William Collis Meredith
Encyclopedia
The Hon. Sir William Collis Meredith, Kt.
, Q.C.
, D.C.L.
(23 May 1812 – 26 February 1894) was Chief Justice
of the Superior Court of Quebec.
, Dublin, second son of the Rev. Thomas Meredith
and his wife Elizabeth Maria Graves (1792–1855), the eldest daughter of the Very Rev. Richard Graves, Dean of Ardagh. He was named after his father’s first cousin, William Collis (1788–1866) J.P., of Tieraclea House, High Sheriff of Co. Kerry, a first cousin of Lord Monteagle
. Meredith was a nephew of Robert James Graves
, a brother of Edmund Allen Meredith
and a great uncle of Judge James Creed Meredith
. His first cousins included John Walsingham Cooke Meredith
, Francis Brinkley
, Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell
and John Dawson Mayne
.
A year after Meredith was born his family moved up to Ardtrea, near Cookstown
, County Tyrone
, his father having resigned his fellowship in Dublin to take up the position of Rector
there. In 1819, Meredith's father died of 'a sudden and awful visitation', involving a ghost
and a silver bullet. His mother returned to Harcourt Street, Dublin, and he joined his Meredith and Redmond cousins at Dr Behan's boarding school in County Wexford
. Five years later, against her parents wishes, Meredith's mother re-married a first cousin of her mother's, Rev. James Edmund Burton (1776–1850), who had 'wasted every farthing of his Irish property’ before emigrating to Quebec
as the Church of England
's first missionary to Terrebonne
. Burton was a first cousin of Henry Pearce Driscoll
and an uncle of Sir Richard Francis Burton
and Lady Stisted
.
In the summer of 1824, Meredith arrived at 'Burtonville', his stepfather's house and farm outside Rawdon
, then a four day journey north of Montreal
. He was tutored there by Burton himself or by whatever tutor his stepfather could procure, who were few and far between. In 1828 William's mother, ‘a lady of much culture and refinement, and possessed also of great energy and force of character’, sent him back to Ireland
to complete his studies at Trinity College, Dublin
.
In 1831, a year before his mother and stepfather returned permanently to Cloyne
, Co. Cork, he chose to return to Montreal
to commence his legal studies there. He articled under The Hon. Clement-Charles Sabrevois de Bleury
and then James Charles Grant, QC, before being called to the Bar of Lower Canada
in 1836.
with pistols against James Scott, no stranger to such events. Earlier that day, following a dispute over legal costs, Meredith challenged Scott. He chose James M. Blackwood to second him, whilst Scott’s choice was Joseph-Ferreol Pelletier. The duel took place behind Mount Royal
, and the pistols used were Meredith’s which he had bought in London
, on a previous trip to England
. On the first exchange Scott took a bullet high up in the thigh, and the duel was called to a stop. List of duels Meredith v Scott, 1837, under 'Canadian Duels'.
The bullet in Scott’s thigh bone lodged itself in such a way that it could not be removed by doctors, causing him great discomfort for the rest of his days. Ironically for Scott, this was exactly where he had shot Sweeney Campbell in a duel when they were students. In the early 1850s (Scott died in 1852), when both the adversaries had become judges, one of the sights then to see was Meredith helping his brother judge up the steep Court House steps, Scott being still hindered by the lameness in his leg since their encounter.
Not long after the duel, his career was interrupted again by the troubles of 1837. Meredith joined the Montreal Rifles as a Lieutenant and saw action against the French rebels at the Battle of Saint-Eustache
. He reached the rank of Major
in the militia
.
’, was senior partner of the firm, Meredith & Bethune, subsequently Meredith, Bethune & Dunkin. Their offices were situated at 33 Little St. James Street and the firm was described in the 1840s as the most influential in Montreal
. He and his partners, Strachan Bethune Q.C. (a relation by marriage of his sister and a son of John Bethune) and The Hon. Christopher Dunkin
Q.C., then had the largest legal business that had been brought together by any one firm in the Province of Quebec.
In 1844, he was created a Queen’s Counsel (Q.C.), declining the office of Solicitor General
, and subsequently that of Attorney-General, which he declined again for the second time in 1847 during the Draper administration. Meredith disliked politics. In the same year Chief Justice Valliere de Saint-Real offered him the position of Dean of Law at McGill University
, which he also turned down. His grandson, William Campbell James Meredith
(1904–1960) Q.C., D.C.L., of Montreal
, would hold the position over one hundred years later.
Meredith was involved in many ways for the betterment of the city of Montreal
. He was one of the founding members and a director of the High School of Montreal, which was established with his help in 1843 to supersede the grammar school. He was counsel to the board of the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning, a trustee of the Montreal Mining Company and on the committee to save McGill University
in the early 1840s. He conducted a good deal of business for the university, and it was with his influence that his younger brother, Edmund Allen Meredith
, who had recently arrived from Ireland, became the sixth principal of McGill from 1846 to 1853.
1844 was also the year that Meredith commissioned John Wells (architect), one of the best known English architects of the time (whose work included the head office of the Bank of Montreal
on St. James Street, and the Sainte Anne market, which no longer exists) to build him a new house on what was then la Côte-à-Baron, now part of Sherbrooke Street
at the corner of Clark Street, on a spacious plot of land surrounded by fields, Elm
and Maple
trees.
In 1849, a judicial appointment took Meredith to Quebec City
. He rented his Montreal
house to several prominent citizens including Thomas E. Blackwell, President of the Grand Trunk Railway
, before selling it to fellow barrister Alexander Molson (1830–1897), a grandson of John Molson
. The house still stands today, known as ‘Notman House’, after the celebrated Montreal
photographer, William Notman
, who bought it from Molson in 1876. After Notman’s death it was bought by Sir George Alexander Drummond
for the Anglican sisters of the Society of Saint Margaret
, to serve as a residence for terminally ill women.
for the Province of Quebec, by the Lafontaine-Baldwin
government, a position he held for ten years. However, this meant abandoning with some reluctance the practice of a profession to which he was greatly attached, and in doing so relinquished a profitable business in Montreal
. During Lord Elgin
’s term as Governor-General
of Canada
(1847–1854), Meredith was elected one of the judges of the Seigneurial
Court.
In 1859, 'at the earnest solicitation of the government and in compliance with the members of the Montreal bar', he accepted a seat from Sir George-Étienne Cartier, as a judge
in the Court of Queen’s Bench, that being the Court of Appeals
for the province. Several of his judgments were spoken of very highly by the lords of the Privy Council
in England
. He filled the position for seven years 'with marked ability and success'.
On December 28, 1854, he was given an honorary D.C.L. (Doctor of Civil Laws) from Bishops University College, Lennoxville. In 1880, he received the honor for a second time, from Université Laval
. In 1865, at a private meeting of the board of governors of Bishop's University
he was unanimously elected to become the university's new Chancellor
, but due to his existing official duties he declined the position. His youngest son, Frederick Edmund Meredith
, would hold the position from 1926 to 1932.
Meredith’s friend Sir John Abbott, who had studied law under him and later became Prime Minister of Canada
, was a reluctant supporter of Canadian Confederation
in 1866. Abbott feared that it would reduce the English-speaking inhabitants of Lower Canada
to political impotence. Amongst others, he consulted with Meredith and Meredith’s former business partner, Christopher Dunkin
. They drafted a resolution calling on the government to protect the electoral borders of twelve English Quebec constituencies. Subsequently, Alexander Tilloch Galt
endorsed the proposal, had the London Conference of 1866
accept it, and included it as Article 80 of the British North America Act.
In 1866, following the death of one of Meredith's closest friends, Edward Bowen
, Sir George-Étienne Cartier
appointed him Chief Justice
of the Superior Court
for the Province of Quebec. Judge Caron
rivalled him for the position, but the influential and affable D'Arcy McGee (then Minister of Agriculture), a close associate of Meredith's brother (Edmund Allen Meredith
), made a few favourable representations on Meredith’s behalf, easing the way for his appointment to the position.
In the years before his retirement he was the oldest judge on the Bench
in Canada
, 'still going with his characteristic energy and ability'. Chief Justice Meredith finally retired for health reasons, in this his final office, October 1, 1884. The government did their best to keep him from resigning his post, but Meredith declined their offers to accept leave of absence with the understanding that his full salary would be paid and his resignation subsequently accepted. Two years later he was created a Knight Bachelor
by Queen Victoria. Meredith had been as popular amongst the French as he was amongst the English, which was extremely rare for the time. This is made clear from an article written in the French journal L'Electeur at his retirement,
La retraite de M. le juge Meredith va creer un vif chagrin dans le barreau comme parmi le public. Jamais en effet un magistrat ne sut mieux se concilier leftie des avocats sans cesse en rapport avec lui et la confiance du public. Jurisconsulte eminent, magistrat dont la reputation d’honorabilite a toujours ete au-dessus du soupcon, bienveillent pour tout la monde, d’un politesse vraiment exquise, M. le juge en chef va laisser une vide bien difficile a remplir.
At his death, the ‘Legal News’ printed,
The late Chief Justice was a diligent advocate and judge, and conscientious and painstaking in the performance of every duty. The opinions delivered by him from the bench have always been cited with the greatest respect and many of them are models of what a judicial opinion should be. They excel in clearness, are ample without ceasing to be concise, and bring light and satisfaction to the reader
. Mrs Meredith's mother, Ann (1788–1865), was a daughter of Lt.-Colonel James Johnston (1724–1800) J.P., formerly of Outbrecks/Outhrecks in Orkney, who came with General James Wolfe
to Quebec
, where he settled, becoming a merchant
. Sophia was a granddaughter of William Holmes (1762-1834)
, and her mother, Ann Johnston, was a cousin of James Irvine
and the widow of Captain Abraham Paul (1782–1814) R.A., nephew of Sir Joshua Paul (1748–1799) 1st Bt. of Paulville, County Carlow
. Mrs Meredith was one of seven siblings and half-siblings on her mother's side, but other than her only two were married. Her brother, William Holmes, married a daughter of Colonel Bartholomew Gugy
, and her half-sister, Eliza Paul, married Major Stephen Heward (1776–1828) J.P., brother-in-law of Sir John Robinson, 1st Baronet, of Toronto
.
The Merediths were the parents of ten children: (1) Sophia Elizabeth (1848–1927), married Henry Nicholas (Monck) Middleton (1845–1928) J.P., D.L., of Dissington Hall
, Northumberland
, and later Lowood House, near Melrose, Scotland
, brother of Sir Arthur Middleton, 7th Baronet
. Their son married a daughter of Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey
(2) William Henry Meredith (1849–1895) of Montreal
, died unmarried (3) Matilda Anne Meredith (1851–1875) died unmarried at Cannes
, France
(4) Edward Graves Meredith (1852–1938) N.P., of Quebec
, married Isabella Agnes Housman (1858–1949), daughter of The Rev. George Vernon Housman (1820–1887), for 25 years Rector of Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral
, Quebec, by his wife Eliza Izza Maria Reeves (1823–1865) of Hanover Square, London
. George Housman was the uncle of the poet Alfred Edward Housman, and the grandson of Thomas Shrawley Vernon of Hanbury Hall
(5) Harriett (1854–1941) married Harry Stanley Smith (1850–1916) formerly a Quebec merchant from Seaforth near Liverpool
, who retired to Addington House, Wimbledon
. Grandparents of Berkeley Smith
(6) Hylda Graves (1856–1931) married George Hamilton Thomson (1857–1929) of Quebec
, grandson of George Hamilton
(7) Richard Holmes Meredith (1858–1868), died young (8) Louisa (1860–1938) married her half first cousin, Lt.-Colonel Edward Hampden Turner Heward (1852–1930), whose brother married the sister of Lord Atholstan
(9) Frederick Edmund Meredith
(1862–1941) K.C., D.C.L. of Montreal
, married Anne Madeleine VanKoughnet (1863–1945), grand-daughter of Colonel Philip VanKoughnet
(10) Evaline Bertha Meredith (1863–1868), died young.
Meredith frequently returned to Europe
, either touring the continent with members of his family or visiting his relatives in Ireland
, notably members of the Allen, Bellingham, Collis, Drought, Eustace, Graves, MacDonnell, Mayne and Meredith families. Rather than their stepfather, he and the rest of his siblings regarded their uncle, The Rev. Richard MacDonnell, as a second father. In 1853, when visiting relatives in Ireland, Edmund Allen Meredith
's wrote in his diary that ‘the doctor (as they referred to MacDonnell) spoke much of the splendid apples and cider William had sent him’. In return ‘the doctor’ insisted on opening bottle after bottle of claret
for Edmund, ‘to prove to William that it is now possible to find good claret in Ireland!’
to Quebec City
in 1849, the Merediths lived at 19 St. Ursule Street, a large, three storey, brick house with room for five live-in servants. In 1866 he built a summer house, 'Rosecliff' in the hamlet of St. Patrick, outside Rivière-du-Loup (where he owned 1400 acres (5.7 km²) of farmland). In Quebec City
he owned three further houses and two barn stables. He kept five pleasure carriages, sleighs, two wagon-sleds, three horses and one milk cow. When he became financially independent in 1830, Meredith had purchased four village-town lots in the region of Romney, Kent, Upper Canada
, that turned out to be an important investment in consequence of the railway that was later built there.
Frances (Feo) Monck, the sister-in-law of the then Governor-General Charles Stanley Monck
, gave an unusually long account of a party - or ‘drum’ as it was known, given by Judge Meredith in her book, ‘My Canadian Leaves, An Account of a Visit to Canada, 1864–1865’ :
Dick and I, and Captain Pem. Are going, I hope, to-night to a ‘drum’ at Judge Meredith’s. . . . There was a very large party, and the house is large. I was much amused and talked to many people, among others to M. Duvergier-d’Hauranne, a young Frenchman, who is come over here to travel, and has brought a letter to the Governor-General from Lord Clarendon. His father was a well-known man in France under Louis Phillipe. My friend, Sir R.M. (Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell
, William’s first cousin who spent a year in Canada as Governor of Nova Scotia in 1864) rushed to me, and asked me to walk about with him, and invited us to Government House (Nova Scotia)
at H. (Halifax), which he told me was much finer and larger than ‘Spencer’s Wood’ (the Governor-General’s vice regal seat at Quebec). Lady M (Lady Blanche MacDonnell) and Dick flirted together for a long time; she is so pretty and pleasant. A Miss Tilstone sang - a handsome girl with a pretty voice. Then a Madame Taschereau sang - good voice; and then THE man sang, Mr Antoine Chartier de Lotbiniere Harwood
(the great uncle of the wife of one of his grandsons), an M.P.P., half French. He has a very fine voice, and is a pupil of Garcia’s. He was offered an engagement at the Italian Opera, London. The large rooms were too small for his voice, which wants modulation. I got quite giddy with the loudness of it ! He sang from operas; he wants expression and more teaching. Judge Meredith introduced him to me, and he sang again, for me !
Le Juge-en-Chef est l’urbanite meme, il est attentive comme un Francais de l’ancien regime. A cette grande affabilite qui n’est nulle part plus appreciable que sur le banc d’un tribunal. Le Juge Meredith joint un savoir etendu, un tact parfait, un judgement tres sur. Il voit au fond s’egarent, les avocats qui brouillent les faits, aux elements fondamentaux dont il faut s’inspirer pour retrouver la verite. Tout cela avec infiniment de benevolence et toutes les formes de la politesse.
‘Esteemed for his high character, wide knowledge and amiable disposition’, ‘his lofty conception of duty, his great learning, and his gentleness of character commanded the admiration and affection of the bench and bar of Quebec.’ Sir William Colles Meredith died February 26, 1894, aged eighty two after a short illness, and he was buried with many of his family at Mount Hermon Cemetery, Quebec. Part of the inscription on his gravestone reads, '...Thoughtful consideration for others marked all his acts and made bright his daily walk through life.'
Knight 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...
, Q.C.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, D.C.L.
Doctor of Civil Law
Doctor of Civil Law is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws degrees....
(23 May 1812 – 26 February 1894) was Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Superior Court of Quebec.
Early life
Meredith was born on May 23, 1812, at No.1 Fitzwilliam SquareFitzwilliam Square
Fitzwilliam Square is a small but historic Georgian square in the south of central Dublin, Ireland. It was the last of the five Georgian squares in Dublin to be built....
, Dublin, second son of 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...
and his wife Elizabeth Maria Graves (1792–1855), the eldest daughter of the Very Rev. Richard Graves, Dean of Ardagh. He was named after his father’s first cousin, William Collis (1788–1866) J.P., of Tieraclea House, High Sheriff of Co. Kerry, a first cousin of Lord Monteagle
Thomas Spring Rice, 1st Baron Monteagle of Brandon
Thomas Spring Rice, 1st Baron Monteagle of Brandon, PC, FRS was a British Whig politician, who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1835 to 1839.-Background:...
. Meredith was a nephew of Robert James Graves
Robert James Graves
Robert James Graves, M.D., F.R.C.S. was an eminent Irish surgeon after whom Graves' disease takes its name. He was President of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Fellow of the Royal Society of London and the founder of the Dublin Journal of Medical Science...
, a brother of 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:...
and a great uncle of Judge James Creed Meredith
James Creed Meredith
James Creed Meredith K.C., LL.D. was an Irish nationalist of the early 20th century, who upheld Brehon Law. He was President of the Supreme Court of the Irish Republic, Chief Judicial Commissioner of Ireland and a Judge of the High Court and the Supreme Court of Ireland...
. His first cousins included 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:...
, Francis Brinkley
Francis Brinkley
Francis Brinkley was an Irish newspaper owner, editor and scholar who resided in Meiji period Japan for over 40 years, where he was the author of numerous books on Japanese culture, art and architecture, and an English-Japanese Dictionary...
, Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell
Richard Graves MacDonnell
Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell KCMG CB was an Anglo-Irish lawyer, judge and colonial governor...
and John Dawson Mayne
John D. Mayne
The Rt. Hon. John Dawson Mayne P.C. was a British lawyer and legal expert who practised largely in the Madras Presidency. He is largely remembered as the author of Mayne's Hindu Law regarded as a classic and the most authoritative book on the subject.- Life :Mayne was born on December 31, 1828 to...
.
A year after Meredith was born his family moved up to Ardtrea, near Cookstown
Cookstown
Cookstown may refer to either of the following:*Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland*Cookstown, Ontario, Canada*Cookstown, New Jersey, United States...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, his father having resigned his fellowship in Dublin to take up the position of Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
there. In 1819, Meredith's father died of 'a sudden and awful visitation', involving a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
and a silver bullet. His mother returned to Harcourt Street, Dublin, and he joined his Meredith and Redmond cousins at Dr Behan's boarding school in County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
. Five years later, against her parents wishes, Meredith's mother re-married a first cousin of her mother's, Rev. James Edmund Burton (1776–1850), who had 'wasted every farthing of his Irish property’ before emigrating to 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....
as the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
's first missionary to Terrebonne
Terrebonne, Quebec
Terrebonne is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in western Quebec, Canada. It is located on the north shores of the Rivière des Mille-Îles and of the Rivière des Prairies, North of Montreal and Laval....
. Burton was a first cousin of Henry Pearce Driscoll
Henry Pearce Driscoll
Lt.-Col. Henry Pearce Driscoll Q.C., J.P., was an Irish officer court-martialled and discharged from the British Army at Montreal. Remaining there he edited two newspapers and became well-known as a lawyer, poet and wit.-Early Life:...
and an uncle of Sir Richard Francis Burton
Richard Francis Burton
Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGS was a British geographer, explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, cartographer, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer and diplomat. He was known for his travels and explorations within Asia, Africa and the Americas as well as his...
and Lady Stisted
Henry William Stisted
Lieut.-General Sir Henry William Stisted, KCB , served as the first Lieutenant Governor of Ontario after Confederation, from 1867 to 1868....
.
In the summer of 1824, Meredith arrived at 'Burtonville', his stepfather's house and farm outside Rawdon
Rawdon, Quebec
Rawdon is a municipality located on the Ouareau River in southwestern Quebec, Canada, 45 minutes north of Montreal. It is the seat for the Regional County Municipality of Matawinie, in the Lanaudière region...
, then a four day journey north 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...
. He was tutored there by Burton himself or by whatever tutor his stepfather could procure, who were few and far between. In 1828 William's mother, ‘a lady of much culture and refinement, and possessed also of great energy and force of character’, sent him back to 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...
to complete his studies at Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
.
In 1831, a year before his mother and stepfather returned permanently to Cloyne
Cloyne
Cloyne is a small town to the south-east of the town of Midleton in eastern County Cork, Province of Munster, Ireland. It is also a see city of the Anglican Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, while also giving its name to a Roman Catholic diocese...
, Co. Cork, he chose to return to 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...
to commence his legal studies there. He articled under The Hon. Clement-Charles Sabrevois de Bleury
Clément-Charles Sabrevois de Bleury
Lieutenant Colonel Clément-Charles Sabrevois de Bleury was a Canadian soldier, lawyer, politician and newspaper founder.-Early life:...
and then James Charles Grant, QC, before being called to the Bar of 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 1836.
Duel
On Monday, August, 9, 1837, at eight o’clock in the evening, Meredith fought a duelDuel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
with pistols against James Scott, no stranger to such events. Earlier that day, following a dispute over legal costs, Meredith challenged Scott. He chose James M. Blackwood to second him, whilst Scott’s choice was Joseph-Ferreol Pelletier. The duel took place behind 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...
, and the pistols used were Meredith’s which he had bought 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...
, on a previous trip to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. On the first exchange Scott took a bullet high up in the thigh, and the duel was called to a stop. List of duels Meredith v Scott, 1837, under 'Canadian Duels'.
The bullet in Scott’s thigh bone lodged itself in such a way that it could not be removed by doctors, causing him great discomfort for the rest of his days. Ironically for Scott, this was exactly where he had shot Sweeney Campbell in a duel when they were students. In the early 1850s (Scott died in 1852), when both the adversaries had become judges, one of the sights then to see was Meredith helping his brother judge up the steep Court House steps, Scott being still hindered by the lameness in his leg since their encounter.
Not long after the duel, his career was interrupted again by the troubles of 1837. Meredith joined the Montreal Rifles as a Lieutenant and saw action against the French rebels at the Battle of Saint-Eustache
Battle of Saint-Eustache
The Battle of Saint-Eustache, fought on December 14, 1837, was a decisive battle in the Lower Canada Rebellion in which British forces defeated the principal remaining Patriotes camp at Saint-Eustache.-Prelude:...
. He reached the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
.
Montreal
From the late 1830s Meredith, ‘a careful, shrewd lawyerLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
’, was senior partner of the firm, Meredith & Bethune, subsequently Meredith, Bethune & Dunkin. Their offices were situated at 33 Little St. James Street and the firm was described in the 1840s as the most influential 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...
. He and his partners, Strachan Bethune Q.C. (a relation by marriage of his sister and a son of John Bethune) and The Hon. Christopher Dunkin
Christopher Dunkin
Christopher Dunkin, PC was a Canadian editor, lawyer, teacher, judge, and politician.Born in Walworth, London, England, the son of Summerhays Dunkin and Martha Hemming, he was educated at the University of London, the University of Glasgow, and Harvard University.He was first elected to the...
Q.C., then had the largest legal business that had been brought together by any one firm in the Province of Quebec.
In 1844, he was created a Queen’s Counsel (Q.C.), declining the office of Solicitor General
Solicitor General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, often known as the Solicitor General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Attorney General, whose duty is to advise the Crown and Cabinet on the law...
, and subsequently that of Attorney-General, which he declined again for the second time in 1847 during the Draper administration. Meredith disliked politics. In the same year Chief Justice Valliere de Saint-Real offered him the position of Dean of Law at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, which he also turned down. His grandson, William Campbell James Meredith
William Campbell James Meredith
William Campbell James Meredith Q.C., D.C.L., often known as W. C. J. Meredith, was a Canadian attorney and Dean of Law at McGill University. He was born in Montreal, Quebec the son of Frederick Edmund Meredith and Anne Madeline VanKoughnet Meredith...
(1904–1960) Q.C., D.C.L., 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...
, would hold the position over one hundred years later.
Meredith was involved in many ways for the betterment of the city 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...
. He was one of the founding members and a director of the High School of Montreal, which was established with his help in 1843 to supersede the grammar school. He was counsel to the board of the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning, a trustee of the Montreal Mining Company and on the committee to save McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in the early 1840s. He conducted a good deal of business for the university, and it was with his influence that his younger brother, 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:...
, who had recently arrived from Ireland, became the sixth principal of McGill from 1846 to 1853.
1844 was also the year that Meredith commissioned John Wells (architect), one of the best known English architects of the time (whose work included the head office 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...
on St. James Street, and the Sainte Anne market, which no longer exists) to build him a new house on what was then la Côte-à-Baron, now part of Sherbrooke Street
Sherbrooke Street
Sherbrooke Street is a major east-west artery and at in length, is the second longest street on the Island of Montreal. The street begins in the town of Montreal West and ends on the extreme tip of the island in Pointe-aux-Trembles, intersecting Gouin Boulevard and joining up with Notre-Dame...
at the corner of Clark Street, on a spacious plot of land surrounded by fields, Elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
and Maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
trees.
In 1849, a judicial appointment took Meredith to Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. He rented his 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...
house to several prominent citizens including Thomas E. Blackwell, President of the Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
, before selling it to fellow barrister Alexander Molson (1830–1897), a grandson of John Molson
John Molson
John Molson was an English-speaking Quebecer who was a major brewer and entrepreneur in Canada, starting the Molson Brewing Company.-Birth and early life:...
. The house still stands today, known as ‘Notman House’, after the celebrated 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...
photographer, William Notman
William Notman
William Notman was a Canadian photographer and businessman.Notman was born in Paisley, Scotland in 1826, the same year in which photography was born in France. William Notman moved to Montreal in 1856. An amateur photographer, he quickly established a flourishing professional photography studio on...
, who bought it from Molson in 1876. After Notman’s death it was bought by Sir George Alexander Drummond
George Alexander Drummond
Sir George Alexander Drummond, KCMG, CVO was a Scottish-Canadian businessman and senator.Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, he arrived in Canada in 1854 to work at Redpath Sugar. He married John Redpath's daughter, becoming a co-director of the family business with Peter Redpath, John's son...
for the Anglican sisters of the Society of Saint Margaret
Society of Saint Margaret
The Society of Saint Margaret is an order of women in the Anglican Church. The Sisters of St. Margaret were founded in 1855 by Dr. John Mason Neale at Rotherfield, England. As their numbers increased, they moved into their first convent, Saint Margaret's in East Grinstead, Sussex...
, to serve as a residence for terminally ill women.
Quebec
In December 1849, Meredith was appointed to be one of the first ten judges of the newly established Superior CourtSuperior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
for the Province of Quebec, by the Lafontaine-Baldwin
Robert Baldwin
Robert Baldwin was born at York . He, along with his political partner Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, led the first responsible ministry in Canada, regarded by some as the first truly Canadian government....
government, a position he held for ten years. However, this meant abandoning with some reluctance the practice of a profession to which he was greatly attached, and in doing so relinquished a profitable business 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...
. During Lord Elgin
James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin
Sir James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, KT, GCB, PC , was a British colonial administrator and diplomat...
’s term as Governor-General
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
of 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...
(1847–1854), Meredith was elected one of the judges of the Seigneurial
Seigneurial system of New France
The seigneurial system of New France was the semi-feudal system of land distribution used in the North American colonies of New France.-Introduction to New France:...
Court.
In 1859, 'at the earnest solicitation of the government and in compliance with the members of the Montreal bar', he accepted a seat from Sir George-Étienne Cartier, as a judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
in the Court of Queen’s Bench, that being the Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals
A court of appeals is an appellate court generally.Court of Appeals may refer to:*Military Court of Appeals *Corte d'Assise d'Appello *Philippine Court of Appeals*High Court of Appeals of Turkey*United States courts of appeals...
for the province. Several of his judgments were spoken of very highly by the lords of the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He filled the position for seven years 'with marked ability and success'.
On December 28, 1854, he was given an honorary D.C.L. (Doctor of Civil Laws) from Bishops University College, Lennoxville. In 1880, he received the honor for a second time, from Université Laval
Université Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...
. In 1865, at a private meeting of the board of governors of Bishop's University
Bishop's University
Bishop's University is a predominantly undergraduate university in Lennoxville, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Bishop's is one of three universities in the province of Quebec that teach primarily in the English language...
he was unanimously elected to become the university's new Chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
, but due to his existing official duties he declined the position. His youngest son, Frederick Edmund Meredith
Frederick Edmund Meredith
Frederick Edmund Meredith K.C., D.C.L. was a Canadian lawyer and businessman, the 8th Chancellor of Bishop's University, Lennoxville; honorary President of the Montreal Victorias for three of their Stanley Cup championships in the late 1890s, and Chief Counsel to the CPR at the inquest into the...
, would hold the position from 1926 to 1932.
Meredith’s friend Sir John Abbott, who had studied law under him and later became Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
, was a reluctant supporter of Canadian 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...
in 1866. Abbott feared that it would reduce the English-speaking inhabitants of 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...
to political impotence. Amongst others, he consulted with Meredith and Meredith’s former business partner, Christopher Dunkin
Christopher Dunkin
Christopher Dunkin, PC was a Canadian editor, lawyer, teacher, judge, and politician.Born in Walworth, London, England, the son of Summerhays Dunkin and Martha Hemming, he was educated at the University of London, the University of Glasgow, and Harvard University.He was first elected to the...
. They drafted a resolution calling on the government to protect the electoral borders of twelve English Quebec constituencies. Subsequently, Alexander Tilloch Galt
Alexander Tilloch Galt
Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt, GCMG, PC was a politician and a father of Canadian Confederation.He was born in Chelsea, England, the son of Scottish novelist and colonizer, John Galt, and Elizabeth Tilloch Galt. He was a cousin of Sir Hugh Allan.Alexander Galt is interred in the Mount Royal Cemetery...
endorsed the proposal, had the London Conference of 1866
London Conference of 1866
The London Conference was held in the United Kingdom and began on 4 December 1866, and it was the final in a series of conferences or debates that led to Canadian confederation in 1867. Sixteen delegates from the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick gathered with officials of the...
accept it, and included it as Article 80 of the British North America Act.
In 1866, following the death of one of Meredith's closest friends, Edward Bowen
Edward Bowen (politician)
Edward Bowen was an Irish-born lawyer, judge and political figure in Lower Canada. He was the 1st Chief Justice of the Superior Court for the Province of Quebec, and the 2nd Chancellor of Bishop's University.-Life:...
, Sir George-Étienne Cartier
George-Étienne Cartier
Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1st Baronet, PC was a French-Canadian statesman and Father of Confederation.The English spelling of the name, George, instead of Georges, the usual French spelling, is explained by his having been named in honour of King George III....
appointed him Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Superior Court
Superior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
for the Province of Quebec. Judge Caron
René-Édouard Caron
René-Édouard Caron was a Canadian politician, judge, and the second Lieutenant Governor of Quebec.Born in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Lower Canada, the son of Augustin Caron, a farmer, and Elizabeth Lessard, he studied at a Quebec seminary, the Petit Séminaire of Quebec, and studied law in André-Rémi...
rivalled him for the position, but the influential and affable D'Arcy McGee (then Minister of Agriculture), a close associate of Meredith's brother (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:...
), made a few favourable representations on Meredith’s behalf, easing the way for his appointment to the position.
In the years before his retirement he was the oldest judge on the Bench
Bench (law)
Bench in legal contexts means simply the location in a courtroom where a judge sits. The historical roots of that meaning come from the fact that judges formerly sat on long seats or benches when presiding over a court...
in 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...
, 'still going with his characteristic energy and ability'. Chief Justice Meredith finally retired for health reasons, in this his final office, October 1, 1884. The government did their best to keep him from resigning his post, but Meredith declined their offers to accept leave of absence with the understanding that his full salary would be paid and his resignation subsequently accepted. Two years later he was created a Knight Bachelor
Knight 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 Queen Victoria. Meredith had been as popular amongst the French as he was amongst the English, which was extremely rare for the time. This is made clear from an article written in the French journal L'Electeur at his retirement,
La retraite de M. le juge Meredith va creer un vif chagrin dans le barreau comme parmi le public. Jamais en effet un magistrat ne sut mieux se concilier leftie des avocats sans cesse en rapport avec lui et la confiance du public. Jurisconsulte eminent, magistrat dont la reputation d’honorabilite a toujours ete au-dessus du soupcon, bienveillent pour tout la monde, d’un politesse vraiment exquise, M. le juge en chef va laisser une vide bien difficile a remplir.
At his death, the ‘Legal News’ printed,
The late Chief Justice was a diligent advocate and judge, and conscientious and painstaking in the performance of every duty. The opinions delivered by him from the bench have always been cited with the greatest respect and many of them are models of what a judicial opinion should be. They excel in clearness, are ample without ceasing to be concise, and bring light and satisfaction to the reader
Family
William Collis Meredith was married at Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal, May 20, 1847, to Sophia Naters Holmes (1820–1898). She was the eldest daughter of 'the well-known and popular' William Edward Holmes (1796–1825), a Quebec surgeon, and a brother-in-law of Sydney Robert BellinghamSydney Robert Bellingham
Sydney Robert Bellingham 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.-Birth:...
. Mrs Meredith's mother, Ann (1788–1865), was a daughter of Lt.-Colonel James Johnston (1724–1800) J.P., formerly of Outbrecks/Outhrecks in Orkney, who came with General James Wolfe
James Wolfe
Major General James P. Wolfe was a British Army officer, known for his training reforms but remembered chiefly for his victory over the French in Canada...
to 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....
, where he settled, becoming a merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
. Sophia was a granddaughter of William Holmes (1762-1834)
William Holmes (1762-1834)
William Holmes M.D., J.P., of Quebec, was Surgeon-General to the British Forces in Canada.-Early life:Born at Stewartstown, County Tyrone , Holmes was the son of William Holmes 'the younger' of Bray Island, Donaghmore, County Tyrone, an Anglo-Irish officer in the British army...
, and her mother, Ann Johnston, was a cousin of James Irvine
James Irvine (Quebec businessman)
Lt.-Colonel The Hon. James Irvine J.P., M.P. was a businessman and political figure in Lower Canada.James Irvine was born in England in 1766, the son of Adam Irvine and Elizabeth , daughter of John Johnston , 4th laird of Outbrecks, Orkney...
and the widow of Captain Abraham Paul (1782–1814) R.A., nephew of Sir Joshua Paul (1748–1799) 1st Bt. of Paulville, County Carlow
County Carlow
County Carlow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Carlow, which lies on the River Barrow. Carlow County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Mrs Meredith was one of seven siblings and half-siblings on her mother's side, but other than her only two were married. Her brother, William Holmes, married a daughter of Colonel Bartholomew Gugy
Bartholomew Gugy
Bartholomew Conrad Augustus Gugy was a Seigneur and Political figure in Lower Canada who played a prominent military role in the Lower Canada Rebellion.-Early life:...
, and her half-sister, Eliza Paul, married Major Stephen Heward (1776–1828) J.P., brother-in-law of Sir John Robinson, 1st Baronet, of Toronto
Sir John Robinson, 1st Baronet, of Toronto
Sir John Beverley Robinson, 1st Baronet CB, was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Upper Canada.Robinson was born in 1791 at Berthier, Lower Canada, the son of Christopher Robinson, a United Empire Loyalist of one of the First Families of Virginia, whose grandfather came there in 1641 as...
.
The Merediths were the parents of ten children: (1) Sophia Elizabeth (1848–1927), married Henry Nicholas (Monck) Middleton (1845–1928) J.P., D.L., of Dissington Hall
Dissington Hall
Dissington Hall is a privately owned country mansion, now a wedding and conference centre, situated on the banks of the River Pont at North Dissington, Ponteland, Northumberland. It is a Grade II* listed building....
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, and later Lowood House, near Melrose, Scotland
Melrose, Scotland
Melrose is a small town and civil parish in the Scottish Borders, historically in Roxburghshire. It is in the Eildon committee area.-Etymology:...
, brother of Sir Arthur Middleton, 7th Baronet
Sir Arthur Middleton, 7th Baronet
Sir Arthur Edward Middleton, M.P., 7th Baronet was a British MP.He was born Arthur Edward Monck, the son of Charles Atticus Monck of Belsay Castle, Northumberland, by his wife Laura, daughter of Sir Mathew White Ridley 3rd Bt., M.P., of Blagdon Hall, Northumberland...
. Their son married a daughter of Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey
Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey
Albert Henry George Grey, 4th Earl Grey was a British nobleman and politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the ninth since Canadian Confederation....
(2) William Henry Meredith (1849–1895) 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...
, died unmarried (3) Matilda Anne Meredith (1851–1875) died unmarried at Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(4) Edward Graves Meredith (1852–1938) N.P., 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....
, married Isabella Agnes Housman (1858–1949), daughter of The Rev. George Vernon Housman (1820–1887), for 25 years Rector of Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral
Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral
Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral is a parish of the Anglican Church of Canada in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Diocese of Quebec was founded in 1793 and its first bishop, Dr. Jacob Mountain, gave his early attention to the erection of a cathedral. The completed building was consecrated on August...
, Quebec, by his wife Eliza Izza Maria Reeves (1823–1865) of Hanover Square, London
Hanover Square, London
Hanover Square, London, is a square in Mayfair, London W1, England, situated to the south west of Oxford Circus, the major junction where Oxford Street meets Regent Street....
. George Housman was the uncle of the poet Alfred Edward Housman, and the grandson of Thomas Shrawley Vernon of Hanbury Hall
Hanbury Hall
Hanbury Hall was built by the chancery lawyer Thomas Vernon in the early 18th century. Thomas Vernon was the great grandson of the first Vernon to come to Hanbury, Worcestershire, Rev Richard Vernon...
(5) Harriett (1854–1941) married Harry Stanley Smith (1850–1916) formerly a Quebec merchant from Seaforth near Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, who retired to Addington House, Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
. Grandparents of Berkeley Smith
Berkeley Smith
Berkeley Alexander Smith . Broadcaster and a senior figure in the television world for nearly 40 years.-Birth:...
(6) Hylda Graves (1856–1931) married George Hamilton Thomson (1857–1929) 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....
, grandson of George Hamilton
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...
(7) Richard Holmes Meredith (1858–1868), died young (8) Louisa (1860–1938) married her half first cousin, Lt.-Colonel Edward Hampden Turner Heward (1852–1930), whose brother married the sister of Lord Atholstan
Hugh Graham, 1st Baron Atholstan
Hugh Graham, 1st Baron Atholstan , was a Canadian newspaper publisher.-Biography:Born in Athelstan , Huntingdon County, Quebec, Graham was the son of Robert Walker Graham, a Scottish land owner, and his wife, Marion, daughter of Colonel Thomas McLeay Gardner.He was educated at the Huntingdon...
(9) Frederick Edmund Meredith
Frederick Edmund Meredith
Frederick Edmund Meredith K.C., D.C.L. was a Canadian lawyer and businessman, the 8th Chancellor of Bishop's University, Lennoxville; honorary President of the Montreal Victorias for three of their Stanley Cup championships in the late 1890s, and Chief Counsel to the CPR at the inquest into the...
(1862–1941) K.C., D.C.L. 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...
, married Anne Madeleine VanKoughnet (1863–1945), grand-daughter of Colonel Philip VanKoughnet
Philip VanKoughnet
Colonel The Hon. Philip VanKoughnet M.P. landowner, businessman and political figure in Upper Canada.- History of the name :...
(10) Evaline Bertha Meredith (1863–1868), died young.
Meredith frequently returned to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, either touring the continent with members of his family or visiting his relatives 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...
, notably members of the Allen, Bellingham, Collis, Drought, Eustace, Graves, MacDonnell, Mayne and Meredith families. Rather than their stepfather, he and the rest of his siblings regarded their uncle, The Rev. Richard MacDonnell, as a second father. In 1853, when visiting relatives in Ireland, 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:...
's wrote in his diary that ‘the doctor (as they referred to MacDonnell) spoke much of the splendid apples and cider William had sent him’. In return ‘the doctor’ insisted on opening bottle after bottle of claret
Claret
Claret is a name primarily used in British English for red wine from the Bordeaux region of France.-Usage:Claret derives from the French clairet, a now uncommon dark rosé and the most common wine exported from Bordeaux until the 18th century...
for Edmund, ‘to prove to William that it is now possible to find good claret in Ireland!’
Private life
On moving from their house in 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...
to Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
in 1849, the Merediths lived at 19 St. Ursule Street, a large, three storey, brick house with room for five live-in servants. In 1866 he built a summer house, 'Rosecliff' in the hamlet of St. Patrick, outside Rivière-du-Loup (where he owned 1400 acres (5.7 km²) of farmland). In Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
he owned three further houses and two barn stables. He kept five pleasure carriages, sleighs, two wagon-sleds, three horses and one milk cow. When he became financially independent in 1830, Meredith had purchased four village-town lots in the region of Romney, Kent, Upper Canada
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...
, that turned out to be an important investment in consequence of the railway that was later built there.
Frances (Feo) Monck, the sister-in-law of the then Governor-General Charles Stanley Monck
Charles Stanley Monck, 4th Viscount Monck
Charles Stanley Monck, 4th Viscount Monck, GCMG, PC was the last Governor General of the Province of Canada and the first Governor General of Canada after Canadian Confederation. Prior to Confederation he was concurrently Lieutenant Governor of both Canada West and Canada East...
, gave an unusually long account of a party - or ‘drum’ as it was known, given by Judge Meredith in her book, ‘My Canadian Leaves, An Account of a Visit to Canada, 1864–1865’ :
Dick and I, and Captain Pem. Are going, I hope, to-night to a ‘drum’ at Judge Meredith’s. . . . There was a very large party, and the house is large. I was much amused and talked to many people, among others to M. Duvergier-d’Hauranne, a young Frenchman, who is come over here to travel, and has brought a letter to the Governor-General from Lord Clarendon. His father was a well-known man in France under Louis Phillipe. My friend, Sir R.M. (Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell
Richard Graves MacDonnell
Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell KCMG CB was an Anglo-Irish lawyer, judge and colonial governor...
, William’s first cousin who spent a year in Canada as Governor of Nova Scotia in 1864) rushed to me, and asked me to walk about with him, and invited us to Government House (Nova Scotia)
Government House (Nova Scotia)
Government House of Nova Scotia is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, as well as that in Halifax of the Canadian monarch...
at H. (Halifax), which he told me was much finer and larger than ‘Spencer’s Wood’ (the Governor-General’s vice regal seat at Quebec). Lady M (Lady Blanche MacDonnell) and Dick flirted together for a long time; she is so pretty and pleasant. A Miss Tilstone sang - a handsome girl with a pretty voice. Then a Madame Taschereau sang - good voice; and then THE man sang, Mr Antoine Chartier de Lotbiniere Harwood
Antoine Chartier de Lotbinière Harwood
Antoine Chartier de Lotbinière Harwood was a Quebec lawyer and political figure. He represented Vaudreuil in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1867 to 1871....
(the great uncle of the wife of one of his grandsons), an M.P.P., half French. He has a very fine voice, and is a pupil of Garcia’s. He was offered an engagement at the Italian Opera, London. The large rooms were too small for his voice, which wants modulation. I got quite giddy with the loudness of it ! He sang from operas; he wants expression and more teaching. Judge Meredith introduced him to me, and he sang again, for me !
Obituaries
Chief Justice Meredith was ‘a gentleman with exemplary charm and manners’, and ‘a man of fine scholarly attainments.’ He possessed ‘troops’ of friends and was ‘held in the highest respect in the City and Province of Quebec, by all classes of the community’ and even more extraordinary for the time, was described as being as popular amongst the French as the English. This is noticeably apparent in an article written about him in ‘L’Opinion Publique’ on 10 July 1879 :
Le Juge-en-Chef est l’urbanite meme, il est attentive comme un Francais de l’ancien regime. A cette grande affabilite qui n’est nulle part plus appreciable que sur le banc d’un tribunal. Le Juge Meredith joint un savoir etendu, un tact parfait, un judgement tres sur. Il voit au fond s’egarent, les avocats qui brouillent les faits, aux elements fondamentaux dont il faut s’inspirer pour retrouver la verite. Tout cela avec infiniment de benevolence et toutes les formes de la politesse.
‘Esteemed for his high character, wide knowledge and amiable disposition’, ‘his lofty conception of duty, his great learning, and his gentleness of character commanded the admiration and affection of the bench and bar of Quebec.’ Sir William Colles Meredith died February 26, 1894, aged eighty two after a short illness, and he was buried with many of his family at Mount Hermon Cemetery, Quebec. Part of the inscription on his gravestone reads, '...Thoughtful consideration for others marked all his acts and made bright his daily walk through life.'
