William Pearce Howland
Encyclopedia
Sir William Pearce Howland, PC
, KCMG
, CB
(May 29, 1811 – 1 January 1907), served as the second Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
, from 1868 to 1873. He was one of the Fathers of Confederation.
Born in 1811 in Pawling, New York
, William Howland was educated at Kinderhook Academy. In 1830 he settled in Cooksville
, Upper Canada
, and became a naturalized British subject in 1841. He operated Lambton Mills and later a grocery business in Toronto
. In 1857, Howland became Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
, and later served in the cabinet as Minister of Finance, Receiver General, Postmaster General
and Minister of Finance. He became a Member of Parliament in 1867 and was Minister of Inland Revenue from 1867 to 1868. He was created a C.B., 1867. Howland was appointed Ontario's second Lieutenant Governor in 1868 and served until 1873. He was created a K.C.M.G., 1879. He was knighted in 1879 and died in Toronto
in 1907. He is buried in Toronto's St. James Cemetery
.
Lady Howland was presented to Queen Victoria in 1866, on the occasion of the London Conference on Confederation. In 1875, she presented her step-daughter, Miss Howland (later Mrs. R. M. Merritt) to Her Majesty. On leaving Government House, Lord Howland was presented with an address from citizens of Toronto, and Lady Howland was given a gold bracelet, with her initials set in diamonds, and containing a locket with miniature portraits of herself and husband. Lady Howland died in Toronto, February 2ist, 1886, and was buried in St. James's Cemetery.
His sons, William Holmes Howland
and Oliver Aiken Howland
, served as mayors of Toronto.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
, KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(May 29, 1811 – 1 January 1907), served as the second Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario is the viceregal representative in Ontario of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United...
, from 1868 to 1873. He was one of the Fathers of Confederation.
Born in 1811 in Pawling, New York
Pawling (town), New York
Pawling is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 7,521 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Catherine Pauling, the daughter of Henry Beekman, who held the second largest land patent in the county. A misprint caused the U to change to a W and the name...
, William Howland was educated at Kinderhook Academy. In 1830 he settled in Cooksville
Cooksville, Ontario
Cooksville is a neighbourhood in the city of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is located at the intersection of Dundas Street and Hurontario Street.-History:...
, 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...
, and became a naturalized British subject in 1841. He operated Lambton Mills and later a grocery business 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...
. In 1857, Howland became Member of 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...
, and later served in the cabinet as Minister of Finance, Receiver General, Postmaster General
Postmaster General of Canada
The Postmaster General of Canada was the Canadian cabinet minister responsible for the Post Office Department . In 1851, management of the post office was transferred from Britain to the provincial governments of the Province of Canada, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward...
and Minister of Finance. He became a Member of Parliament in 1867 and was Minister of Inland Revenue from 1867 to 1868. He was created a C.B., 1867. Howland was appointed Ontario's second Lieutenant Governor in 1868 and served until 1873. He was created a K.C.M.G., 1879. He was knighted in 1879 and died 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...
in 1907. He is buried in Toronto's 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...
.
Family
Sir William Pearce Howland, then a Minister of the Crown in Canada married Susannah Julia, daughter of Shrewsbury, Esquire, on November 2ist, 1865. She was born in London, England, May 4th, 1 830, and educated there. She was a widow, who had accompanied her first husband (1850) Philip Hunt, of the Military Store Department, to the Mauritius, and thence to Canada.Lady Howland was presented to Queen Victoria in 1866, on the occasion of the London Conference on Confederation. In 1875, she presented her step-daughter, Miss Howland (later Mrs. R. M. Merritt) to Her Majesty. On leaving Government House, Lord Howland was presented with an address from citizens of Toronto, and Lady Howland was given a gold bracelet, with her initials set in diamonds, and containing a locket with miniature portraits of herself and husband. Lady Howland died in Toronto, February 2ist, 1886, and was buried in St. James's Cemetery.
His sons, William Holmes Howland
William Holmes Howland
William Holmes Howland was Mayor of Toronto from 1886 to 1887.-Biography:Prior to William Holmes Howland becoming Toronto's 25th mayor, he was a businessman who was elected president of the Board of Trade in 1874-1875...
and Oliver Aiken Howland
Oliver Aiken Howland
Oliver Aiken Howland was a Toronto lawyer and political figure. He represented Toronto South in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1894 to 1898 and was mayor of Toronto from 1901 to 1902....
, served as mayors of Toronto.