A Gentleman of Substance covers the remarkable life of John Redpath. Born to humble circumstances in Scotland in 1796, he emigrated to Canada in 1816 to become a stonemason in Montreal. By 1818 he had his own building and contracting firm and was working on the Lachine Canal as well as much construction and restoration work on buildings in Montreal. His work on the Rideau Canal, as contracted by Colonel John By, established his business reputation, while his leadership within the Presbyterian Church stabilized his position in the community. His involvement in the political and military life of Montreal is traced from before the 1837 Rebellion period through to his involvement with the Annexation Movement, making him an obvious candidate for the Montreal City Council.
The author traces John Redpath’s upwardly mobile social status, his friendship with Peter McGill, and his acceptance into the elite society of Montreal, earning him a place within the coveted “Square Mile.” Despite a rigorous business schedule and extensive family responsibilities (he fathered 17 children), he was a frequent benevolent contributor to community needs, as well as participating on numerous Boards and Committees and contributing to the shaping of the urban design of Montreal. Attention is given to his expansive home, Terrace Bank, the subsequent subdivision of his estate and the early residential expansion of Montreal, and to his founding of the Canada Sugar Refinery and its growth.
Authors
- Bibliography, etc. Note
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 138-139) and index
- Control Number Identifier
- CaOOCEL
- Dewey Decimal Classification Number
- 338.092
- Dewey Decimal Edition Number
- 22
- General Note
- Originally published: Toronto, Ont. : Natural Heritage/Natural History, c2004 Issued as part of the desLibris books collection
- Geographic Area Code
- n-cn-qu
- ISBN
- 1896219926 9781770704411
- LCCN
- F1054.5.M853
- LCCN Item number
- R34 2004eb
- Modifying agency
- CaBNVSL
- Original cataloging agency
- CaBNVSL
- Physical Description | Extent
- 1 electronic text (44 p.)
- Published in
- Canada
- Publisher or Distributor Number
- CaOOCEL
- Rights
- Access restricted to authorized users and institutions
- System Control Number
- (CaBNVSL)thg00603327 (OCoLC)696033998 (CaOOCEL)410758
- System Details Note
- Mode of access: World Wide Web
- Transcribing agency
- CaBNVSL
Table of Contents
- Contents 4
- Aknowledgements 5
- Introduction 6
- Chapter 1 From the Old World to the New 8
- Chapter 2 A New Life in a New Land 18
- Chapter 3 Working in the Wilderness 26
- Chapter 4 A Tragic Loss and a New Beginning 40
- Chapter 5 Defending Against Rebellion and a New Home 46
- Chapter 6 We Stand on Guard 58
- Chapter 7 Interlude 68
- Chapter 8 Changing Fortunes 76
- Chapter 9 Realist, Reformer, Reactionary or Revolutionary? 84
- Chapter 10 A New Direction 90
- Chapter 11 A Gentleman of Substance 100
- Chapter 12 But What Happened to ...? 118
- Epilogue 124
- Appendix A: The John Redpath Family 125
- Appendix B: Excerpt from "Representation upon the Legislative Union of Upper and Lower Canada" 130
- Appendix C: Excerpt from "When I Was a Little Girl" by Lily Dougall 131
- Appendix D: Excerpt from Charles Buller's Journal 133
- Appendix E: Excerpt from the "Montreal Annexation Manifesto" of 1849 134
- Notes 136
- Selected Bibliography 139
- Index 141
- A 141
- B 141
- C 141
- D 141
- E 142
- F 142
- G 142
- H 142
- I 142
- J 142
- K 142
- L 142
- M 142
- N 143
- O 143
- P 143
- Q 143
- R 143
- S 144
- T 144
- U 144
- V 144
- W 144
- Y 144
- About the Author 145
