- Henry Pellatt
Major-General Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, C.V.O. (
January 6 ,1859 ,Kingston, Ontario ,Canada -March 8 ,1939 ) was a well-known Canadian financier and soldier.He is perhaps best known for his role in bringing
hydro-electricity toToronto for the first time and for his famous house,Casa Loma , in Toronto, which was the largest private home ever constructed in North America. His summer home and farm in King City would later becomeMary Lake Augustinian Monastery .Sir Henry was also a noted supporter of the
Boy Scouts of Canada . His wife Lady Mary Pellatt was the first Chief Commissioner of theGirl Guides of Canada .He was educated at
Upper Canada College before leaving in 1876 to join his father's stock brokerage company, Pellatt and Osler, as a clerk. In 1882, Osler and Pellatt parted ways, and Henry Jr. completed his apprenticeship and became a full member of thestock exchange . In the following year, Henry Pellatt Sr. set up a partnership with his son under the name Pellatt and Pellatt.Sir Henry enlisted as a
Rifleman withThe Queen's Own Rifles of Canada on November 2nd, 1876. In 1882 he married Mary Dodgson, who would later become Lady Pellatt when he was knighted in 1905 for his service with The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada. In 1910, Sir Henry took the entire 600 man regiment (including its horses) to England for military training at his expense to mark the Regiment's 50th anniversary. The military exercises lasted from 13 August to 3 October.He had three sisters and two brothers,
Fred Pellatt (grandfather ofToronto freelance writer John Pellatt) andMill Pellatt (father of (another) Mary Pellatt). The latter brother was paymaster of theToronto Electric Light Company , a job obtained by Sir Henry. His sisters were Mary Kate, Marian Maria and Emily Mountford Pellatt.Much of his fortune was made through investments in the hydro electricity and railway industries in Canada. The strain of maintaining his large castle led him to ill-advised real estate investments which were unsuccessful. The Province took over his electricity business and his airplane business was taken over as part of the war effort during
World War I . Combined, these difficulties led to his near bankruptcy and forced him and Lady Pellatt to leave Casa Loma.Sir Henry was promoted to the rank of
Major-General upon his retirement. When he died on March 8, 1939, thousands lined Toronto streets to witness his funeral procession. He was buried with full military honours. [ [http://www.casaloma.org/Media/Kit/PressDisplay.asp?Display=Press&PressReleaseID=17 Casa Loma - Media Room - Press Releases ] at www.casaloma.org]His body lies at rest in Forest Lawn Mausoleum in Toronto.
His life is featured in the film [http://www.casaloma.org/Film/index.asp The Pellatt Newsreel] written and directed by Barbra Cooper of [http://www.lushentertainment.ca Lush Art & Entertainment] airing on the Biography Channel.
Several biographies have been written about Pellatt. In particular, Carlie Oreskovich's [http://www.kingofcasaloma.com The King of Casa Loma] gives a detailed and thorough account.
ee also
*
Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell References
* [http://www.casaloma.org Official website of Casa Loma]
* [http://www.CasaLomaTrust.ca Sir Henry Pellatt's Great Grand Niece]
* [http://www.kingofcasaloma.com/ King of Casa Loma - collection of information about Sir Henry Mill Pellatt]
* [http://www.lushentertainment.ca Lush Art & Entertainment "The Pellatt Newsreel"]
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