Benjamin Holmes

Benjamin Holmes (April 23, 1794 – May 23, 1865) was a Lower Canada businessman and political figure. He served in the militia of Lower Canada during the War of 1812, including a period of captivity by the American forces. He joined the Bank of Montreal shortly after it formed in 1817, and rose to be the cashier (general manager) by 1827. He was twice a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. In spite of his service in the War of 1812, he was a supporter of annexation by the United States in the late 1840s, and a signatory of the Montreal Annexation Manifesto. He became a vice-president of the Grand Trunk Railway, and also a director of the Bank of Montreal.

Early life and family Born in 1794 in Dublin, Ireland, Holmes was the son of Thomas Holmes and Susanna Scott. His father had some military background. In 1797, the Holmes family took ship to North America, but their vessel was captured by a French frigate and taken as a prize to Cadiz, Spain. The family was kept in Spain for four years. Holmes' younger brother, Andrew Fernando Holmes, was born during their captivity. Finally, in 1801, they were able to complete their voyage to Lower Canada.

In 1819, Holmes married Élisabeth Arnoldi, daughter of Dr Daniel Arnoldi in Montreal. Benjamin's brother Andrew apprenticed under Dr Arnoldi and was one of the founders of the Montreal Medical Institute, the forerunner to the McGill School of Medicine.

Militia service Holmes began work as a clerk with a group of Montreal merchants under Horatio Gates, but joined the Canadian Light Dragoons during the War of 1812, becoming lieutenant in 1813. He took part in the Niagara campaign of 1813 in Upper Canada (now Ontario), but was taken prisoner in October. He was held as a prisoner of war in Kentucky, before being released in 1814. He was engaged in some commercial activities in Upper Canada, and then in 1815 received a new commission as an ensign in the Canadian Fencibles. That led to the breakup of his partnership with Young.

quote = He . . . had taken his seat in Parliament with prejudice for his guide — the veil had since fallen from his eyes, and he was ready to act cordially with gentlemen of French origin. — Benjamin Holmes A firm supporter of the union of the Canadas, Holmes initially was a member of the British Tory group from Canada East (as Lower Canada was now known), and a supporter of the Governor General, Lord Sydenham. However, over the course of the three annual sessions of the Parliament, Holmes gradually shifted towards the coalition of Reformers and the French-Canadian Group, and away from supporting the governor general. The major showdown between Governor General Sir Charles Metcalfe and the Reform ministry of Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine and Robert Baldwin came in 1843, over the implementation of responsible government. The Lafontaine-Baldwin ministry resigned. Holmes was one of the co-sponsors of a resolution in the Legislative Assembly, supporting the outgoing Reform ministry and calling on the Governor General to respect the principle of responsible government. From his initial Tory position, he had shifted to a moderate independent position, and ended the last session as a member of the reform-minded French-Canadian Group. Holmes returned to work at the bank, but he found that his political stances hampered his reputation for impartiality in the business community. He resigned from the bank in 1846. He did not stand for election in the general election of 1851. He was defeated in two attempts to become mayor of Montreal, in 1850 and again in 1860.

Holmes died at Montreal in 1865.