Sir John Craig Eaton (April 28, 1876 – March 30, 1922) was a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

businessman and a member of the prominent Eaton family.

Life and career

He was born in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Ontario, the youngest son of

department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store under one roof, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store mad ...

magnate

Timothy Eaton Timothy Eaton (March 1834 – 31 January 1907) was a Northern Irish-Canadian businessman who founded the Eaton's department store, one of the most important retail businesses in Canada's history. Early life and family He was born in Ballymena, ...

and his wife, Margaret Wilson Beattie. He married Flora McCrea in 1901, and they had six children: Timothy Craig, John David, Edgar Allison, Gilbert McCrea, Florence Mary, and Evlyn (

adopted Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...

). In 1905, weeks after laying the final stone at the new store at the corner of Portage and Donald in Winnipeg, John Craig (aka 'Jack') participated in several automobile races, successfully lowering the 5-mile record driving a Packard. He didn't appear to race again after 1905, but his grandson, George Eaton inherited not only the family business, but also the racing gene. Upon the death of his father in 1907, he inherited five million dollars and the T. Eaton Company. He became its president at this time, and the company flourished under his control. He greatly influenced the company and expanded the stores nationally. He built Ardwold, an enormous residence of 50 rooms in Toronto, beginning in 1909 and finishing in 1911. He also acquired a resort home from his mother in

Oakville, Ontario Oakville is a town and List of municipalities in Ontario#Lower-tier municipalities, lower-tier municipality in Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton Region, Ontario, Canada. Generally seen as a commuter suburb of Toronto, it is located on Lake ...

, called the Raymar Estate (the estate has since disappeared). In 1915, Eaton was made a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised Order of chivalry, orders of chivalry; it is a part of the Orders, decorations, and medals ...

in recognition of his participation in the

war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

effort. He thus became Sir John Craig Eaton, and his wife was known as Lady Eaton. He was a noted

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

. Perhaps his most lavish public contribution was the gift, made together with his mother, of land and funds for a large

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

church on St Clair Avenue in Toronto. Named

Timothy Eaton Memorial Church Timothy Eaton Memorial Church is a church located at 230 St. Clair Avenue West in Forest Hill, Toronto, Forest Hill, Toronto, Ontario. Originally Methodist Church, Canada, Methodist, since 1925, it has belonged to the United Church of Canada. The ...

after his father, it was constructed in 1912–14. He also made many donations to

Omemee, Ontario Omemee is a community within the city of Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada, formerly known as Victoria County. The community had a population of 1,247 in the Canada 2011 Census. It is located between the city of Peterborough and the community of ...

, the home town of his wife Flora. These donations included Coronation Hall (1911), and the manse and organ for Trinity United Church. He died of pneumonia following influenza in 1922 at the age of 45, and his cousin Robert Young Eaton became president of the company until Sir John's son,

John David Eaton John David Eaton (4 October 1909 – 4 August 1973) was a Canadian businessman and a member of the Eaton family (Toronto), Eaton family. From 1942–1969, he was president of Eaton's, the department store chain his grandfather, Timothy Eaton, foun ...

, reached an appropriate age to take over. Sir John's grandson, John Craig Eaton II, served as chairman of Eaton's in its later years.

References

External links

John Craig Eaton and Flora McCrea Eaton fonds
Archives of Ontario {{DEFAULTSORT:Eaton, John

John Eaton John Eaton may refer to: * John Eaton (divine) (born 1575), English divine * John Eaton (pirate) (fl. 1683–1686), English buccaneer *Sir John Craig Eaton (1876–1922), Canadian businessman * John Craig Eaton II (born 1937), Canadian businessman ...

1876 births 1922 deaths Deaths from influenza Canadian Methodists Canadian businesspeople in retailing Canadian Knights Bachelor Canadian people of Ulster-Scottish descent Canadian socialites Businesspeople from Toronto Upper Canada College alumni Deaths from pneumonia in Ontario

Life and career

See also

References

External links