Thomas Molson (September 1, 1791 – February 22, 1863) 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 ...

entrepreneur and philanthropist, co-founder of Molson Distillery and member of the Molson family. Born September 1, 1791, son of

John Molson John Molson (28 December 1763 – 11 January 1836) was an English people, English-born brewer and entrepreneur in colonial Province of Quebec (1763–91), Quebec, which during his lifetime became Lower Canada. In addition to founding Molson Brewe ...

(1763–1836) and Sarah Insley Vaughan, at

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

. Thomas Molson was educated in private schools and apprenticed to the

brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of b ...

trade. On becoming a partner in John Molson & Sons in 1816, he took over the management of the family's brewery operations. After an unprofitable venture into distilling in 1822, he withdrew from the partnership and settled in Kingston, Upper Canada, where he engaged in extensive brewing and distilling operations from 1824 to 1835. In 1836 he returned to Montreal to resume management of the family business. Under the firm-name of Thomas & William Molson it became one of the leading distilleries in North America. When

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 founde ...

retired in 1852 to establish Molson Bank, Thomas acquired sole ownership of the distilling interests and his son, John Henry Robinson Molson, became owner of the brewery. Thomas Molson was a benefactor of

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

and the Montreal General Hospital. He also built a private church, St. Thomas, and a theological college. In 1816 he wed Martha Molson (1795–1848), daughter of Thomas Molson (1768–1803) and Anne Atkinson (1765–1813). Thomas and Martha had at least eleven children before her death in 1848. In 1859 Thomas remarried to Sophia Stevenson, daughter of John Frederick Stevenson & Mary Catherine Coyne. Sophia died at Port Hope in 1909; they had no children.

Children and Grandchildren of Thomas Molson

Among these children and grandchildren of Thomas Molson are several who became prominent in the family business or in the community; several married into other leading Montreal families.The Molsons: Their Lives and Times, 1780-2000, by Karen Molson. Children * Martha Molson (1824-1900) * John Henry Robinson Molson (1826-1897) * Mary Anne Molson (1826-1922) * Harriet Molson (1830-1913) * Markland Molson (? - ?) - son * Frances Molson (1835-1841) * John Thomas Molson (1837-1910) Grandchildren; children of John Thomas Molson * Lillias Savage Molson (1866 - 1919) * Herbert Molson (1875 - 1938) * Kenneth Molson (1877 - 1932) * Mabel Molson (1879 - 1973) * Percival Molson (1880-1917) * Walter Molson (1883 - 1953)

References

External links

Memorial at ''Find A Grave''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Molson, Thomas 1791 births 1863 deaths Canadian people of English descent Businesspeople from Montreal Thomas Molson 19th-century Canadian philanthropists Lower Canada people Province of Canada people