William Workman (politician)

William Workman

William Workman (born May 1807 in Ballymacash , County Antrim , Ireland , † February 23, 1878 in Montreal ) was an Irish - Canadian politician , businessman and banker . He was a partner in Frothingham & Workman , Canada's largest hardware company, as well as president of Montreal City Bank and a railroad investor. From 1868 to 1871 he was mayor of Montreal.

Life

Frothingham & Workman logo

Nothing is known about Workman's training. From 1827 he was employed by the Ordnance Survey of Ireland . His five older brothers emigrated to Lower Canada and settled in Montreal ; he himself followed in 1829 with the rest of the family. First he worked for the Canadian Courant and Montreal Advertiser , and in 1830 he moved to the Frothingham trading house with his brother Thomas . Both brothers were equal partners from 1836, which suggests a substantial equity stake. The company Frothingham & Workman not only imported goods, but also manufactured hardware in its own factories which employed several hundred workers . Workman remained in the company that grew to become the largest in the industry in Canada until 1859.

Workman married Elizabeth Bethell in 1831 and had eight children with her, but only two daughters reached adulthood. His business activities were varied, from the 1840s he was considered very wealthy. He invested in the Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad , the first Canadian railroad, opened in 1836 , and was a director. When the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad was taken over by the Grand Trunk Railway in 1854 , he was one of the major shareholders. In 1842 he had a stately home built in the city center, which he called Mount Prospect ; in the western part of the city he owned extensive properties. From 1849 to 1874 he was President of the Montreal City Bank. In 1854 he entered the shipping industry and founded the Canadian Ocean Steam Navigation Company with business partners . A year later he bought two large steamers for trading on the St. Lawrence River .

In his capacity as banker and chairman of the Association to Promote Canadian Industry, Workman advocated high tariffs. He opposed Treasury Secretary Alexander Tilloch Galt's intention to lower tariffs, as he believed that this would endanger Canadian industry and drive many workers into poverty. Workman, who supported numerous local charities, ran for Mayor of Montreal in 1868. His opponent Jean-Louis Beaudry accused him of corruption, which initially led to Workman's exclusion. The allegations proved to be baseless, which is why he was re-admitted as a candidate and clearly prevailed against Beaudry. Innovations during his tenure included the daily garbage collection and the construction of municipal slaughterhouses. He also campaigned for Île Sainte-Hélène and Mont Royal to be declared public parks.

Web links

• William Workman . In: Dictionary of Canadian Biography . 24 volumes, 1966–2018. University of Toronto Press, Toronto ( English , French ).
• Biography on the website of the city administration (French)