Thomas Shaughnessy, 1st Baron Shaughnessy
Encyclopedia
Thomas George Shaughnessy, 1st Baron Shaughnessy, KCVO
(6 October 1853 – 10 December 1923) was an American-born Canadian
railway administrator who rose from modest beginnings as a clerk and bookkeeper for the Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad (a predecessor of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
) to become the president of the Canadian Pacific Railway
, serving in that capacity from 1899 to 1918. In recognition of his stewardship of the CPR and its contributions to the war effort
during the Great War, Shaughnessy was elevated to the Peerage of the United Kingdom
on 1 January 1916 as Baron Shaughnessy
, of the City of Montreal in the Dominion of Canada and of Ashford in the County of Limerick.
Shaughnessy was born in Milwaukee to Thomas Shaughnessy, of Limerick, Ireland and married Elizabeth Bridget Nagle in 1880 and educated at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. The Shaughnessys' had two sons (William James Shaughnessy served as captain and adjutant of the Duchess of Connaught’s Irish-Canadian Rangers; second Baron of Shaughnessy) and three daughters.
Shaughnessy House, his home in Montreal
, designed by Montreal architect William Thomas (architect)
in 1876, was declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 1974 and is now part of the Canadian Centre for Architecture
. The surrounding district is named Shaughnessy Village
.
He was the grandfather of the writer and producer Alfred Shaughnessy
, best known for serving as the script editor of Upstairs, Downstairs
.
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...
(6 October 1853 – 10 December 1923) was an American-born Canadian
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...
railway administrator who rose from modest beginnings as a clerk and bookkeeper for the Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad (a predecessor of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
) to become the president of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, serving in that capacity from 1899 to 1918. In recognition of his stewardship of the CPR and its contributions to the war effort
War effort
In politics and military planning, a war effort refers to a coordinated mobilization of society's resources—both industrial and human—towards the support of a military force...
during the Great War, Shaughnessy was elevated to the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
on 1 January 1916 as Baron Shaughnessy
Baron Shaughnessy
Baron Shaughnessy, of the City of Montreal in the Dominion of Canada and of Ashford in the County of Limerick, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1916 for the businessman and public servant Thomas Shaughnessy, president of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company...
, of the City of Montreal in the Dominion of Canada and of Ashford in the County of Limerick.
Shaughnessy was born in Milwaukee to Thomas Shaughnessy, of Limerick, Ireland and married Elizabeth Bridget Nagle in 1880 and educated at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. The Shaughnessys' had two sons (William James Shaughnessy served as captain and adjutant of the Duchess of Connaught’s Irish-Canadian Rangers; second Baron of Shaughnessy) and three daughters.
Shaughnessy House, his home 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...
, designed by Montreal architect William Thomas (architect)
William Thomas (architect)
William Thomas was an Anglo-Canadian architect.Thomas was apprenticed under Charles Barry and A.W. Pugin as a carpenter-joiner. His younger brother was the sculptor John Thomas .Thomas began his own practice at Leamington Spa in 1831 but in 1837 went bankrupt...
in 1876, was declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 1974 and is now part of the Canadian Centre for Architecture
Canadian Centre for Architecture
The Canadian Centre for Architecture is a museum of architecture and research centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Phyllis Lambert is the Founding Director and Chair of the Board of Trustees, and Mirko Zardini is the Director and Chief Curator....
. The surrounding district is named Shaughnessy Village
Shaughnessy Village
Shaughnessy Village is a neighbourhood of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, located on the western side of the Ville-Marie borough. It is bounded by Guy Street to the east, Atwater Street to the west, Sherbrooke Street to the north, and René Lévesque Boulevard/Ville-Marie Expressway to the south...
.
He was the grandfather of the writer and producer Alfred Shaughnessy
Alfred Shaughnessy
Alfred James Shaughnessy , sometimes known as Freddy Shaughnessy, was an English scriptwriter and producer best known for being the script editor of Upstairs, Downstairs.-Early life:...
, best known for serving as the script editor of Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...
.
Titles and Honours
- Knight BachelorKnight BachelorThe 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...
, 1901 - Order of the Sacred TreasureOrder of the Sacred TreasureThe is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
of the 2nd class Japan, 1907 - Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian OrderRoyal Victorian OrderThe 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...
,1907 - Knight of Grace, Order of St. JohnVenerable Order of Saint JohnThe Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
, 1910 - 1st Baron ShaughnessyPeerage of the United KingdomThe Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
, 1916