William Workman

William Workman ( MAY 1807 in Ballymacash in Lisburn, County Antrim, Ireland, † February 23, 1878 in Montreal ) was an Irish- Canadian politician, businessman and banker. He was a partner of Frothingham & Workman, the largest iron goods company in Canada, also president of the Montreal City Bank and railroad investor. From 1868 to 1871 he served as mayor of Montreal.

Biography

About workmans training is not known. From 1827 he was employed by the state survey agency, 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. He first worked for the newspaper Canadian Courant and Montreal Advertiser, in 1830, he moved along with his brother Thomas to trading house Frothingham. Both brothers were equal partners in 1836, suggesting a substantial equity stake. The company Frothingham & Workman imported not only goods, but placed in its own factories where hundreds of workers were employed, hardware manufactures. Workman remained until 1859 at the company that became the largest in the industry in Canada, involved.

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

In his capacity as a banker and chairman of the Association for the Advancement of Canadian industry, Workman called for high protective tariffs. He opposed the intention of Treasury Secretary Alexander Galt Tilloch to reduce customs tariffs, as this would jeopardize his opinion, the Canadian industry and push many workers into poverty. Workman, who supported numerous local charities, ran in 1868 as mayor of Montreal. His opponent Jean -Louis Beaudry accusing him of corruption, which initially led to the exclusion Workmans. The allegations proved to be unfounded, for which he was re-admitted as a candidate and clearly prevailed against Beaudry. Innovations during his tenure included the daily garbage collection and the establishment of urban slaughterhouses. He also advocated to explain the Île Sainte -Hélène and Mont Royal to public parks.