Sir Vincent Meredith (1850-1929)
1st Bt., of Montreal; President of the Bank of Montreal
He was born and brought up in London, Ontario. He was President (1913-27) and Chairman (1927-29) of the Bank of Montreal; President of the Royal Trust Company; President of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal; Governor of McGill University; a founding member of the Canadian Mental Health Association; co-founder of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Montreal; co-founder of the Mount Royal Club; and, President of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. In 1916, he was created a Baronet by King George V for his wartime services to Canada and the British Empire. In 1888, he married Brenda, the youngest daughter of Andrew Allan, Chairman of the Allan Steamship Line, and a first cousin of Sir Montagu Allan, of Ravenscrag. They lived between "Ardvana" (see images), Pine Avenue, Montreal, and their summer home at Mont Saint-Bruno, Quebec. They died without children. In addition to various donations gifted during his lifetime, in his will he left $600,000 to charity and he established the still extant "Sir Vincent Meredith Fund" at the Bank of Montreal to relieve female employees in financial distress.
