Thomas Graves Meredith
Encyclopedia
Thomas Graves Meredith K.C. (June 16, 1853-October 18, 1945), Canadian lawyer and businessman; President of Canada Life Assurance and President of the Middlesex Bar Association. Meredith Avenue in London, Ontario
is named for him.
, he was the sixth son of John Walsingham Cooke Meredith
, a first cousin of Sir William Collis Meredith
and Edmund Allen Meredith
. Tom Meredith was named after his great uncle, the Rev. Thomas Meredith
, who married a daughter of Richard Graves, Dean of Ardagh in Ireland
. He was the last surviving brother of the remarkable Eight London Merediths, that included Chief Justice Sir William Ralph Meredith
, Chief Justice Richard Martin Meredith
, Sir Vincent Meredith
and Charles Meredith.
He was educated at the old Helmuth Boys College in London, and then the Galt Collegiate Institute and Vocational School
, then known as the Tassie School, from where he passed his entrance exams and matriculated at the University of Toronto
. He did not graduate from the university, instead becoming a law student in the offices of Messrs Scatcherd & Meredith, of which the senior partners were Thomas Scatcherd
and his eldest brother, William Ralph Meredith
.
as a Barrister
and a Solicitor
in the Easter Term of 1878, and joined the firm he had articled with, Scatcherd & Meredith. When his brother, William, left London in 1895, Meredith was made City Solicitor of London, a position he held until his death.
1895 also saw him go into partnership with Robert Grant Fisher, under the firm of Meredith & Fisher, until Fisher was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Ontario. The firm of Meredith & Fisher, barristers, enjoyed one of the largest and most lucrative practices in Western Ontario. Meredith was also associated in partnership with (later Judge) George E. Taylor, (later Chief Justice) David MacDonald and at the time of his death, H.R. Davidson, of the firm Meredith & Davidson.
He was appointed King's Counsel in 1902, and was elected a Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada
in 1920, succeeding the late A.H. MacDonald, K.C. He was re-elected at the Quinquennial elections of 1921, 1926 and 1931, becoming a life Bencher in 1936. He was also a Trustee of the Middlesex Bar Association for a quarter of a century, serving as President from 1902 to 1909.
In politics, like his brother, William, he was a staunch Conservative. He declined the nomination to contest for a seat in Parliament
for London, just as he also declined to accept a Judgeship. He also declined taking office in the Corporation Counsel of Toronto
. The Law Society of Upper Canada
remarked that,
He was for several years an outstanding Counsel of the London Bar being Solicitor for the Bank of Montreal
and specialized in Municipal Law
He was a founding member of the London and Western Trust Company in 1896, and was for many years (since 1907) associated with the Huron & Erie Mortgage Corporation and Canada Life Assurance. He served as President of both of these institutions, and though retiring in 1943 due to declining health, he remained as Chairman of the Board of both until his death.
, in October 1882, Thomas Meredith married Jessie, daughter of Sir John Carling
of the Carling Brewery
and Hannah Dalton. They were the parents of two sons, Stanley and Redmond Meredith, both who died unmarried. Thomas Graves Meredith was the last surviving brother of a remarkable family of eight brothers. He died at 565 Talbot Street, London
, the home his father had built in the early 1840s, and where he was born. After his death the house was bought by the Department of National Defence and used as army officer's quarters. 'Meredith House' was demolished in 1966. Meredith Avenue, London
, is named for Thomas Meredith.
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
is named for him.
Early life
Born at 565 Talbot Street, London, OntarioLondon, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, he was the sixth son of 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:...
, a first cousin 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:...
and Edmund Allen Meredith
Edmund Allen Meredith
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.-Early life in Ireland:...
. Tom Meredith was named after his great uncle, the 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...
, who married a daughter of Richard Graves, Dean of Ardagh 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 the last surviving brother of the remarkable Eight London Merediths, that included Chief Justice 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...
, Chief Justice Richard Martin Meredith
Richard Martin Meredith
Chief Justice The Hon. Richard Martin Meredith Q.C. was a founder of The University of Western Ontario; vice-chancellor of Ontario; President of the High Court of the Supreme Court of Ontario and Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas.-Family:Born at 565 Talbot Street, London, Ontario, he was...
, 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...
and Charles Meredith.
He was educated at the old Helmuth Boys College in London, and then the Galt Collegiate Institute and Vocational School
Galt Collegiate Institute and Vocational School
Galt Collegiate Institute and Vocational School is one of sixteen secondary schools in the Waterloo Region District School Board, located in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada....
, then known as the Tassie School, from where he passed his entrance exams and matriculated at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. He did not graduate from the university, instead becoming a law student in the offices of Messrs Scatcherd & Meredith, of which the senior partners were Thomas Scatcherd
Thomas Scatcherd
Thomas Scatcherd was a Canadian lawyer and political figure. He represented Middlesex North as a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1876....
and his eldest brother, 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...
.
Career
Meredith was called to the Bar of OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
as a Barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and a Solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
in the Easter Term of 1878, and joined the firm he had articled with, Scatcherd & Meredith. When his brother, William, left London in 1895, Meredith was made City Solicitor of London, a position he held until his death.
1895 also saw him go into partnership with Robert Grant Fisher, under the firm of Meredith & Fisher, until Fisher was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Ontario. The firm of Meredith & Fisher, barristers, enjoyed one of the largest and most lucrative practices in Western Ontario. Meredith was also associated in partnership with (later Judge) George E. Taylor, (later Chief Justice) David MacDonald and at the time of his death, H.R. Davidson, of the firm Meredith & Davidson.
He was appointed King's Counsel in 1902, and was elected a Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada
Law Society of Upper Canada
The Law Society of Upper Canada is responsible for the self-regulation of lawyers and paralegals in the Canadian province of Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1797, it is known in French as "Le Barreau du Haut-Canada"...
in 1920, succeeding the late A.H. MacDonald, K.C. He was re-elected at the Quinquennial elections of 1921, 1926 and 1931, becoming a life Bencher in 1936. He was also a Trustee of the Middlesex Bar Association for a quarter of a century, serving as President from 1902 to 1909.
In politics, like his brother, William, he was a staunch Conservative. He declined the nomination to contest for a seat in Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
for London, just as he also declined to accept a Judgeship. He also declined taking office in the Corporation Counsel of 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 Law Society of Upper Canada
Law Society of Upper Canada
The Law Society of Upper Canada is responsible for the self-regulation of lawyers and paralegals in the Canadian province of Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1797, it is known in French as "Le Barreau du Haut-Canada"...
remarked that,
He was for several years an outstanding Counsel of the London Bar being Solicitor for 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...
and specialized in Municipal Law
He was a founding member of the London and Western Trust Company in 1896, and was for many years (since 1907) associated with the Huron & Erie Mortgage Corporation and Canada Life Assurance. He served as President of both of these institutions, and though retiring in 1943 due to declining health, he remained as Chairman of the Board of both until his death.
Family
At LondonLondon, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, in October 1882, Thomas Meredith married Jessie, daughter of Sir John Carling
John Carling
Sir John Carling, PC, KCMG of the Carling Brewery was a prominent politician and businessman from London, Ontario, Canada...
of the Carling Brewery
Carling
Carling brands are currently owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company. In South Africa it is distributed by SABMiller.Carling Black Label is the name of a brand of Canadian lager in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and South Africa...
and Hannah Dalton. They were the parents of two sons, Stanley and Redmond Meredith, both who died unmarried. Thomas Graves Meredith was the last surviving brother of a remarkable family of eight brothers. He died at 565 Talbot Street, London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, the home his father had built in the early 1840s, and where he was born. After his death the house was bought by the Department of National Defence and used as army officer's quarters. 'Meredith House' was demolished in 1966. Meredith Avenue, London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, is named for Thomas Meredith.