Captain William Watson Ogilvie (15 February 1835 – 12 January 1900), commanded a division of the
Royal Montreal Cavalry during the
Fenian Raids. He and his two brothers,
Alexander
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
and
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
, are remembered for their pioneering work in the Canadian milling trade and as pioneers and believers in the success of the
Canadian West
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada– ...
.
Early years
William Watson Ogilvie was born at his father's farm at Cote St. Michel, near
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 ...
. He was the third son of Alexander Ogilvie (1779–1858), founder of the Ogilvie
Flour
Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...
Mills, and his wife Helen (1793–1863), daughter of John Watson, a businessman engaged in the flour industry at
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 ...
, and Helen Walker. The Ogilvies and the Watsons had known one another in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. William's grandfather, Archibald Ogilvie (1750–1820), had been a prosperous farmer at Arnieve, near
Gargunnock
Gargunnock is a small village in the Stirling council area, west of Stirling, in Scotland. The census population was 912. It is situated on the south edge of the Carse of Stirling, at the foot of the Gargunnock Hills, part of the Campsie Fells ...
on the
River Forth
The River Forth is a major river in central Scotland, long, which drains into the North Sea on the east coast of the country. Its drainage basin covers much of Stirlingshire in Scotland's Central Belt. The Gaelic name for the upper reach of th ...
, but seeing little future for his children in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
sold his farms and with £2,000 took his family to
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 ...
. Arriving there in 1800, he purchased a large property at
Howick on the
Chateauguay River
The Chateauguay River (or Chateaugay River in the United States, moh, Oshahrhè:’onKaronhí:io Delaronde and Jordan Engel, The Decolonial Atlas, Haudenosaunee Country in Mohawk, February 4, 201Link/ref>) is a tributary of the South Shore of th ...
. William was educated privately at the
High School of Montreal
The High School of Montreal was an English-language high school founded in 1843, serving Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the area eventually known as the Golden Square Mile. It was less formally known as Montreal High School and from 1853 to 1870 was ...
and afterwards served an apprenticeship in the family's milling business. Like his two brothers, he joined the
Royal Montreal Cavalry in 1857. By 1866, he had assumed command of the regiment and defended
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
in the
Fenian Raids.
OGILVIE, WILLIAM WATSON, militia officer and businessman
in Dictionary of Canadian Biography
The ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography'' (''DCB''; french: Dictionnaire biographique du Canada) is a dictionary of biographical entries for individuals who have contributed to the history of Canada. The ''DCB'', which was initiated in 1959, is a ...
, volume 12 (University of Toronto/Université Laval), online at biographi.ca
Ogilvie Flour Mills
His brother expanded the family's flour mills and renamed the firm A. W. Ogilvie & Co., of Montreal. William joined his brothers, Alex and John, as a partner in May 1860. In 1868 William, accompanied by his brother Alexander Walker Ogilvie, travelled to Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
to inspect the latest milling processes and adopted them into their own mills to produce a superior grade of flour. By 1872, the company was expanding into Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
. When Alex entered politics, William succeeded him running the firm from Montreal. The Ogilvies shipped their first load of wheat from Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
in 1877 and for the next decade dominated the grain trade
The grain trade refers to the local and international trade in cereals and other food grains such as wheat, barley, maize, and rice. Grain is an important trade item because it is easily stored and transported with limited spoilage, unlike other ...
of western Canada, which was experiencing an agricultural boom. They built a mill at Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
in 1882.
They made an agreement with William Cornelius Van Horne
Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, (February 3, 1843September 11, 1915) is most famous for overseeing the construction of the first Canadian transcontinental railway, a project that was completed in 1885, in under half the projected time. He succe ...
and formed a monopoly with the Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...
in exporting grain from Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
. By 1884 alone, this brought them a profit of $50,000. Manitoban producers complained, but the Ogilvies monopoly continued with the growth of the Canadian West
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada– ...
. A worker at their Montreal mill recalled William Ogilvie: "He was a fine figure of a man, tall, with a keen face and impressive sideburns, the very cut of a cavalry officer. He led his millers a merry life – always hiring, discharging and re-hiring them." Ogilvie assumed total control of the company after his brother John died in 1888. By the turn of the century he had made the firm the largest milling company in the dominion with a worldwide reputation for producing high-quality flour.
Ogilvie was the president of the Montreal Board of Trade
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...
in 1893 and 1894, and a member of its council for six years. He was also a director of the 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 ...
, the Montreal Transportation Company, the North British and Mercantile Insurance Company, and a founding director of the Royal Trust Company. A generous philanthropist, he supported numerous charities and institutions across Canada including McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
and the Winnipeg General Hospital
Winnipeg General Hospital is a hospital that was founded in 1872 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was built on the estate of Andrew McDermot. The driving force behind the hospital was McDermott's son-in-law Andrew Bannatyne
Andrew Graham Ballenden Banna ...
. In politics, he was a member of the Conservative party. He campaigned for his brother Alexander Walker's appointment to the Senate in 1881, noting in a letter to Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald the past loyalty of the Ogilvie family to the party. He made substantial contributions at election time and favoured Macdonald's National Policy.
Family and Private Life
In 1871, William Ogilvie married Helen Johnston, daughter of Joseph Johnston of Beauchamps House, near Paisley, Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. By 1872, Ogilvie had purchased Rosemount House 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 ...
, the former residence of Sir John Rose, 1st Baronet
Sir John Rose, 1st Baronet (2 August 1820 – 24 August 1888) was a Scots-Quebecer politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada and the Executive Council of the Province of Canada. After Confederation, h ...
. William Watson Ogilvie died in 1900 a very wealthy man, leaving property, not including the value of his holdings in the mills, valued at $1,431,401, with $284,832 still owed to him from various debtors. His collection of 118 water-colours were valued alone at $24,000. The Ogilvies were the parents of six children, of whom four survived to adulthood.
*Major Albert Edward 'Bertie' Ogilvie (1875–1948), of Rosemount and Grey Gables, Saraguay; President of the Montreal General Hospital
The Montreal General Hospital (MGH) (french: Hôpital Général de Montréal) is a hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada established in the years 1818-1820. The hospital received its charter in 1823. It is currently part of the McGill University ...
and the Ogilvie Milling Company (1900–1902). He married Caro Bigelow, daughter of Dr. Thomas Chalmers Brainerd of Montreal, the largest explosives manufacturer in Canada, President of the Hamilton Powder Company and the Dominion Cartridge Company, the Hamilton Powder Company being the principal forerunner of C.I.L. They were the parents of a daughter, Helen Brainerd, and three sons, Lt.-Col. William Watson, Bartlett McLennan, and Ian.
*William Watson Ogilvie (1876–1906), died unmarried.
*Colonel Gavin Lang 'Guy' Ogilvie (1881–1975), educated at Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...
. He married Mary Bell Gzowski, granddaughter of Sir Casimir Gzowski. Their daughter, Mary Elizabeth ('Betty'), married Brigadier-General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
John Meredith Cape, son of Edmund Graves Meredith Cape.
*Alice Helen Ogilvie (1885–1952).
References
*
History of the Ogilvies of Montreal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ogilvie, William Watson
1835 births
1900 deaths
Canadian military personnel
High School of Montreal alumni
Bishop's College School alumni
Bishop's College School Faculty
People from Montreal
Anglophone Quebec people
Burials at Mount Royal Cemetery
Canadian people of Scottish descent