Edward Ermatinger
Encyclopedia
Edward Ermatinger was a Canadian
fur trade
r, businessman and political figure.
He was born on the isle of Elba
in 1797, the grandson of Lawrence Ermatinger, was educated in England
and went to York Factory
in 1818 with his brother Francis as a clerk for the Hudson's Bay Company
. He served with the company until 1828 in what is now Manitoba
and the Columbia
district. He visited England in 1828 and then returned to Upper Canada
the following year. He settled in St. Thomas
, where he served as postmaster, reeve, owned a general store and was manager for the Bank of Upper Canada
, then the Commercial Bank and finally the Bank of Montreal
. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
for Middlesex
in 1844 as a Conservative. He was editor and owner of the St. Thomas Standard. In 1851, he helped found the Bank of the County of Elgin. Ermatinger published The Hudson’s Bay territories; a series of letters on this important question in 1858 and an autobiography of Colonel Talbot
in 1859. He was a member of the Church of England
, a Freemason and a fervent anti-Catholic
.
Ermatinger died at Saint Thomas in 1876.
His uncle, Charles Oakes Ermatinger, was also a member of the Hudson's Bay Company. His son Charles Oaks
served in the Ontario legislative assembly.
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...
fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
r, businessman and political figure.
He was born on the isle of Elba
Elba
Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia...
in 1797, the grandson of Lawrence Ermatinger, was educated 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...
and went to York Factory
York Factory, Manitoba
York Factory was a settlement and factory located on the southwestern shore of Hudson Bay in northeastern Manitoba, Canada, at the mouth of the Hayes River, approximately south-southeast of Churchill. The settlement was headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company's Northern Department, from 1821 to...
in 1818 with his brother Francis as a clerk for the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
. He served with the company until 1828 in what is now Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
and the Columbia
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
district. He visited England in 1828 and then returned to Upper Canada
Upper 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...
the following year. He settled in St. Thomas
St. Thomas, Ontario
St. Thomas is a city in southern , Ontario, Canada. It is the seat for Elgin County and gained its city charter on March 4, 1881.-History:...
, where he served as postmaster, reeve, owned a general store and was manager for the Bank of Upper Canada
Bank of Upper Canada
The Bank of Upper Canada was a Canadian bank established in 1821 under a Charter granted by the colony of Upper Canada in 1819. The incorporators were William Allan, Robert C. Horne, John Scarlett, Francis Jackson, William W. Baldwin, Alexander Legge, Thomas Ridout, his son Samuel Ridout, D’Arcy...
, then the Commercial Bank and finally the Bank of Montreal
Bank of Montreal
The Bank of Montreal , , or BMO Financial Group, is the fourth largest bank in Canada by deposits. The Bank of Montreal was founded on June 23, 1817 by John Richardson and eight merchants in a rented house in Montreal, Quebec. On May 19, 1817 the Articles of Association were adopted, making it...
. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the legislature 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...
for 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...
in 1844 as a Conservative. He was editor and owner of the St. Thomas Standard. In 1851, he helped found the Bank of the County of Elgin. Ermatinger published The Hudson’s Bay territories; a series of letters on this important question in 1858 and an autobiography of Colonel Talbot
Thomas Talbot (Upper Canada)
Colonel Thomas Talbot was born at Malahide Castle in Ireland near Dublin He was the fourth son of Richard Talbot and his wife Margaret Talbot, 1st Baroness Talbot of Malahide...
in 1859. He was a member of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, a Freemason and a fervent anti-Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
.
Ermatinger died at Saint Thomas in 1876.
His uncle, Charles Oakes Ermatinger, was also a member of the Hudson's Bay Company. His son Charles Oaks
Charles Oaks Ermatinger
Charles Oaks Ermatinger was an Ontario lawyer, judge and political figure. He represented Elgin East in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1883 to 1886 as a Conservative member....
served in the Ontario legislative assembly.