William Ralph Meredith
Encyclopedia
The Hon. Sir William Ralph Meredith, Q.C.
, LL.D.
(March 31, 1840 – August 21, 1923) was Leader of the Ontario Conservatives from 1878 to 1894; Chancellor of the University of Toronto
from 1900 until his death, and Chief Justice of Ontario from 1913 until his death. Through his principles - The Meredith Principles - he is regarded as the founding father of the Workers' Compensation
System in Ontario
, the impact of which was felt throughout Canada
and the United States
.
, he was the eldest son of John Walsingham Cooke Meredith
and a member of a well-known legal family in Ireland
and Canada
. His middle name was for his great grandfather, Ralph Meredith (1748–1799), Attorney Exchequer and Justice of the Peace
for County Dublin
. William R. Meredith and his well known brothers were collectively known as The Eight London Merediths who included among them Chief Justice Richard Martin Meredith
, Sir Vincent Meredith
, Thomas Graves Meredith
and Charles Meredith. The brothers were first cousins of The Rt. Hon. Richard Edmund Meredith
, Master of the Rolls in Ireland
, and Frederick Walsingham Meredith (1859–1924), President of the Law Society of Ireland
. Meredith's father was a first cousin of Chief Justice Sir William Collis Meredith
and Edmund Allen Meredith
, two of the great uncles of Judge James Creed Meredith
of Dublin, who was the uncle of Chief Justice Sir Herbert Ribton Meredith.
, William Meredith articled with Thomas Scatcherd
before winning a two year scholarship
to the University of Toronto
to study law. At this time he also served as an officer in the London Light Infantry militia
. He was called to the Bar
in 1861, and entered into partnership with Scatcherd. Not before long he was considered to be "the acknowledged leader of the London Bar".
In 1871, he was elected a Bencher
of the Law Society of Upper Canada
and the following year he was awarded his LL.B
from the University of Toronto
. In 1875, he became a Queen's Counsel
and after the death of his legal partner, Thomas Scatcherd
, he succeeded him as London's City solicitor, a position another brother, Thomas Graves Meredith
, would hold after him. From 1879 to 1888, he served as the first president of the Middlesex
Law Association. In 1888, he left London to take over from William Alexander Foster's successful law firm in Toronto
. That same year saw him become an honorary member of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law
, which granted him an honorary Doctor of Laws in 1889.
(whose daughter, Jessie, married his brother, Thomas
) as London's representative to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
. He was considered a radical by many Tories, but this didn't prevent him being named Deputy Leader of the Party in 1878 and after the retirement of John Hillyard Cameron
the following year, without even the formality of a ballot, he was chosen as the Party's Leader. Charles Biggar, the biographer of Meredith's chief political rival, Sir Oliver Mowat
, wrote,
There was no man in the ranks of the Opposition upon whom the choice could more worthily have fallen... Always ready in debate, and judicial in the tone of his arguments, he was a generous and formidable opponent. Especially in Committee of the Whole House, where details of legislation were worked out and party issues are for the moment forgotten, Mr Meredith's services to the Province were simply invaluable. His personal popularity was great. The "Montreal Witness", a Liberal Journal, declared him to be perhaps "the most popular public man personally we have ever had in Canada"; And the House testified its appreciation of his services by voting him a salary of $2,000 per annum, which, however, he declined to accept.
Particularly to Meredith's modern day detriment, he was actively against Women's rights
. This was however somewhat counter-balanced by his progressive political philosophy towards the (albeit male) Native Americans
, and the relief of Male suffrage in his legislation in favour of worker's rights. See section on Workers' Compensation and The Meredith Principles. Despite this and other succeses under Meredith's leadership, the Conservatives never reached power. Meredith saw his position as a part-time commitment (he had a full-time legal practice in Toronto
) and Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald
's conservative hard-line approach caused Meredith many embarrassments. But, to a greater extent his lack of real political success was a direct result of the superior political skill of the Liberal leader in power, Sir Oliver Mowat
.
Meredith's disagreements with Sir John A. MacDonald
culminated in his and his immediate friends refusing to take part in MacDonald's electoral campaign of 1891. Considered as one of the best campaign orators, Meredith's decision caused both shock and disappointment within the Tory
ranks. Meredith saw the campaign of MacDonald, led by Sir Charles Tupper
, as "a slanderous crusade against his fellow countrymen".
Though the Merediths were Anglo-Irish
, his paternal grandmother was from a prominent Catholic
family in Ireland
, and as such the Catholic population in Ontario
had initially hailed Meredith as one of their own. But in his later political years, Meredith felt that Mowat's Liberals were granting 'humiliating concessions' to the Catholic
minority, and this led to his final political demise. As a matter of conscience, and increasingly frustrated by MacDonald's refusal to listen to him, Meredith launched an attack on what he saw as unfair advantages enjoyed by the separate Catholic schools. He denounced the Catholic's rights to a guaranteed seat on all secondary school boards and the use of unapproved texts in separate schools. In comparison to The Toronto Mail
his attacks were measured, but it was enough to draw the wrath of the Catholic population who immediately swung their support firmly behind the Liberals.
now viewed him as a "governmental impossibility" in Ontario, and decided it might be more prudent to put Meredith in a position which enabled him to put his real talents to work. In 1894, he retired from politics and accepted the position of Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
and of the Ontario High Court of Justice, and was knighted in that capacity two years later. In 1913, he was succeeded by one of his brothers, Richard Martin Meredith
, and appointed Chief Justice
of the Ontario Court of Appeal
. On the reorganization of the Ontario judiciary he was made Chief Justice of Ontario, in which office he died.
Meredith stuck rigidly to the doctrine of applying precedents, avoiding narrow or restrictive interpretations of the law. In his obituary, Toronto City Solicitor William Johnston praised him for being 'one of the best versed judges in Municipal law
.' Occasionally he found himself presiding over cases in which two of his brothers (Edmund and Richard
) stood before him. In 1913, the Toronto World reported,
As a family the Merediths, whilst agreeable enough to those they meet have always held themselves aloof and have mixed little in society. In Sir William this characteristic is noticeable. He is a man with very few intimates. He has climbed to his present eminence by sheer ability, not by means of wirepulling. Kindly at heart and sympathetic, he is yet so sharp-witted that he cannot resist an occasional biting word or innuendo, a habit which has gained him not a few enemies. On the bench he is severe, demanding much from those who appear before him. He is in effect a judicial autocrat. In private life on the other hand he can be one of the most delightful of conversationalists with a rich store of knowledge and anecdote.
became Prime Minister of Canada in 1896, he and the former Prime Minister, Sir Mackenzie Bowell
, tried valliantly, but in vain, to persuade Meredith to leave the bench and join Tupper's cabinet. In his recent book on Sir Wilfrid Laurier
and the Liberal Party, Sir John Willison writes of Meredith that "there have been few more useful and honourable in our history, and it can hardly be questioned that if he had joined Sir Charles Tupper he would have sensibly improved the prospects of the Conservative party".
, and that he had a hand in framing some of the progressive measures put through by him. Meredith also mediated between Whitney and Sir Adam Beck
, suggesting and even wording many of the bills that established the Ontario Hydro
. The Toronto Daily Star stated that Meredith's "revision of the statutes of Ontario was masterful".
In 1895, Meredith was appointed a Senator of the University of Toronto
, and five years later he was unianimously elected Chancellor
of that university, a position he held until his death. He was a member of the Royal Commission that investigated the affairs of the University of Toronto
in 1905. He was also called upon to lead commissions into the causes for the collapse of the Farmer's Bank of York, Upper Canada
and to investigate the worth of the Canadian Northern Railway
prior to its takeover by the government of Sir Arthur Meighen
. He was President of the South African Memorial Association and joint Chairman of Toronto's Civic Improvement Committee.
System in Ontario
. As the industrial revolution
created crowded factories and unsafe working conditions, injured workers and their families had few choices when it came to receiving benefits or compensation for their injuries.
The Government of Ontario
realized that changes to the compensation laws were essential. In 1910, Sir James Whitney
appointed Meredith to head the first Royal Commission
to study Workers' Compensation
systems throughout the world and to make recommendations. In his royal commission report, Meredith said that the true aim of compensation law was to provide for the workman and his dependents and prevent their becoming a charge upon their relatives or friends, or the community at large. He identified five basic principles for a compassionate compensation system, the most important of which was the idea of 'no-fault insurance'. This meant that workers would give up their right to sue their employers in exchange for guaranteed no-fault income security in the event of a workplace injury. And employers would pay for the system in return for protection against liability.
In 1913, Meredith presented his recommendations and his draft legislation came into effect the following year. The impact of Meredith's new system was felt throughout Canada
and the United States
and as such his five principle ideas (no-fault compensation, security of benefits, collective liability, exclusive jurisdiction and administration by independent boards) became known as, and are still known as today as The Meredith Principles
, and were the parents of three daughters and one son who lived to adulthood. The eldest daughter, Maude, married William Thompson Ramsay, for whom Ramsay, Calgary is named. The next daughter, Constance, married George Armstrong Peters, and their daughter, Ruth Meredith Peters, married Claude Spaak, widower of Suzanne Spaak
. The youngest daughter, Isabel Meredith, married Dr James David Thorburn, son of James Thorburn
. The Meredith's son, Major John Redmond Walsingham Meredith (1878–1916), married a daughter of I.F. Hellmuth
, but predeceased his parents in England
during World War I
, leaving two daughters.
The Dictionary of Canadian Biography noted that although severe, Sir William was also considered dignified and courteous on the bench, and was affectionately known as 'The Chief' among his fellow judges. Like most of his brothers, his favorite pastime was gardening. In 1913, The Toronto World reported,
Despite his seventy three years, Sir William is still a fine, erect and handsome man. His favorite pastime is gardening and in his beautiful grounds in Rosedale he spends much time. Donning a straw hat and gloves he delights to move about among his plants and bushes, weeding and clipping, or else to dig out dandelion roots from his lawn. Even in this pursuit he shows himself a man of solitary habits.
Following a swim off the coast of Maine
, Sir William Meredith became ill and died a few weeks later whilst staying with relatives in Montreal
. He and his wife are interred at the St. James Cemetery
in Toronto
.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, LL.D.
Doctor of law
Doctor of Law or Doctor of Laws is a doctoral degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country, and includes degrees such as the LL.D., Ph.D., J.D., J.S.D., and Dr. iur.-Argentina:...
(March 31, 1840 – August 21, 1923) was Leader of the Ontario Conservatives from 1878 to 1894; Chancellor of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
from 1900 until his death, and Chief Justice of Ontario from 1913 until his death. Through his principles - The Meredith Principles - he is regarded as the founding father of the Workers' Compensation
Workers' compensation
Workers' compensation is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence...
System in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, the impact of which was felt throughout Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Background
Born March 31, 1840, at Westminster Township, Upper CanadaUpper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
, he was the eldest son of John Walsingham Cooke Meredith
John Walsingham Cooke Meredith
John Walsingham Cooke Meredith J.P., an Anglo-Irish-Canadian office holder and businessman, best remembered as the father of the Eight London Merediths.-Background:...
and a member of a well-known legal family in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. His middle name was for his great grandfather, Ralph Meredith (1748–1799), Attorney Exchequer and Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
. William R. Meredith and his well known brothers were collectively known as The Eight London Merediths who included among them Chief Justice Richard Martin Meredith
Richard Martin Meredith
Chief Justice The Hon. Richard Martin Meredith Q.C. was a founder of The University of Western Ontario; vice-chancellor of Ontario; President of the High Court of the Supreme Court of Ontario and Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas.-Family:Born at 565 Talbot Street, London, Ontario, he was...
, Sir Vincent Meredith
Vincent Meredith
Sir Vincent Meredith, 1st and last Baronet of Montreal , was a Canadian banker and philanthropist; President of the Bank of Montreal, the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts...
, Thomas Graves Meredith
Thomas Graves Meredith
Thomas Graves Meredith K.C. , Canadian lawyer and businessman; President of Canada Life Assurance and President of the Middlesex Bar Association...
and Charles Meredith. The brothers were first cousins of The Rt. Hon. Richard Edmund Meredith
Richard Edmund Meredith
The Rt. Hon. Richard Edmund Meredith PC, QC , was the Master of the Rolls in Ireland, a Privy Councillor, Judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland and Judicial Commissioner of the Irish Land Commission.-Career:...
, Master of the Rolls in Ireland
Master of the Rolls in Ireland
The office of Master of the Rolls in Ireland originated in the office of the keeper of the Rolls in the Irish Chancery and became an office granted by letters patent in 1333. It was abolished in 1924....
, and Frederick Walsingham Meredith (1859–1924), President of the Law Society of Ireland
Law Society of Ireland
The Law Society of Ireland is the educational, representative and regulatory body of the solicitors' profession in the Republic of Ireland...
. Meredith's father was a first cousin of Chief Justice Sir William Collis Meredith
William Collis Meredith
The Hon. Sir William Collis Meredith, Kt., Q.C., D.C.L. was Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec.-Early life:...
and Edmund Allen Meredith
Edmund Allen Meredith
Edmund Allen Meredith LL.D., was Under Secretary of State for Canada; a prison reformer, writer, and the third principal of McGill University from 1846 to 1853.-Early life in Ireland:...
, two of the great uncles of Judge James Creed Meredith
James Creed Meredith
James Creed Meredith K.C., LL.D. was an Irish nationalist of the early 20th century, who upheld Brehon Law. He was President of the Supreme Court of the Irish Republic, Chief Judicial Commissioner of Ireland and a Judge of the High Court and the Supreme Court of Ireland...
of Dublin, who was the uncle of Chief Justice Sir Herbert Ribton Meredith.
Early career
Following his education at Hellmuth College, the grammar school in LondonLondon, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, William Meredith articled with Thomas Scatcherd
Thomas Scatcherd
Thomas Scatcherd was a Canadian lawyer and political figure. He represented Middlesex North as a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1876....
before winning a two year scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
to the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
to study law. At this time he also served as an officer in the London Light Infantry militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
. He was called to the Bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
in 1861, and entered into partnership with Scatcherd. Not before long he was considered to be "the acknowledged leader of the London Bar".
In 1871, he was elected a Bencher
Bencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still a barrister , in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law...
of the Law Society of Upper Canada
Law Society of Upper Canada
The Law Society of Upper Canada is responsible for the self-regulation of lawyers and paralegals in the Canadian province of Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1797, it is known in French as "Le Barreau du Haut-Canada"...
and the following year he was awarded his LL.B
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. In 1875, he became a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
and after the death of his legal partner, Thomas Scatcherd
Thomas Scatcherd
Thomas Scatcherd was a Canadian lawyer and political figure. He represented Middlesex North as a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1876....
, he succeeded him as London's City solicitor, a position another brother, Thomas Graves Meredith
Thomas Graves Meredith
Thomas Graves Meredith K.C. , Canadian lawyer and businessman; President of Canada Life Assurance and President of the Middlesex Bar Association...
, would hold after him. From 1879 to 1888, he served as the first president of the Middlesex
Middlesex County, Ontario
Middlesex County is a primarily rural county in Southwestern Ontario. Landlocked, the county is bordered by Huron and Perth counties on the north, Oxford County on the east, Elgin County on the south, and Chatham-Kent and Lambton County on the west.The seat is the city of London, although the city...
Law Association. In 1888, he left London to take over from William Alexander Foster's successful law firm in 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...
. That same year saw him become an honorary member of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law
University of Toronto Faculty of Law
Established in 1887, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law is one of the oldest professional faculties at the University of Toronto. The Faculty of Law is particularly renowned in the areas of corporate law, international law, law and economics, and legal theory.The law school has been...
, which granted him an honorary Doctor of Laws in 1889.
Political career
Meredith had entered into politics in 1872 as a Conservative, when he succeeded Sir John CarlingJohn Carling
Sir John Carling, PC, KCMG of the Carling Brewery was a prominent politician and businessman from London, Ontario, Canada...
(whose daughter, Jessie, married his brother, Thomas
Thomas Graves Meredith
Thomas Graves Meredith K.C. , Canadian lawyer and businessman; President of Canada Life Assurance and President of the Middlesex Bar Association...
) as London's representative to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
. He was considered a radical by many Tories, but this didn't prevent him being named Deputy Leader of the Party in 1878 and after the retirement of John Hillyard Cameron
John Hillyard Cameron
John Hillyard Cameron, QC was an Ontario lawyer, businessman and political figure. He was a Conservative member of the Canadian House of Commons representing Peel from 1867 to 1872 and Cardwell from 1872 until his death.He was born in Blendecques, France in 1817...
the following year, without even the formality of a ballot, he was chosen as the Party's Leader. Charles Biggar, the biographer of Meredith's chief political rival, Sir Oliver Mowat
Oliver Mowat
Sir Oliver Mowat, was a Canadian politician, and the third Premier of Ontario from 1872 to 1896, making him the longest serving premier of that province and the 3rd longest in all of Canadian history...
, wrote,
There was no man in the ranks of the Opposition upon whom the choice could more worthily have fallen... Always ready in debate, and judicial in the tone of his arguments, he was a generous and formidable opponent. Especially in Committee of the Whole House, where details of legislation were worked out and party issues are for the moment forgotten, Mr Meredith's services to the Province were simply invaluable. His personal popularity was great. The "Montreal Witness", a Liberal Journal, declared him to be perhaps "the most popular public man personally we have ever had in Canada"; And the House testified its appreciation of his services by voting him a salary of $2,000 per annum, which, however, he declined to accept.
Particularly to Meredith's modern day detriment, he was actively against Women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
. This was however somewhat counter-balanced by his progressive political philosophy towards the (albeit male) Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, and the relief of Male suffrage in his legislation in favour of worker's rights. See section on Workers' Compensation and The Meredith Principles. Despite this and other succeses under Meredith's leadership, the Conservatives never reached power. Meredith saw his position as a part-time commitment (he had a full-time legal practice in 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...
) and Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
's conservative hard-line approach caused Meredith many embarrassments. But, to a greater extent his lack of real political success was a direct result of the superior political skill of the Liberal leader in power, Sir Oliver Mowat
Oliver Mowat
Sir Oliver Mowat, was a Canadian politician, and the third Premier of Ontario from 1872 to 1896, making him the longest serving premier of that province and the 3rd longest in all of Canadian history...
.
Meredith's disagreements with Sir John A. MacDonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
culminated in his and his immediate friends refusing to take part in MacDonald's electoral campaign of 1891. Considered as one of the best campaign orators, Meredith's decision caused both shock and disappointment within the Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
ranks. Meredith saw the campaign of MacDonald, led by Sir Charles Tupper
Charles Tupper
Sir Charles Tupper, 1st Baronet, GCMG, CB, PC was a Canadian father of Confederation: as the Premier of Nova Scotia from 1864 to 1867, he led Nova Scotia into Confederation. He later went on to serve as the sixth Prime Minister of Canada, sworn in to office on May 1, 1896, seven days after...
, as "a slanderous crusade against his fellow countrymen".
Though the Merediths were Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
, his paternal grandmother was from a prominent Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
family in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and as such the Catholic population in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
had initially hailed Meredith as one of their own. But in his later political years, Meredith felt that Mowat's Liberals were granting 'humiliating concessions' to the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
minority, and this led to his final political demise. As a matter of conscience, and increasingly frustrated by MacDonald's refusal to listen to him, Meredith launched an attack on what he saw as unfair advantages enjoyed by the separate Catholic schools. He denounced the Catholic's rights to a guaranteed seat on all secondary school boards and the use of unapproved texts in separate schools. In comparison to The Toronto Mail
The Toronto Mail
The Toronto Mail was a newspaper in Toronto, Ontario, which through corporate mergers became first The Mail and Empire, and then The Globe and Mail.The Mail was founded in 1872 by John A. Macdonald,...
his attacks were measured, but it was enough to draw the wrath of the Catholic population who immediately swung their support firmly behind the Liberals.
Judicial career
His dispute with the Catholic Church led to another embarrassing electoral defeat, and the government in OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
now viewed him as a "governmental impossibility" in Ontario, and decided it might be more prudent to put Meredith in a position which enabled him to put his real talents to work. In 1894, he retired from politics and accepted the position of Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
The Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Common Bench or Common Place, was the second highest common law court in the English legal system until 1880, when it was dissolved. As such, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was one of the highest judicial officials in England, behind only the Lord...
and of the Ontario High Court of Justice, and was knighted in that capacity two years later. In 1913, he was succeeded by one of his brothers, Richard Martin Meredith
Richard Martin Meredith
Chief Justice The Hon. Richard Martin Meredith Q.C. was a founder of The University of Western Ontario; vice-chancellor of Ontario; President of the High Court of the Supreme Court of Ontario and Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas.-Family:Born at 565 Talbot Street, London, Ontario, he was...
, and appointed Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Ontario Court of Appeal
Ontario Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal for Ontario is headquartered in downtown Toronto, in historic Osgoode Hall....
. On the reorganization of the Ontario judiciary he was made Chief Justice of Ontario, in which office he died.
Meredith stuck rigidly to the doctrine of applying precedents, avoiding narrow or restrictive interpretations of the law. In his obituary, Toronto City Solicitor William Johnston praised him for being 'one of the best versed judges in Municipal law
Municipal law
Municipal law is the national, domestic, or internal law of a sovereign state defined in opposition to international law. Municipal law includes not only law at the national level, but law at the state, provincial, territorial, regional or local levels...
.' Occasionally he found himself presiding over cases in which two of his brothers (Edmund and Richard
Richard Martin Meredith
Chief Justice The Hon. Richard Martin Meredith Q.C. was a founder of The University of Western Ontario; vice-chancellor of Ontario; President of the High Court of the Supreme Court of Ontario and Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas.-Family:Born at 565 Talbot Street, London, Ontario, he was...
) stood before him. In 1913, the Toronto World reported,
As a family the Merediths, whilst agreeable enough to those they meet have always held themselves aloof and have mixed little in society. In Sir William this characteristic is noticeable. He is a man with very few intimates. He has climbed to his present eminence by sheer ability, not by means of wirepulling. Kindly at heart and sympathetic, he is yet so sharp-witted that he cannot resist an occasional biting word or innuendo, a habit which has gained him not a few enemies. On the bench he is severe, demanding much from those who appear before him. He is in effect a judicial autocrat. In private life on the other hand he can be one of the most delightful of conversationalists with a rich store of knowledge and anecdote.
Invitation to return to politics
Though on the face of it Meredith's political career had been unsuccessful, when the powerfully persuasive Sir Charles TupperCharles Tupper
Sir Charles Tupper, 1st Baronet, GCMG, CB, PC was a Canadian father of Confederation: as the Premier of Nova Scotia from 1864 to 1867, he led Nova Scotia into Confederation. He later went on to serve as the sixth Prime Minister of Canada, sworn in to office on May 1, 1896, seven days after...
became Prime Minister of Canada in 1896, he and the former Prime Minister, Sir Mackenzie Bowell
Mackenzie Bowell
Sir Mackenzie Bowell, PC, KCMG was a Canadian politician who served as the fifth Prime Minister of Canada from December 21, 1894 to April 27, 1896.-Early life:Bowell was born in Rickinghall, Suffolk, England to John Bowell and Elizabeth Marshall...
, tried valliantly, but in vain, to persuade Meredith to leave the bench and join Tupper's cabinet. In his recent book on Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
and the Liberal Party, Sir John Willison writes of Meredith that "there have been few more useful and honourable in our history, and it can hardly be questioned that if he had joined Sir Charles Tupper he would have sensibly improved the prospects of the Conservative party".
Public service
Outside of court Meredith still exercised great political influence, and his "legislative and forensic skills were frequently enlisted by various governments". It was widely believed that Meredith was the political mentor of Sir James WhitneyJames Whitney
Sir James Pliny Whitney, KCMG was a politician in the Canadian province of Ontario. Whitney was a lawyer in eastern Ontario, Conservative member for Dundas from 1888 to 1914, and the sixth Premier of Ontario from 1905 to 1914.- Early life :Whitney was born in Williamsburgh Township in 1843 and...
, and that he had a hand in framing some of the progressive measures put through by him. Meredith also mediated between Whitney and Sir Adam Beck
Adam Beck
Sir Adam Beck was a politician and hydroelectricity advocate who founded the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario.-Biography:...
, suggesting and even wording many of the bills that established the Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro was the official name from 1974 of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario which was established in 1906 by the provincial Power Commission Act to build transmission lines to supply municipal utilities with electricity generated by private companies already operating at Niagara...
. The Toronto Daily Star stated that Meredith's "revision of the statutes of Ontario was masterful".
In 1895, Meredith was appointed a Senator of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, and five years later he was unianimously elected Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of that university, a position he held until his death. He was a member of the Royal Commission that investigated the affairs of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in 1905. He was also called upon to lead commissions into the causes for the collapse of the Farmer's Bank of York, Upper Canada
Farmer's Bank of York, Upper Canada
The Farmer's Bank was formed in 1835 by George Truscott and John Cleveland Green in York , Upper Canada. The cashier and general manager of Farmer's Bank was Sir Francis Hincks, a journalist and colonial administrator....
and to investigate the worth of the Canadian Northern Railway
Canadian Northern Railway
The Canadian Northern Railway is a historic Canadian transcontinental railway. At its demise in 1923, when it was merged into the Canadian National Railway , the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonton.-Manitoba beginnings:CNoR had its start in...
prior to its takeover by the government of Sir Arthur Meighen
Arthur Meighen
Arthur Meighen, PC, QC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served two terms as the ninth Prime Minister of Canada: from July 10, 1920 to December 29, 1921; and from June 29 to September 25, 1926. He was the first Prime Minister born after Confederation, and the only one to represent a riding...
. He was President of the South African Memorial Association and joint Chairman of Toronto's Civic Improvement Committee.
Workers' Compensation and The Meredith Principles
Sir William Meredith is regarded as the founding father of the Workers' CompensationWorkers' compensation
Workers' compensation is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence...
System in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. As the industrial revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
created crowded factories and unsafe working conditions, injured workers and their families had few choices when it came to receiving benefits or compensation for their injuries.
The Government of Ontario
Government of Ontario
The Government of Ontario refers to the provincial government of the province of Ontario, Canada. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
realized that changes to the compensation laws were essential. In 1910, Sir James Whitney
James Whitney
Sir James Pliny Whitney, KCMG was a politician in the Canadian province of Ontario. Whitney was a lawyer in eastern Ontario, Conservative member for Dundas from 1888 to 1914, and the sixth Premier of Ontario from 1905 to 1914.- Early life :Whitney was born in Williamsburgh Township in 1843 and...
appointed Meredith to head the first Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
to study Workers' Compensation
Workers' compensation
Workers' compensation is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence...
systems throughout the world and to make recommendations. In his royal commission report, Meredith said that the true aim of compensation law was to provide for the workman and his dependents and prevent their becoming a charge upon their relatives or friends, or the community at large. He identified five basic principles for a compassionate compensation system, the most important of which was the idea of 'no-fault insurance'. This meant that workers would give up their right to sue their employers in exchange for guaranteed no-fault income security in the event of a workplace injury. And employers would pay for the system in return for protection against liability.
In 1913, Meredith presented his recommendations and his draft legislation came into effect the following year. The impact of Meredith's new system was felt throughout Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and as such his five principle ideas (no-fault compensation, security of benefits, collective liability, exclusive jurisdiction and administration by independent boards) became known as, and are still known as today as The Meredith Principles
Family and private life
In 1862, William Meredith married Mary (1842–1930), daughter of Marcus Holmes, Mayor of London, Director of the London & Lake Huron Railway Company and President of the Horticultural Society. Mr and Mrs Meredith lived off Binscarth Road, in Rosedale, TorontoRosedale, Toronto
Rosedale is an affluent neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which was formerly the estate of William Botsford Jarvis, and so named by his wife, granddaughter of William Dummer Powell, for the wild roses that grew there in abundance....
, and were the parents of three daughters and one son who lived to adulthood. The eldest daughter, Maude, married William Thompson Ramsay, for whom Ramsay, Calgary is named. The next daughter, Constance, married George Armstrong Peters, and their daughter, Ruth Meredith Peters, married Claude Spaak, widower of Suzanne Spaak
Suzanne Spaak
Suzanne Spaak , World War II heroine.Suzanne Spaak was born into a prosperous Belgian banking family sometime around 1905...
. The youngest daughter, Isabel Meredith, married Dr James David Thorburn, son of James Thorburn
James Thorburn (Canadian physician)
Dr. James Thorburn, was a Canadian physician, medical researcher, military surgeon, university professor and an executive member of several medical organizations.- Biography :...
. The Meredith's son, Major John Redmond Walsingham Meredith (1878–1916), married a daughter of I.F. Hellmuth
I.F. Hellmuth
Isidore Frederick Hellmuth was the first champion of what became the Canadian National Tennis Championship, now known as the Canadian Open or the Rogers Cup. He was also a three-time runner-up as well as one-time doubles champion....
, but predeceased his parents in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, leaving two daughters.
The Dictionary of Canadian Biography noted that although severe, Sir William was also considered dignified and courteous on the bench, and was affectionately known as 'The Chief' among his fellow judges. Like most of his brothers, his favorite pastime was gardening. In 1913, The Toronto World reported,
Despite his seventy three years, Sir William is still a fine, erect and handsome man. His favorite pastime is gardening and in his beautiful grounds in Rosedale he spends much time. Donning a straw hat and gloves he delights to move about among his plants and bushes, weeding and clipping, or else to dig out dandelion roots from his lawn. Even in this pursuit he shows himself a man of solitary habits.
Following a swim off the coast of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, Sir William Meredith became ill and died a few weeks later whilst staying with relatives in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. He and his wife are interred at the St. James Cemetery
St. James Cemetery (Toronto)
The Anglican St. James Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Toronto still in operation. Opened in 1844 as the burial ground for St. James Cathedral. To date over 89,000 interments and 75,000 cremations have taken place at the cemetery. Recognizing the growing trend towards cremation throughout the...
in 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...
.
Related newspaper articles
- The Irish Standard Bearer, The Irish Canadian, May 28, 1879
- Must Meredith Go
- The Complex Personality of Ontarios Chief Justice The Toronto World, July 27, 1913
- Sir William Meredith May Be New Lieutenant-Governor
- Sir William Meredith May Have Resigned to Accept Chairmanship of Ontario Railway Commission
- Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Ontario is Dead
- Notable Career Ended by Death, The Quebec Daily Telegraph, August 18, 1923
External links
- Meredith's Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- William Meredith - Founding Father of the Worker's Compensation System in Ontario
- Sir William Meredith's home in Rosedale, Toronto
- John Redmond Walsingham Meredith
- http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayEcopies&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3357217&rec_nbr_list=2071760,2070423,2070364,2061244,2059731,3357217,3357216,3357215,3357214,3357213&title=William+R.+Meredith%2C+Q.C.%2C+L.L.D.+&ecopy=a030934&back_url=(http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/results/arch?module=arch&Language=eng&module=arch&Language=eng&module=arch&Language=eng&FormName=from+MIKAN+Search+Results&SortSpec=score+desc&Language=eng&QueryParser=lac_mikan&Sources=mikan&Archives=&SearchIn_1=&Operator_1=AND&SearchIn_2=&SearchInText_2=&Operator_2=AND&SearchIn_3=&SearchInText_3=&MaterialDateOperator=after&MaterialDate=&ResultCount=10&Media=&Level=&Source=&cainInd=&SearchInText_1=meredith+&DigitalImages=1&Paging=true&PageNum=2&MaxDocs=-1)Sir William Ralph Meredith]
- http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayEcopies&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3261565&rec_nbr_list=3261565,2062892,2062870,2082013,2081457,2081384,2080922,2080029,2079522,2079051&title=William+R.+Meredith%2C+Member+for+London%2C+Ontario+Legislative+Assembly.+&ecopy=a028645&back_url=(http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/results/arch?module=arch&Language=eng&module=arch&Language=eng&module=arch&Language=eng&module=arch&Language=eng&FormName=from+MIKAN+Search+Results&SortSpec=score+desc&Language=eng&QueryParser=lac_mikan&Sources=mikan&Archives=&SearchIn_1=&Operator_1=AND&SearchIn_2=&SearchInText_2=&Operator_2=AND&SearchIn_3=&SearchInText_3=&MaterialDateOperator=after&MaterialDate=&ResultCount=10&Media=&Level=&Source=&cainInd=&SearchInText_1=meredith+&DigitalImages=1&MaxDocs=-1&Paging=true&PageNum=3&MaxDocs=-1)William Ralph Meredith M.P., 1873]
- William Ralph Meredith Died Eighty Years Ago Web article on Meredith produced by the Law Society of Upper Canada ArchivesLaw Society of Upper Canada ArchivesThe Law Society of Upper Canada Archives collects and preserves records and other material that documents the history of the legal profession in Ontario. The Archives acquires and preserves records of permanent value to the Law Society of Upper Canada, the regulatory body for lawyers and paralegals...
