A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time by Rose
1827. In 1831, he was ordained a minister of the Presbyterian church,
813 words | Chapter 29
but shortly afterwards came to Canada, and was appointed to the charge
of St. Andrew’s Church, Toronto, and was also chaplain to the 93rd
Highlanders, stationed in that city, about the time of the rebellion in
1837-8. He subsequently entered the Church of England, to which he was
ordained by Bishop Mountain in 1841, and was appointed to the incumbency
of St. George’s Church, Montreal, which position he retained for nearly
twenty years. He took the warmest interest in educational matters, was
one of the founders of Queen’s College, Kingston, and was for many years
an honoured member of the Council of Public Institution for Lower
Canada, afterwards the province of Quebec. He was one of the little band
who brought McGill University to its present position. His connection
with McGill dates from 1845, and he may be said to have been the last
survivor of the original staff. From the earliest years of the college,
he was one of the professors of the Faculty of Arts, and as the work of
the university extended, he relinquished his ministerial duties to
devote himself exclusively to college work. During his active connection
with the college, he held the Molson chair of English language and
literature, was professor of logic and of mental and moral philosophy,
dean of the Faculty of Arts, and vice-principal of the University. He
was created D.C.L. of McGill in 1849, and LL.D. of McGill in 1857, and
in 1867, the University of Lennoxville conferred upon him the degree of
D.C.L. The Venerable Archdeacon Leach married three times. Shortly after
his arrival in Canada, he returned for a short visit to Scotland, where
he married Miss Skirving, daughter of Mr. Skirving, of Haddington, and
granddaughter of Adam Skirving, author of “Johnnie Cope,” and other
songs very popular at the time in Scotland. Of this marriage there were
four children, two of whom are living, viz.: David S. Leach, of
Montreal, and Mrs. Howell, of London, England. He afterwards married
Miss Easton, daughter of the Rev. Robert Easton, a lady well known and
much beloved, who previous to her marriage had conducted one of the
principal establishments in Canada for the education of young ladies.
His widow (daughter of the late Francis Gwilt), with her young unmarried
daughter, reside in Montreal.
* * * * *
=St. George, Percival Walter=, Civil Engineer, Montreal, was born at
Forres, Morayshire, Scotland, on the 22nd October, 1849. He is a son of
Lieutenant-Colonel James D. N. St. George, who was a lieutenant-colonel
in her Majesty’s Ordnance Staff Corps, and had charge for many years of
the clothing establishment of the British army in London, England.
Walter was sent to France by his parents to be educated, and spent seven
years of his boyhood days in that country, and then finished his
educational course in Edinburgh University, where he took honours in
mathematics. He came to Canada in 1866, and began the practice of his
profession. From 1866 to 1868, two years, he was the pupil of Alexander
McNab, chief engineer for the province of Nova Scotia; from 1868 to
1872, four years, he acted as assistant engineer on construction and
survey of the Intercolonial Railway of Canada; in 1872-73 he was
engineer on survey of the North Shore Railway of Canada; in 1873-74,
engineer maintenance of way on the Intercolonial Railway, in charge of
one hundred and eight miles; in 1874-75 engineer on survey of the
Northern Colonization Railway, from Ottawa to the Mattawan; in 1875-76
he was assistant engineer of Montreal; and from 1876 to 1883, eight
years, deputy city surveyor of the same city; from July to December, in
1883, he was engineer in charge of three hundred miles of line on the
Norfolk and Western Railway in Virginia; and in December of 1883 he was
appointed city surveyor of Montreal, and this position he has occupied
ever since. He was also one of the members of the Royal Flood Commission
of Montreal, appointed in 1886. Mr. St. George has been an associate
member of the Institute of Civil Engineers of England since 1877; and is
now a member of the Council of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers.
He is a master Mason, and a member of the Royal Arch Chapter. He has
travelled a good deal, and his profession has made him familiar with the
greater part of Canada. He is a member of the Church of England. On the
11th July, 1872, he was married to Flora Stewart, daughter of the Rev.
Canon Geo. Townshend, rector of Amherst, Nova Scotia, and Elizabeth
Stewart, daughter of the Hon. Alexander Stewart, C.B., master of the
Rolls, and judge of the Vice-Admiralty Court, and has issue five
children.
* * * * *
=Palmer, Caleb Read=, Justice of the Peace, Moncton, was born at
Dorchester, Westmoreland county, New Brunswick, on the 13th February,
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