Paterson, William

Identity area

Type of entity

Person

Authorized form of name

Paterson, William

Parallel form(s) of name

    Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

      Other form(s) of name

        Identifiers for corporate bodies

        Description area

        Dates of existence

        1839-1914

        History

        William Paterson, minister of customs for Canada (1897-1911), was born in Hamilton, Upper Canada, on September 19, 1839, the son of James and Martha Paterson, of Aberdeen, Scotland. His parents died from cholera in 1849, and he was adopted by the Reverend Dr. Ferrier, a Presbyterian minister. He was educated at Hamilton and at Caledonia, Haldimand county, Upper Canada, and he went into business in Brantford, Upper Canada. There he established himself in 1863 as a manufacturer of biscuits and confectionery, and built up a successful business. In the same year he married Lucy Olive Davies, daughter of T.C. Davies of Brantford, Canada West. From 1872 to 1896 he represented South Brant in the Canadian House of Commons; and during the latter part of the period he became one of the leaders of the Liberal party in the House. In 1896 he was defeated for South Brant, but was returned for North Grey, and was appointed controller of customs, and in 1897 Minister of Customs, in the Laurier Administration. This Department he administered continuously, until the defeat of the Laurier Government in 1911, sitting successively for North Grey (1896-1900), North Wentworth (1900-1904), and Brant (1904-1911). In 1902 he was delegate to the Imperial Conference; and in 1911 he was one of the ministers who negotiated the abortive reciprocity agreement at Washington. He died at Picton, Ontario, on March 18, 1914. (taken from "The Macmillan Dictionary of Canadian Biography," fourth edition. 1978.)

        Places

        Legal status

        Functions, occupations and activities

        Mandates/sources of authority

        Internal structures/genealogy

        General context

        Relationships area

        Access points area

        Subject access points

        Place access points

        Occupations

        Control area

        Authority record identifier

        Institution identifier

        Rules and/or conventions used

        Status

        Level of detail

        Dates of creation, revision and deletion

        Language(s)

          Script(s)

            Sources

            Maintenance notes