Sir George Alexander Drummond, (11 October 1829 – 2 February 1910) was a

Scottish-Canadian Scottish Canadians are people of Scottish people, Scottish descent or cultural heritage, heritage living in Canada. As the third-largest ethnic group in Canada and amongst the first Europeans to settle in the country, Scottish people have made a ...

businessman and senator.

Life and career

Born in 1829 at

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, he was a younger son of the entrepreneurial

stonemason Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. It is one of the oldest activities and professions in human history. Many of the long-lasting, ancient shelters, temples, mo ...

building contractor A general contractor, main contractor or prime contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and the communication of information to all involved parties throughout the course of ...

and

city councillor A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural council ...

, George Drummond, by his wife Margaret Pringle (b.c.1790). Drummond studied

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1582 ...

before coming to

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

in 1854 to work for his brother-in-law,

John Redpath John Redpath (1796 – March 5, 1869) was a Scots-Quebecer businessman and philanthropist who helped pioneer the industrial movement that made Montreal, Quebec the largest and most prosperous city in Canada. Early years In 1796, John Redpa ...

, at

Redpath Sugar Redpath Sugar Ltd. (french: Sucre Redpath Ltée) is a Canadian sugar refining company that was established in 1854 and the first refining cane sugar in Montreal, Quebec. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario (with an additional packaging plant in Bel ...

.A Gentleman of Substance: The Life and Legacy of John Redpath (1796-1869) by Richard Feltoe He married

's daughter, becoming a co-director of the family business with

Peter Redpath Peter Redpath (August 1, 1821 – February 1, 1894) was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist, closely associated with Redpath Sugar. Biography Redpath was born in Montreal, Lower Canada, the son of a Scottish immigrant, John Redpath, a ...

, John's son. After the death of his first wife in 1884, he re-married Grace Parker, widow of the Rev. George Hamilton (brother of John Hamilton). Lady Drummond served as the first president of the Montreal National Council of Women of Canada (http://www.mcw-cfm.org/history.htm), as well as President and co-founding member of the Women's Canadian Club. She is most famously known for her work with the Red Cross. (http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/collection/artifacts/M988.98.2) In 1888, he was summoned to the

Senate of Canada The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The Senate is modelled after the B ...

, representing the senatorial division of Kennebec,

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

. He served until his death in 1910. From 1887 to 1896, he was a vice-president at

Bank of Montreal The Bank of Montreal (BMO; french: Banque de Montréal, link=no) is a Canadian multinational investment bank and financial services company. The bank was founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1817 as Montreal Bank; while its head office remains in ...

and then served as its president, first as the ''de facto'' president from 1897 and officially starting in 1905. He helped found the St. Margaret's Home for Incurables in 1894, purchasing the house that had previously been built for Sir

William Collis Meredith Sir William Collis Meredith, (23 May 1812 – 26 February 1894) was Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec, Superior Court for the Province of Quebec from 1866 to 1884. In 1844, he was offered but refused the positions of Solicitor General ...

. As a member of the Citizen's League, he sought to improve life in

, and he served as president of the

Royal Edward Institute Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a c ...

, a dispensary for the prevention of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

, founded in 1909 by Jeffrey Hale Burland (1861–1914). His recreations were mirrored in other positions he held, including as the first president of the

Royal Canadian Golf Association The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA), branded as Golf Canada, is the governing body of golf in Canada. Beginnings Golf Canada was founded on June 6, 1895, as the ''Canadian Golf Association'' at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club. The Royal prefi ...

(1895) and president of the

Art Association of Montreal The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA; french: Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, MBAM) is an art museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the largest art museum in Canada by gallery space. The museum is located on the historic Golden Square ...

. He was made a Knight Commander of the

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

in 1904 and a Commander of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

in 1908. He and his wife built a house on Sherbrooke Street in Montreal's

Golden Square Mile / ''Mille carré doré'' , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = List of neighbourhoods in Montreal, Neighbourhood , image_skyline = Ravenscrag.jpg , image_alt = , image_caption = ''Rave ...

. They also kept a summer home (Gads Hill) at Cacouna, Quebec and an estate (Huntlywood), in the part of the Island of Montreal now known as

Beaconsfield Beaconsfield ( ) is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Buckinghamshire, England, west-northwest of central London and south-southeast of Aylesbury. Three other towns are within : Gerrards Cross, Amersham and High W ...

, where they raised pure-breds and kept a private golf course for their friends. He died in 1910 and is buried in

Mount Royal Cemetery Opened in 1852, Mount Royal Cemetery is a terraced cemetery on the north slope of Mount Royal in the borough of Outremont in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Temple Emanu-El Cemetery, a Reform Judaism burial ground, is within the Mount Royal grounds. Th ...

Electoral record

File:Tomb of George Alexander Drummond.jpg File:Detail of George Alexander Drummond's tomb.jpg File:George Alexander Drummond plaque.jpg

References

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External links

Photograph:George A. Drummond, 1874
- McCord Museum
Photograph:George A. Drummond, 1891
- McCord Museum
Photograph:Senator Sir George Drummond, 1900
- McCord Museum
Photograph:George Drummond's House on Sherbrooke Street, Montreal, 1891
- McCord Museum
Photograph:George Drummond's House on Sherbrooke Street, Montreal, circa 1890
- McCord Museum {{DEFAULTSORT:Drummond, George Alexander 1829 births 1910 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Anglophone Quebec people Businesspeople from Edinburgh Canadian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Canadian senators from Quebec Candidates in the 1872 Canadian federal election Canadian Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) senators Pre-Confederation Canadian businesspeople Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Quebec

George Alexander Drummond Sir George Alexander Drummond, (11 October 1829 – 2 February 1910) was a Scottish-Canadian businessman and senator. Life and career Born in 1829 at Edinburgh, he was a younger son of the entrepreneurial stonemason, building contracto ...

Bank of Montreal presidents Immigrants to the Province of Canada Burials at Mount Royal Cemetery 19th-century Scottish businesspeople