Molson family
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Molson family of
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
,
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, Canada, was founded by
John Molson John Molson (December 28, 1763 – January 11, 1836) was an English-born brewer and entrepreneur in colonial Quebec, which during his lifetime became Lower Canada. In addition to founding Molson Brewery, he built the first steamship and the firs ...
, who immigrated to Canada in 1782 from his home in
Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. They are considered to be one of Canada's most prominent business families with a combined net worth of C$1.75 billion.


History

John Molson's success saw him and his offspring build Canada's largest brewery (
Molson Brewery The Molson Brewery is a Canadian based brewery company based in Montreal which was established in 1786 by the Molson family. In 2005, Molson merged with the Adolph Coors Company to become Molson Coors. Molson Coors maintains some of its Can ...
), finance its first
steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...
and build the first
railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
. His sons established
Molson's Bank The Molson Bank (sometimes labeled Molsons Bank) was a Canadians, Canadian bank founded in Montreal, Quebec, by brothers William Molson, William (1793–1875) and John Molson, Jr. (1787–1860), the sons of brewery magnate John Molson. History ...
, which printed its own currency, and in the city of Montreal, which was overwhelmingly
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, they financed the construction of a
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
church. The three Molson family mausoleums, built by Irish-born architect George Browne, are among
Mount Royal Cemetery Opened in 1852, Mount Royal Cemetery is a terraced cemetery on the north slope of Mount Royal in the borough of Outremont in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Temple Emanu-El Cemetery, a Reform Judaism burial ground, is within the Mount Royal grounds. Th ...
's most prestigious funerary monuments.
Hartland Molson Hartland de Montarville Molson, (May 29, 1907 – September 28, 2002) was an Anglo-Quebecer statesman, Canadian senator, military aviator, and a member of the Molson family of brewers. Education Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada to a wealthy ...
, a businessman and statesman, expanded the family's brewing operations nationwide, co-purchased the Canadian Arena, which included the
Montreal Forum Montreal Forum (french: Le Forum de Montréal) is a historic building located facing Cabot Square in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by ''Sporting News'', it was an indoor arena which served as the h ...
and the
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
club (1957–1964), and co-sponsored
Hockey Night in Canada CBC Television has aired National Hockey League (NHL) broadcasts under the ''Hockey Night in Canada'' (often abbreviated ''Hockey Night'' or ''HNiC'') brand that is primarily associated with its Saturday night NHL broadcasts throughout its hi ...
with his brother, Thomas Henry Pentland Molson. He also served as a Governor of
McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
, and he was a
senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
for 38 years.


Philanthropy

As major contributors to the economy, Hartland Molson and his brother Thomas Henry Pentland Molson gave back by creating the Molson Foundation in 1958, which awarded annual grants for outstanding achievement in the arts by Canadian citizens (renamed the Molson Family Foundation in 1981). The Thomas Henry Pentland Molson Prize for the Arts is awarded by
The Canada Council for the Arts The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the federal government's principal i ...
annually to distinguished individuals in the arts and the social sciences and humanities, and is intended to encourage continuing contribution to the cultural and intellectual heritage of Canada. The Thomas Henry Pentland Prize for general excellence is awarded annually at
Selwyn House School Selwyn House School (SHS) is an English-language independent K-11 boys' school located in Westmount, Quebec. The school was founded in 1908 by Englishman Captain Algernon Lucas and was named in honour of Selwyn College at the University of Cam ...
, which he attended in 1911. The Thomas Henry Pentland Molson Family Scholarship is awarded annually by the
Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific (Pearson College UWC) is one of eighteen schools and colleges around the world in the UWC (United World Colleges) movement. It is named after the late Canadian Prime Minister Lester Bowles Pea ...
.
William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
,
Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...
and John Molson Jr. provided McGill University's first endowed chair, the Molson Chair in English Language and Literature. In addition, in 1860, William Molson donated Molson Hall, the west wing of the university's Arts Building. Later generations of the Molson family provided funds to expand the university's medical buildings, as well as a gift of land for the Redpath Library. In 2005, the Molson Family Foundation donated the Hartland Molson Hall at
Bishop's College School Bishop's College School or BCS is an English-language non-profit independent boarding prep school in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada for students in Grades 7 to 12.Thomson, Ashley; Lafortune, Sylvie (1999). Handbook of Canadian Boarding Schools. To ...
and the building is named for Senator
Hartland Molson Hartland de Montarville Molson, (May 29, 1907 – September 28, 2002) was an Anglo-Quebecer statesman, Canadian senator, military aviator, and a member of the Molson family of brewers. Education Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada to a wealthy ...
, where many Molson family members attended school. The Molson Family Foundation, together with several members of the family, contributed the major part of the funds required for the construction of the Molson Fine Arts Building at
Bishop's University Bishop's University (french: Université Bishop's) is a small English-language Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Lennoxville, a borough of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The founder of the institution was the Anglican Diocese of Quebe ...
. The building bears witness to the interest of members of the Molson family in the welfare of Bishop's University, over a period of more than 60 years: Walter Molson, Trustee 1928–1951, John H. Molson, President of Corporation 1947–1966, J. David Molson, Trustee 1965–1968, William M. Molson, Trustee 1968–1976, Eric H. Molson, Trustee 1976–1984.


Notable members of the Molson family

*
John Molson John Molson (December 28, 1763 – January 11, 1836) was an English-born brewer and entrepreneur in colonial Quebec, which during his lifetime became Lower Canada. In addition to founding Molson Brewery, he built the first steamship and the firs ...
(1763–1836) **
John Molson Jr. John Molson Junior (October 14, 1787 – July 12, 1860) was a Canadian politician and entrepreneur. He served as director of Molson Bank, president of the Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad (Canada's first railway), and president of Montreal Gen ...
(1787–1860) **
Thomas Molson Thomas Molson (September 1, 1791 – February 22, 1863) was a Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist, co-founder of Molson Distillery and member of the Molson family. Born September 1, 1791, son of John Molson (1763–1836) and Sarah Insley Vau ...
(1791–1863) ***Martha Molson (1824–1900) *** John Henry Robinson Molson (1826–1897) ***Mary Anne Molson (1826–1922) ***Harriet Molson (1830–1913) ***Markland Molson ***Frances Molson (1835–1841) ***John Thomas Molson (1837–1910) ****Lillias Savage Molson (1866–1919) ****
Herbert Molson Colonel Herbert Molson (May 29, 1875 – March 21, 1938) was a Canadian politician, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was a former owner of Molson Brewery and a member of the Molson family. Life and career He was born on May 29, 1875, the s ...
(1875–1938) *****Thomas Henry Pentland Molson (1901–1978) ******
Eric Molson Eric Herbert Molson (born September 16, 1937) is a Canadian billionaire businessman. He is the former Chairman of Molson Coors and former Chancellor of Concordia University. He is a member of the Molson family. Education Born in Montreal, Eric M ...
(b. 1937) *******
Andrew Molson Andrew Thomas Molson is a Canadian businessman born in 1967 in Montreal. He is the eldest son of Eric Molson and the brother of Justin Molson and Geoff Molson. He is a member of the Molson family. Education Andrew Molson attended secondary sc ...
(b. 1967) *******
Justin Molson Justin may refer to: People * Justin (name), including a list of persons with the given name Justin * Justin (historian), a Latin historian who lived under the Roman Empire * Justin I (c. 450–527), or ''Flavius Iustinius Augustus'', Eastern Rom ...
(b. 1969) *******
Geoff Molson Geoffrey Eric Molson (born July 23, 1971), is a Canadian businessman and current president and chief executive officer and co-owner of the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens, Evenko, Bell Centre and L'Équipe Spectra alongside his bro ...
(b. 1971), CEO and President of the
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
and former VP with Molsons *****Mary Dorothy Molson MacDougall (1904–1992) *****Naomi Elizabeth Molson Mather (1906–1992) *****
Hartland Molson Hartland de Montarville Molson, (May 29, 1907 – September 28, 2002) was an Anglo-Quebecer statesman, Canadian senator, military aviator, and a member of the Molson family of brewers. Education Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada to a wealthy ...
(1907–2002) ****Kenneth Molson (1877–1932) ****Mabel Molson (1879–1973) ****
Percival Molson Captain Percival Talbot "Percy" Molson, MC (August 14, 1880 – July 5, 1917) was a Canadian star athlete and soldier. After an outstanding sports career with McGill University, Molson joined its administration. Molson died fighting in World ...
(1880–1917) ****Walter Molson (1883–1953) **
William Molson William Molson (November 5, 1793 – February 18, 1875) was a Canadian politician, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was the founder and President of Molson Bank, which was in 1925 absorbed by the Bank of Montreal. He was the son of the founder ...
(1793–1875) ***William Markland Molson (1833–1913) ****
Harry Markland Molson Harry Markland Molson (August 9, 1856 – April 15, 1912) was a Canadian politician and entrepreneur. A member of the Molson family, he was Mayor of Dorval, Quebec. He perished in the sinking of RMS ''Titanic'' on April 15, 1912. Molson was ...
(1856–1912) ***Samuel Elsdale Molson **** John Elsdale Molson (1863–1925) ***** Arthur Hugh Molson, Baron Molson (1903–1991) ****William Alexander Molson ***** William Hobart Molson (1888–1951), only son of Dr. William Alexander Molson *****John Henry Molson ****** J. David Molson (1928–2017), son of John Henry Molson


References


Molson family gifts at McGill University website
{{NHLOwners Canadian business families Canadian brewers Business families National Hockey League owners