his wife returned to IrelandIreland
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...
to take up residence at his ancestral home, Castle Bellingham, which he had inherited in 1874 after the deaths of his elder brothers. His ties with 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...
remained strong, always keeping abreast of Canadian politics. In 1895, he dictated his Canadian memoirs to his nurse, and they were published privately the year after his death by his nephew. He and his wife lived at Southgate House, Castlebellingham
Castlebellingham
Castlebellingham is a village and townland in County Louth, Ireland. The village has got a lot quieter since the construction of the new M1 motorway which bypasses the village...
, where he died 9 March, 1900, without children. In his will he left the Castlebellingham
Castlebellingham
Castlebellingham is a village and townland in County Louth, Ireland. The village has got a lot quieter since the construction of the new M1 motorway which bypasses the village...
estate to his nephew, Sir Henry Bellingham, 4th Baronet
Sir Henry Bellingham, 4th Baronet
Sir Alan Henry Bellingham, 4th Baronet JP , commonly known as Henry Bellingham, was a British Conservative politician and barrister-at-law.-Background:...
, and he left all his personal effects (valued at £2,500) to Edward Graves Meredith, the second son of his wife's niece, Lady 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:...
.