Date Published:
July 2005

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

Hugh Fraser

Fraser, Hugh (1818-1870), founder of the Fraser Institute, Montreal, was born near Lachine, Lower Canada, in 1818, the son of John Fraser and Catherine, sister of Hon. Alexander Fraser, of Fraserfield, Upper Canada. He was educated at Lachine, and became a wine merchant in Montreal. He died in Montreal on May 15, 1870, unmarried; and by his will he left his estate to be applied to founding a free public library in Montreal to be called the Eraser Institute. The will was disputed by his brother John and other heirs; but the bequest was finally validated by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Source  : W. Stewart WALLACE, ed., The Encyclopedia of Canada, Vol. II, Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 411p., pp. 388-389.