Redpath, John

John Redpath was born in 1796 in Earlston, Berwickshire, Scotland . According to surviving records, he was the son of Peter Redpath, a farm worker and his second wife, Elizabeth Pringle, from the neighboring village of Gordon. ^[1] Redpath was born during the clearing of Nova Scotia, which created economic difficulties for many Scottish families. Thus, after working for some time as a bricklayer with George Drummond in Edinburgh , the twenty-year-old Redpath emigrated to Canada .

In 1816, with virtually no money, Redpath landed in Quebec , after which he headed to Montreal . Once there, he used the trading skills gained back in Scotland to get a job in the construction industry . In November of that year, Redpath first installed oil street lamps in the city on Saint-Paul Street .

An honest, hardworking person with a keen business sense, Redpat launches his own construction business in a few years. He is involved in large projects, such as the construction of the Lachin Canal and some castles, which greatly influenced the commercial development of Montreal.

Following the construction of the Lachin Canal, Montreal’s trading capabilities increased significantly, making the city one of North America ’s largest ports. Since the land along the canal belonged to the Catholic Church , this land was unused and remained unused for another twenty years, while Redpath and other businessmen were still able to acquire land along the canal. As a result, the land began to be actively developed, on the canal, banks began to build new large industrial enterprises, since the canal is a ready-made natural source of water that can be used in the manufacturing sector.

John Redpath's success in channel construction led to other major projects; Redpath began working with Thomas Mackay to build the Jones Falls ( Ontario ) castle on the huge Rideau Canal (project 1827 - 1828). In addition, Redpath built Notre Dame Cathedral and the first buildings of McGill University .

Redpath Sugar soon became a city-forming enterprise, annually for several years annually processing about 7,000 tons of sugar imported from the West Indies. The company was originally called Canada Sugar Refining Co., but after the son of John Redpath Peter ( 1821 - 1894 ) joined the business, the company name changed to John Redpath & Son. Four years later, in 1861, Redpath Sr.'s son-in-law Alexander George Drummond ( 1829 - 1910 ) joined the company.

In addition to its own industrial enterprises, Redpath, invested a lot of money in many others, which greatly helped the Montreal economy. In addition to his own cargo ships, which were in the service of the sugar factory, he invested in a Montreal towing company. Redpath also helped fund the Montreal Telegraph Company and the Montreal Fire Insurance Company, acting as the director of both. He also allocated significant funds for the development of the economy of the Eastern Cantons .

As a result, in 1833, Redpath was invited to the Board of Directors of the Bank of Montreal , to the post, which he will give 36 years. Canada has always had a small population, and at the beginning of the 19th century this meant that a small population caused limited resources. Since business development is still heavily dependent on financing from the London Stock Exchange , Redpath understands the need to begin a long process of developing its own capital markets. In fact, Redpath was the founder of the Montreal Investment Association, the forerunner of the Montreal Stock Exchange.

Redpat first married in 1818 to Janet McPhee, a native of Glengari, Ontario, all in all, they had ten children. In 1835, a year after the death of his first wife, Redpath married 20-year-old Jane Drummond, all in all, the couple had seven children. Redpath built a large house overlooking Montreal on the slopes of Mount Royal .

After his death in 1869 , Redpath was buried at Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal.

1. ↑ A Gentleman of Substance: The Life and Legacy of John Redpath (1796-1869) By Richard Feltoe

Richard Feltoe (2004). A Gentleman of Substance - The Life and Legacy of John Redpath (1796-1869) . Toronto: Natural Heritage / Natural HistoryISBN 1-896219-92-6.