Sir John Craig Eaton (April 28, 1876 – March 30, 1922) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

businessman and a member of the prominent Eaton family.

Life and career

He was born in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Ontario, the youngest son of

department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...

magnate

Timothy Eaton Timothy Eaton (March 1834 – 31 January 1907) was an Irish businessman who founded the Eaton's department store, one of the most important retail businesses in Canada's history. Early life and family He was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, ...

and his wife, Margaret Wilson Beattie. He married Flora McCrea in 1901, and they had six children: Timothy Craig, John David, Edgar Allison, Gilbert McCrea, Florence Mary, and Evlyn (

adopted Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...

). In 1905, weeks after laying the final stone at the new store at the corner of Portage and Donald in Winnipeg, John Craig (aka 'Jack') participated in several automobile races, successfully lowering the 5-mile record driving a Packard. He didn't appear to race again after 1905, but his grandson,

George Eaton George Ross Eaton (born 12 November 1945) is a Canadian former racing driver who is a member of the prominent Eaton family. Life and career Eaton was born in Toronto, he is the youngest son of John and Signy Eaton. He gained attention as a Can ...

inherited not only the family business, but also the racing gene. Upon the death of his father in 1907, he inherited five million dollars and the

T. Eaton Company The T. Eaton Company Limited, later known as Eaton's, was a Canadian department store chain that was once the largest in the country. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an immigrant from what is now Northern Ireland. Eaton's grew ...

. He became its president at this time, and the company flourished under his control. He greatly influenced the company and expanded the stores nationally. He built

Ardwold Ardwold was the residence of Sir John Craig Eaton and Lady Eaton of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Sir John was the youngest son of Timothy Eaton, the founder of the T. Eaton Company Department Store, or Eaton's, and he inherited the business and becam ...

, an enormous residence of 50 rooms in Toronto, beginning in 1909 and finishing in 1911. He also acquired a resort home from his mother in

Oakville, Ontario Oakville is a town in Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton Region, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Lake Ontario between Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton. At its Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census population of 213,759, it is List of tow ...

, called the Raymar Estate (the estate has since disappeared). In 1915, Eaton was made a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...

in recognition of his participation in the

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

effort. He thus became Sir John Craig Eaton, and his wife was known as Lady Eaton. He was a noted

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

. Perhaps his most lavish public contribution was the gift, made together with his mother, of land and funds for a large

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

church on St Clair Avenue in Toronto. Named

Timothy Eaton Memorial Church Timothy Eaton Memorial Church is a church located at 230 St. Clair Avenue West in Forest Hill, Toronto, Forest Hill, Toronto, Ontario. Originally Methodist Church, Canada, Methodist, since 1925, it has belonged to the United Church of Canada. The ...

after his father, it was constructed in 1912–14. He also made many donations to

Omemee, Ontario Omemee is a community within the city of Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada, formerly known as Victoria County. Located on Ontario Highway 7, which is the Trans-Canada Highway, Omemee is one of the communities in the Kawartha Lakes, as the proclaim ...

, the home town of his wife Flora. These donations included Coronation Hall (1911), and the manse and organ for Trinity United Church. He died of pneumonia following influenza in 1922 at the age of 45, and his cousin

Robert Young Eaton Robert Young "R.Y." Eaton (1875–1956) was a Canadian businessman and a member of the prominent Eaton family. He was a nephew of Timothy Eaton, the founder of Eaton's department store. Life and career He was born in 1875 to John and Margaret ( ...

became president of the company until Sir John's son,

John David Eaton John David Eaton (4 October 1909 – 4 August 1973) was a Canadian businessman and a member of the prominent Eaton family (Toronto), Eaton family. He was the second son of Sir John Craig Eaton and Flora Eaton, Lady Eaton of Toronto, Ontario. He w ...

, reached an appropriate age to take over. Sir John's grandson,

John Craig Eaton II John Craig Eaton II (born May 30, 1937, in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian philanthropist and former businessman who is a member of the prominent Eaton family. Family and career He is the great-grandson of Timothy Eaton, founder of the former ...

, served as chairman of Eaton's in its later years.

References

External links

John Craig Eaton and Flora McCrea Eaton fonds
Archives of Ontario {{DEFAULTSORT:Eaton, John

John Eaton John Eaton may refer to: * John Eaton (divine) (born 1575), English divine *John Eaton (pirate) (fl. 1683–1686), English buccaneer *Sir John Craig Eaton (1876–1922), Canadian businessman *John Craig Eaton II (born 1937), Canadian businessman an ...

1876 births 1922 deaths Deaths from influenza Canadian Methodists Canadian businesspeople in retailing Canadian Knights Bachelor Canadian people of Ulster-Scottish descent Canadian socialites Businesspeople from Toronto Upper Canada College alumni Deaths from pneumonia in Ontario

Life and career

See also

References

External links