Sir Vincent Meredith (1850-1929)
1st Bt., of Montreal; President of the Bank of Montreal, etc.
He born and brought up in London, Ontario, and named for Gen. John Vincent, the distinguished uncle of his father's aunt. 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 at "Ardvana" (see images), Pine Avenue, Montreal, and his widow kept a 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.
