Date Published:
September 2007

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

Lieut.-Col. Sir Hugh Montague Allan, C.V.O.

Capitalist; President, Acadia Coal Co., Ltd.; Vice-President, Canada Paper Co.; Ltd.; Director; Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. of Montreal, Ltd.; Director, Guarantee Company of North America; Director, Montreal Investment Trust; Director, Montreal Light, Heat and Power Consolidated; Director, Ogilvie Flour Mills Co., Ltd.; Director Canadian Cottons, Ltd.; Director, Canadian Transfer Co., Ltd.; Director, International Horse Shows, Ltd., London, England. Born Montreal, October 13, 1860, son of Sir Hugh Allan, one of the founders Montreal Steamship Co., and Matilda Caroline (Smith) Allan. Educated: Bishop's College School , Lennoxville; Paris, France. Under the terms of his father's will, he entered firm of H. & A. Allan on attaining his majority; assumed the name of Hugh Montagu, instead of Hugh Andrew, by which he was previously known, December, 1878. Councillor, Montreal Board of Trade, several years; Treasurer, 1891-92; ex-Chairman, Bishop's College School Association; ex-President, St. Andrew's Society of Montreal; ex-Master, Montreal Hunt; his horses have won the Queen's Plate, Montreal Hunt Cup, Members' Plate and Hunters' Handicap Steeplechase Cup; ex-President, Montreal Jockey Club; ex-President, Canadian Racing Association; Chairman,, Montreal Horse Show Association; formerly Vice-President, Montreal Racquet Club; Director, Montreal Skating Association of Canada; Past President, Montreal General Hospital; one of the founders of Mount Royal Club and the Winter Club, Ltd., Montreal. Rated as a millionaire by Montreal Star, 1911; gave $5,000 to the Charles Alexander Memorial Fund; gave the Allan Cup as a perpetual trophy for competition between amateur hockey clubs, 1910; entertained at "Ravenscrag," H.R.H. Prince Arthur of Connaught, 1906; H.R.H. Prince Fushimi, of Japan, 1907; presented to late King Edward, March, 1910; knighted, June 24, 1904; C.V.O., 1907; Order of the Rising Sun of Japan (3rd class), 1907; F.R.C.I., 1897. Appointed Honorary Lieut.­Colonel, 5th Regiment, Royal Highlanders, 1911; appointed Lieut. Colonel Canadian Expeditionary Force, Sept., 1915. Married Marguerite Ethel Mackenzie, daughter of late Hector Mackenzie, Montreal, October, 1893. Clubs: St. James's; Mount Royal; Canada; Auto and Aero; Montreal Hunt; Montreal Jockey; Winter; Royal Montreal Golf; Royal St. Lawrence Yacht; Canadian; Forest and Stream; Lachine Boating and Canoeing; Back River Polo; Montreal Racquet; Mount Bruno Country; York (Toronto); Rideau (Ottawa); Knickerbocker; Racquet and Tennis (New York); Junior Carlton; Canada; Bath (London, England). Presbyterian. Residence: "Ravenscrag," 505 Pine Avenue W., Montreal Summer Residence: "Montrose," Cacouna, Que. "Allancroft," Beaconsfield Que.

Source: Prominent People of the Province of Quebec, 1923-24 Montreal Biographical Society of Canada, Limited, undated and unpaginated.

Sir Hugh Montagu Allan, C. V. O.

President of the Merchants' Bank of Canada, Montreal, Que.

SIR HUGH MONTAGU ALLAN, President of Merchants' Bank of Canada, capitalist, clubman, enthusiast of out-door sports and an active official of and director in a score or more of the largest corporations and commercial enterprises of Canada; was born at Montreal, October 13th, 1860. He is a son of the late Sir Hugh Allan, and Matilda Caroline Allan, daughter of the late John Smith of Montreal. He was educated at Bishop's College School, Lennoxville, Province of Quebec, and at Paris, France. After completing his academic course he entered the firm of H. and A. Allan, passing through the various promotions and eventually becoming Deputy-Chairman of the Allan Line Steamship Company, Limited, from which he retired September 10th, 1912. He is President of the Merchants' Bank of Canada; President of Acadia Coal Company, Ltd.; Vice-President Canada Paper Company, Ltd.; Director Canadian Transfer Co., Ltd.; Vice-President Canadian Vickers, Ltd.; Director Ritz-Canton Hotel Company of Montreal, Ltd.; Dominion Steel Corporation, Ltd.; Labrador Company, Ltd.; Montreal Investment Trust; Montreal Light, Heat and Power Company; Mutual Life Assurance Company of Canada; Vice-President of North British Development Company, Ltd.; Director Ogilvie Flour Mills Company, Ltd.; President Railway Securities Company, Ltd.; Director of The Royal Trust Company of Montreal, and many others.

Sir H. Montagu Allan was created Knight Bachelor in June, 1904; C. V. O., in 1907; Third Class of Order of The Rising Sun of Japan, in 1907; and is also Honorary Lieut.-Colonel of the First Battalion Fifth Royal Highlanders of Canada.

He is President of St. Andrews Society of Montreal; Vice-President Montreal General Hospital and a member of the following clubs: Junior Carlton Club of London; Racquet and Tennis, and Knickerbocker of New York; St. James', Mount Royal, Back River Polo Club, Montreal Racket Club, Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club, and Royal Thames Yacht Club, Royal Montreal Golf Club, Montreal Curling Club, Thistle Curling Club, Montreal Hunt and M. F. H. from 1891 to 1895. His principal recreations are fox hunting, racing and other out-door sports. He is President of Montreal Jockey Club, Chairman of Montreal Horse Show Association, Vice-President Canadian Racing Association, and a Director in International Horse Shows, Limited, of London, England.

Sir Montagu was married in 1893 to Marguerite Ethel, daughter of the late Hector Mackenzie of Montreal, and they reside at "Ravenscrag," Montreal, one of the most palatial residences on the American continent. Their summer homes are "Montrose," Cacouna, and "Allancroft," Beaconsfield, Province of Quebec, Canada.

Source: Canadian History Makers. A Volume Containing Accurate and Concise Sketches of Men who have Done Things in The Dominion of Canada Past and Present Together with Photogravures Made from their Latest Photographs, Montreal, Canadian Publication Society, 1913, 159p., p. 15.