Charles Meredith

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charles Meredith (December 17, 1854 - January 7, 1928) of Montreal. Canadian Banker and President of the Montreal Stock Exchange and C. Meredith & Co.

Born in Westminster Township, Upper Canada (now the Province of Ontario), he was the seventh son of John Walsingham Cooke Meredith (1809-1881) J.P., of London, an Irishman who'd settled in Upper Canada, by his wife Sarah (1819-1900), daughter of Anthony Pegler, a native of Gloucestershire who'd also emigrated to Canada.

Charles started his business career with the Merchant’s Bank, rising to the position of manager of the Western branches at Regina and Brandon. In 1887 he came to Montreal, where he purchased a seat on the stock exchange. With this he formed C. Meredith & Co. Ltd, which soon became well-known in Montreal, later changing it’s name to the United Financial Corporation Ltd. He was President of both of these companies until they amalgamated with the National City Company.

In 1902 he was elected President of the Montreal Stock Exchange, a position he held until 1905. In 1910 he became President of Hillcress Collier Ltd, and was a director of the British and Colonial Press Service, as well as being a member of the Board of Arbitration and the Montreal Board of Trade.

Charles worked on the exchange for nearly twenty years, and at his retirement was one of its oldest members. His business was largely of an investment class. He discouraged speculative ventures on the part of his clients, and his reputation in financial circles was one of the highest integrity.

Because of his failing health, Meredith was forced to retire from business life in 1924. However he still maintained a considerable financial interest and friendly connection with the firm of his successors as stock and bond brokers, Crutchlow, Dean and Co.

Charles Meredith was married in 1893 to Elspeth Hudson (1858-1936), daughter of Richard Bladworth Angus (1831-1922), President of the Bank of Montreal, from 1910 to 1913. As a wedding present Richard Angus bought the newly-weds a house known as ‘The Gatehouse’ (which still stands as part of the McGill Faculty of Law) on Peel Street. They later employed the services of the architect Edward Maxwell to build them a house on Pine Avenue, now known as 'Charles Meredith House', and a country house near Senneville.

In his earlier years Charles had been an athlete of renown. He was a good rower and boxer, and very fond of outdoor exercise of all descriptions. He loved to fish for salmon and was an excellent shot too.

Charles was exceedingly fond of flowers. He kept a well-stocked conservatory in his Montreal house (where on one occasion he chose to have his portrait taken) and always looked forward to the summer at his country house at Ste.-Anne-de-Bellevue (Senneville) where he could spend as much of the season as possible gardening. His knowledge of gardening and tree culture was said to be comparable to a good professional gardener.

He maintained a lively interest in world events until the close of his life, becoming something of a kindly philosopher, understanding mankind as it is given few men to understand their fellows. He found the world a good place in which to live, and was at peace with things as he found them, though ever alert to make improvements where possible and wise... Meredith, ‘the popular stockbroker’, was a benefactor of Montreal in many ways, assisting in all leading movements for its betterment, and he gave liberally to the causes of charity.

He and his wife are buried at Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal, next to his brother Vincent Meredith and cousin Frederick Edmund Meredith.