Hollis Smith
Encyclopedia
Hollis Smith was a businessman and political figure in Canada East
, now part of the Canadian province of Quebec
.
in 1800 and grew up in Hatley Township
in Lower Canada
. He settled near Lennoxville
, first as a farmer, then later opening a general store
.
He then opened stores at Compton
and Eaton (now part of Cookshire-Eaton
). He also acquired land and worked with Alexander Tilloch Galt
of the British American Land Company to build a road to open up access to the Eastern Townships
.
Smith supported the Montreal Annexation Manifesto
of 1849. He helped establish Bishop's College
and was a partner in the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad
and the Sherbrooke Cotton Factory.
In 1856, he moved his residence to Sherbrooke, where he was secretary for the Mutual Fire Insurance Company. In 1856, he was elected to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
for Wellington district. Originally a Liberal, he declared himself an Independent in 1857 and a Conservative in 1858.
He died in Sherbrooke in 1863, after an attack of apoplexy
.
His daughter Susan Selina married Alexander Manning
, a mayor of Toronto
.
Canada East
Canada East was the eastern portion of the United Province of Canada. It consisted of the southern portion of the modern-day Canadian Province of Quebec, and was primarily a French-speaking region....
, now part of the Canadian province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.
Biography
Smith was born in Plainfield, New HampshirePlainfield, New Hampshire
Plainfield is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 2,364. The town is home to the Helen Woodruff Smith Bird Sanctuary and Annie Duncan State Forest....
in 1800 and grew up in Hatley Township
Hatley, Quebec
Hatley is a village of 700 people, part of the Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec.An otherwise quiet and tiny agricultural village, one of Hatley's main claims to fame is its annual Canada Day Celebration which always takes place on July 1st...
in Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
. He settled near Lennoxville
Lennoxville, Quebec
Lennoxville is an arrondissement, or borough, of the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Lennoxville is located at the confluence of the St. Francis and Massawippi Rivers approximately five kilometers south of downtown Sherbrooke....
, first as a farmer, then later opening a general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
.
He then opened stores at Compton
Compton, Quebec
Compton is a municipality in the regional county municipality of Coaticook and the administrative region of Estrie. And Home Of the world famous Sanders Farm and Vallons Maraichers farm, organic vegetable growers in the Deep Root Organic Cooperative of Vermont....
and Eaton (now part of Cookshire-Eaton
Cookshire-Eaton, Quebec
Cookshire-Eaton is a ville in the Estrie region in Quebec. It was formed in 2002 by the amalgamation of the villages of Cookshire and Sawyerville, and the township of Eaton. It is the seat of Le Haut-Saint-François Regional County Municipality....
). He also acquired land and worked with Alexander Tilloch Galt
Alexander Tilloch Galt
Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt, GCMG, PC was a politician and a father of Canadian Confederation.He was born in Chelsea, England, the son of Scottish novelist and colonizer, John Galt, and Elizabeth Tilloch Galt. He was a cousin of Sir Hugh Allan.Alexander Galt is interred in the Mount Royal Cemetery...
of the British American Land Company to build a road to open up access to the Eastern Townships
Eastern Townships
The Eastern Townships is a tourist region and a former administrative region in south-eastern Quebec, lying between the former seigneuries south of the Saint Lawrence River and the United States border. Its northern boundary roughly followed Logan's Line, the geologic boundary between the flat,...
.
Smith supported the Montreal Annexation Manifesto
Montreal Annexation Manifesto
The Montreal Annexation Manifesto was a political document dated September 14, 1849 and signed in Montreal, Quebec, calling for Canada's annexation by the United States....
of 1849. He helped establish Bishop's College
Bishop's University
Bishop's University is a predominantly undergraduate university in Lennoxville, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Bishop's is one of three universities in the province of Quebec that teach primarily in the English language...
and was a partner in the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad
St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad
The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad , known as St-Laurent et Atlantique Quebec in Canada, is a short line railroad operating between Portland, Maine on the Atlantic Ocean and Montreal, Quebec on the St. Lawrence River. It crosses the Canada-U.S...
and the Sherbrooke Cotton Factory.
In 1856, he moved his residence to Sherbrooke, where he was secretary for the Mutual Fire Insurance Company. In 1856, he was elected to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Council of the Province of Canada was the upper house for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as Canada West and later the province of Ontario...
for Wellington district. Originally a Liberal, he declared himself an Independent in 1857 and a Conservative in 1858.
He died in Sherbrooke in 1863, after an attack of apoplexy
Apoplexy
Apoplexy is a medical term, which can be used to describe 'bleeding' in a stroke . Without further specification, it is rather outdated in use. Today it is used only for specific conditions, such as pituitary apoplexy and ovarian apoplexy. In common speech, it is used non-medically to mean a state...
.
His daughter Susan Selina married Alexander Manning
Alexander Manning
Alexander Henderson Manning was a Canadian contractor, businessman, and the 20th Mayor of Toronto, serving from 1873 to 1885....
, a mayor of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.