The Honourable Roderick Matheson (December 1793 – January 13, 1873) was an Ontario businessman and political figure. He was a Conservative member of the

Senate of Canada The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The Senate is modelled after the B ...

from 1867 until his death.

Early life

He was born in Lochcarron, Ross-shire, Scotland in 1793 and came to Lower Canada around 1806. He served with the Glengarry Fencibles during the War of 1812, reaching the rank of lieutenant. In 1817, he settled at the military settlement at Perth. Matheson operated a general store there and was a director of the Tay Navigation Company. In 1847, he was appointed to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada and, in 1855, he was made colonel and put in charge of the 1st military district of Canada West. He was named a Senator after Confederation.

Private life

Matheson married Mary Fraser Robertson in Montreal on November 5, 1823. After she died giving birth to twin boys, John and Roderick, in 1825, he married Annabella Russell in Gairloch, Scotland on August 11, 1830. Matheson had seven daughters (Isabella, Flora, Mary, Anna, Eliza, Joan, and Rose) and four sons (William, Charles, Arthur and Alan), one of whom, Arthur, later served as treasurer of Ontario. Of his seven daughters, only one married. The rest lived out their days at the Matheson House in Perth, Upper Canada (Ontario) and helped tend to the house and gardens after their mother died in 1854.

Death

Roderick Matheson died of a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

in Perth, Ontario in 1873. Matheson House, his former residence in Perth, is a National Historic Site of Canada and now serves as the Perth Museum.

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Matheson, Roderick 1793 births 1873 deaths Members of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada Canadian senators from Ontario Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) senators Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Quebec Immigrants to Lower Canada Immigrants to Upper Canada