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{{Short description|19th century Canadian politician}}
{{Infobox Officeholder
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
| name = Robert Unwin Harwood
| name = Robert Unwin Harwood
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| birth_place = [[Sheffield]], [[England]]
| birth_place = [[Sheffield]], [[England]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1863|04|12|1798|01|22|df=y}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1863|04|12|1798|01|22|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Château]] [[Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality|Vaudreil]], [[Quebec]]
| death_place = [[Château]] [[Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality|Vaudreuil]], [[Canada East]]
| nationality =
| nationality =
| spouse =
| spouse =
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| relations =
| relations =
| children =
| children =
| residence = Chateau Vaudreuil, Quebec
| residence = Chateau Vaudreuil
| alma_mater =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Seigneur de Vaudreuil
| occupation = Seigneur de Vaudreuil
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| footnotes =
| footnotes =
}}
}}
'''The Hon. Robert Unwin Harwood''' (January 22, 1798 – April 12, 1863) was the last [[Seigneurial system of New France|Seigneur]] of [[Vaudreuil]] and a political figure in [[Lower Canada]] and [[Canada East]].
'''Robert Unwin Harwood''' (January 22, 1798 – April 12, 1863) was the last ''[[seigneurial system of New France|seigneur]]'' of [[Vaudreuil (provincial electoral district)|Vaudreuil]], commanding officer of the Vaudreuil Militia, and for thirty years a political figure in [[Lower Canada]] and [[Canada East]].


==Arrival in Canada==
==Arrival in Canada==
[[File:Portrait of Marie-Louise Josephte Harwood (1803-1869).jpg|thumb|left|Marie-Louise Josephte ([[Michel-Eustache-Gaspard-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière|Chartier de Lotbinière]]) Harwood, [[Seigneur]]esse de [[Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality|Vaudreuil]]; painted by [[Anson Dickinson]] c. 1824. Courtesy of [[McCord Museum]]]]
[[File:Robert Unwin Harwood, 1863.jpg|thumb|left|Robert Unwin Harwood, c.1823]]
Robert Unwin Harwood was born in [[Sheffield]], [[England]] in 1798, the son of William Harwood and Elizabeth Unwin. Coming to [[Montreal]] in 1821, he represented the family-owned wholesale silver and hardware House of John Harwood & Co., run by his brother, John, back in [[Sheffield]]. From having been a relatively obscure young merchant in [[Montreal]], his opportune marriage in 1823 to the eldest daughter of [[Michel-Eustache-Gaspard-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière]] significantly improved his fortunes.
Harwood was christened at [[Sheffield Cathedral]], [[England]], third son of William Harwood and Elizabeth Unwin. Representing William Harwood & Sons his family's wholesale silver and hardware business in Sheffield that exported to [[Colony of Jamaica|Jamaica]], [[Bermuda]], [[Baltimore]] and [[Lower Canada]] he came to [[Montreal]] in 1821. The obscure young merchant's fortunes were significantly improved when, two years later, he married Marie-Louise Josephte de Lotbinière (1803 - 1869), eldest daughter of [[Michel-Eustache-Gaspard-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière]].


==Politics==
==Politics==
Line 57: Line 59:


==Seigneur de Vaudreuil==
==Seigneur de Vaudreuil==
[[File:Robert Unwin Harwood, 1863.jpg|thumb|left|Robert Unwin Harwood, 1824]]

Despite being an Englishman who had married into the right to be called a [[Seigneurial system of New France|seigneur]], Harwood was held in great respect by his tenants. Exchanging a life of society and business in [[Montreal]], he and his wife arrived in [[Vaudreuil]] in 1829 to bring the estate back to order. Rather than relying on rents as an income he built a large scale co-operative mill to the great benefit of all those who lived on his land. He gave generously to churches, schools and the needy in Vaudreuil. He described his interest in pursuing reforms in agriculture and transportation as a 'a hobby', but he displayed a firm grasp of the problems facing his tenants, and it revealed his genuine concern to improve things.
Despite being an Englishman who had married into the right to be called a [[Seigneurial system of New France|seigneur]], Harwood was held in great respect by his tenants. Exchanging a life of society and business in [[Montreal]], he and his wife arrived in [[Seigneurie de Vaudreuil|Vaudreuil]] in 1829 to bring the estate back to order. Rather than relying on rents as an income he built a large-scale co-operative mill to the great benefit of all those who lived on his land. He gave generously to churches, schools and the needy in Vaudreuil. He described his interest in pursuing reforms in agriculture and transportation as 'a hobby', but he displayed a firm grasp of the problems facing his tenants, and it revealed his genuine concern to improve things.


When it came to collecting his seigneurial dues he preferred leniency to litigation, adding to the respect and admiration that his tenents held for him. His brother in [[England]] on the other hand berated him for his liberal attitude writing to him that 'the management of property to advantage is a talent not possessed by many, and certainly not by our family'. But the French-speaking newspaper ''La Minerve'' wrote at his death,
When it came to collecting his seigneurial dues he preferred leniency to litigation, adding to the respect and admiration that his tenents held for him. His brother in [[England]] on the other hand berated him for his liberal attitude writing to him that 'the management of property to advantage is a talent not possessed by many, and certainly not by our family'. But the French-speaking newspaper ''La Minerve'' wrote at his death,


''Mr Harwood's conduct as a seigneur has been and remains irreproachable... Few seigneurs were as well liked by their ''censitaires'' as he was... The Hon. Robt. Harwood was much respected, indulgent to his tenantry, of unspotted reputation, courteous and considerate to all with whom he had relations''
''Mr Harwood's conduct as a seigneur has been and remains irreproachable... Few seigneurs were as well liked by their ''censitaires'' as he was... The Hon. Robt. Harwood was much respected, indulgent to his tenantry, of unspotted reputation, courteous and considerate to all with whom he had relations.''


==Chateau Vaudreuil==
==Chateau Vaudreuil==


In 1830, Harwood rebuilt the old manor house at Vaudreuil where his wife had grown up, naming the new house 'Chateau Vaudreuil'. It was a large and imposing four storey, stone house on a hill. After Harwood's death, when the [[Seigneurial system of New France]] had been abolished, his heirs sold the house and it subsequently became the College de St. Raphael before it was destroyed by fire. After the fire, under the foundation stone a leaden plate stamped with three [[fleurs de lys]] was found bearing the French inscription -
In 1830, Harwood rebuilt the old manor house at Vaudreuil where his wife had grown up, naming the new house 'Chateau Vaudreuil'. It was a large and imposing four-storey stone house on a hill, that burned down in 1870. After Harwood's death, when the [[Seigneurial system of New France]] had been abolished, his heirs sold the house and it subsequently became the College de St. Raphael before it was destroyed by fire. After the fire, under the foundation stone a leaden plate stamped with three [[fleurs de lys]] was found bearing the French inscription: (requires a source!)


''This stone was laid by Lady Louise Elyzabeth de Joybert, wife of the high and powerful Seigneur Philippe de Rigaud ([[Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil]]), Chevalier, Marquis de Vaudreuil, Grand Cross [[Order of Saint Louis]], Governor and Lieutenant-General to the King of all of New France in 1723, the 15th of March.''
''This stone was laid by Lady Louise Elyzabeth de Joybert, wife of the high and powerful Seigneur Philippe de Rigaud ([[Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil]]), Chevalier, Marquis de Vaudreuil, Grand Cross [[Order of Saint Louis]], Governor and Lieutenant-General to the King of all of New France in 1723, the 15th of March.''


Lady Louise de Joybert was the daughter of [[Pierre de Joybert de Soulanges et de Marson]] and his wife Marie-Francoise (who died in [[Paris]], 1732), the daughter of [[Louis-Théandre Chartier de Lotbinière]], Mrs Harwood's great, great, great grandfather.
Lady Louise de Joybert was the daughter of [[Pierre de Joybert de Soulanges et de Marson]] and his wife Marie-Francoise (who died in [[Paris]], 1732), the daughter of [[Louis-Théandre Chartier de Lotbinière]], Mrs Harwood's great-great-great grandfather.


==Family==
==Family==
In 1823, at [[Seigneurie de Vaudreuil|Vaudreuil]], Robert Unwin Harwood married Marie-Louise-Josephte Chartier de Lotbinière (1803–1869), the eldest daughter of the Speaker of the House of Commons, [[Michel-Eustache-Gaspard-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière]], and heiress to the [[Seigneury]] of [[Seigneurie de Vaudreuil|Vaudreuil]]. Her mother, Mary Charlotte Munro, was a daughter of [[John Munro (loyalist)|Captain The Hon. John Munro]]. The Harwood children became known as the de Lotbinière-Harwoods - co-seigneurs of [[Seigneurie de Vaudreuil|Vaudreuil]] and first cousins of Sir [[Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière]], [[Prime Minister of Quebec]] and [[Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia]]. Their children were:
[[File:Louise-Josephte de Lotbiniere Harwood.gif|thumb|Mrs Marie-Louise-Josephte (Chartier de Lotbinière) Harwood, [[Seigneur]]esse de [[Vaudreuil]]]]
In 1823, at [[Vaudreuil]], Robert Unwin Harwood married Marie-Louise-Josephte Chartier de Lotbinière (1803-1869), the eldest daughter of the Speaker of the House of Commons, [[Michel-Eustache-Gaspard-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière]], and heiress to the [[Seigneury]] of [[Vaudreuil]]. Her mother, Mary Charlotte Munro, was a daughter of [[John Munro (loyalist)|Captain The Hon. John Munro]] The Harwoods children became known as the de Lotbinière-Harwoods - co-seigneurs of [[Vaudreuil]] and first cousins of Sir [[Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière]], [[Prime Minister of Quebec]] and [[Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia]]. Their children were,


*Lt.-Colonel The Hon. [[Antoine Chartier de Lotbinière Harwood]]. He married Angelique Lefebvre de Bellefeuille, daughter of Eustache Antoine de Bellefeuille, [[fiefdom|Seigneur]] of [[Bellefeuille, Quebec]], and a niece of [[John MacDonald of Garth]].
*Lt.-Colonel The Hon. [[Antoine Chartier de Lotbinière Harwood]]. He married Angelique Lefebvre de Bellefeuille, daughter of Eustache Antoine de Bellefeuille, [[fiefdom|Seigneur]] of [[Bellefeuille, Quebec]], and a niece of [[John MacDonald of Garth]].
*The Hon. [[Robert Harwood|Robert William de Lotbinière-Harwood]]. He married Mary Charlotte McGillis, another niece of [[John MacDonald of Garth]]. Their daughter married [[Sam Steele|Major-General Sir Samuel Steele]], of [[Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)|Lord Strathcona's Horse]]. Their son married Marie-Adelaide Masson, niece of The Rt. Hon. [[Louis-Rodrigue Masson]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Quebec]].
*The Hon. [[Robert Harwood (politician)|Robert William de Lotbinière-Harwood]]. He married Mary Charlotte McGillis, another niece of [[John MacDonald of Garth]]. Their daughter married [[Sam Steele|Major-General Sir Samuel Steele]], of [[Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)|Lord Strathcona's Horse]]. Their son married Marie-Adelaide Masson, niece of The Rt. Hon. [[Louis-Rodrigue Masson]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Quebec]].
*William Bingham de Lotbinière-Harwood, merchant at [[Montreal]].
*William Bingham de Lotbinière-Harwood, merchant at [[Montreal]].
*Alain Chartier de Lotbinière-Harwood (1836-1912), of Vaudreuil.
*Alain Chartier de Lotbinière-Harwood (1836–1912), of Vaudreuil.
*The Hon. [[Henry Stanislas Harwood]], of Vaudreuil and Montreal; father of [[Louis de Lotbiniere-Harwood]].
*The Hon. [[Henry Stanislas Harwood]], of Vaudreuil and Montreal; father of [[Louis de Lotbiniere-Harwood]].
*Charles Ladislas Harwood (1844-1887), of Vaudreuil.
*Charles Ladislas Harwood (1844–1887), of Vaudreuil.
*Marie-Louise de Lotbinière-Harwood (1830-1904). She married Antoine Eustache de Bellefeuille MacDonald (1828-1894), son of [[John MacDonald of Garth]] and nephew of The Hon. [[William McGillivray]] and [[Sir Archibald Campbell, 1st Baronet|General Sir Archibald Campbell]]. One son married a daughter of The Hon. [[Charles-Auguste-Maximilien Globensky]] and another married Anne Macdonald, niece of [[William Christopher Macdonald|Sir William C. Macdonald]].
*Marie-Louise de Lotbinière-Harwood (1830–1904). She married Antoine Eustache de Bellefeuille MacDonald (1828–1894), son of [[John MacDonald of Garth]] and nephew of The Hon. [[William McGillivray]] and [[Sir Archibald Campbell, 1st Baronet|General Sir Archibald Campbell]]. One son married a daughter of The Hon. [[Charles-Auguste-Maximilien Globensky]] and another married Anne Macdonald, niece of [[William Christopher Macdonald|Sir William C. Macdonald]].
*Marie-Antoinette-Charles de Lotbinière Harwood (1832-1896). In 1857, she married her cousin, The Rt. Hon. [[Henri-Elzear Taschereau|Sir Henri-Elzéar Taschereau]], [[Chief Justice of Canada]]. One of their daughters married a son of The Hon. [[Joseph-Charles Taché]], and another married her first cousin, Brigadier-General Alphonse Eugène Panet.
*Marie-Antoinette-Charles de Lotbinière Harwood (1832–1896). In 1857, she married her cousin, The Rt. Hon. [[Henri-Elzear Taschereau|Sir Henri-Elzéar Taschereau]], [[Chief Justice of Canada]]. One of their daughters married a son of The Hon. [[Joseph-Charles Taché]], and another married her first cousin, Brigadier-General Alphonse Eugène Panet.
*Marie-Henriette-Cornélie de Lotbinière-Harwood (d.1878). In 1862, she married Lt.-Colonel The Hon. [[Charles-Eugène Panet]].
*Marie-Henriette-Cornélie de Lotbinière-Harwood (died 1878). In 1862, she married Lt.-Colonel The Hon. [[Charles-Eugène Panet]].
*Elizabeth de Lotbinière-harwood, died unmarried at Vaudreuil.
*Elizabeth de Lotbinière-Harwood, died unmarried at Vaudreuil.


Robert Unwin Harwood died at Chateau Vaudreuil in 1863, and he and his family are buried in the Chartier de Lotbiniere (subsequently the de Lotbiniere-Harwood) vault at their Church, Saint-Michel, Vaudreuil, built by Mrs Harwood's grandfather, [[Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, Marquis de Lotbinière]].
Robert Unwin Harwood died at Chateau Vaudreuil in 1863, and he and his family are buried in the Chartier de Lotbiniere (subsequently the de Lotbiniere-Harwood) vault at their church, Saint-Michel, Vaudreuil, built by Mrs Harwood's grandfather, [[Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, Marquis de Lotbinière]].


==External links==
==External links==
* {{QuebecMNAbio|harwood-robert-unwin-3611}}
* {{QuebecMNAbio|harwood-robert-unwin-3611}}
*{{Cite DCB|4484}}
*{{Cite DCB|4484}}
*[http://www.histoirequebec.qc.ca/publicat/vol7num2/v7n2_1se.htm History of the Seigneury of Vaudreuil]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120213122114/http://www.histoirequebec.qc.ca/publicat/vol7num2/v7n2_1se.htm History of the Seigneury of Vaudreuil]
*[http://www.chlapresquile.qc.ca/archives/fonds-privees/fonds-lotbiniere-harwood.html Records of the de Lotbiniere-Harwood family of Vaudreuil]
*[http://www.chlapresquile.qc.ca/archives/fonds-privees/fonds-lotbiniere-harwood.html Records of the de Lotbiniere-Harwood family of Vaudreuil]


{{Authority control}}
{{Persondata

| NAME = Harwood, Robert Unwin
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH = January 22, 1798
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Sheffield]], [[England]]
| DATE OF DEATH = April 12, 1863
| PLACE OF DEATH = [[Château]] [[Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality|Vaudreil]], [[Quebec]]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harwood, Robert Unwin}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harwood, Robert Unwin}}
[[Category:1798 births]]
[[Category:1798 births]]
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[[Category:Members of the Legislative Council of Lower Canada]]
[[Category:Members of the Legislative Council of Lower Canada]]
[[Category:Members of the Special Council of Lower Canada]]
[[Category:Members of the Special Council of Lower Canada]]
[[Category:Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada]]
[[Category:Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from Canada East]]
[[Category:Members of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada]]
[[Category:Members of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada]]
[[Category:Anglophone Quebec people]]
[[Category:Anglophone Quebec people]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Louis]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Louis]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Sheffield]]
[[Category:19th-century English businesspeople]]

Latest revision as of 18:22, 31 August 2024

Robert Unwin Harwood
Member of the Legislative Council of Lower Canada
In office
1832–1838
Member of the Special Council of Lower Canada
In office
1839–1841
Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada for Vaudreuil
In office
1858–1860
Member of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada for Rigaud
In office
1860–1863
Personal details
Born(1798-01-22)22 January 1798
Sheffield, England
Died12 April 1863(1863-04-12) (aged 65)
Château Vaudreuil, Canada East
Political partyModerate/Reform
ResidenceChateau Vaudreuil
OccupationSeigneur de Vaudreuil

Robert Unwin Harwood (January 22, 1798 – April 12, 1863) was the last seigneur of Vaudreuil, commanding officer of the Vaudreuil Militia, and for thirty years a political figure in Lower Canada and Canada East.

Arrival in Canada

[edit]
Marie-Louise Josephte (Chartier de Lotbinière) Harwood, Seigneuresse de Vaudreuil; painted by Anson Dickinson c. 1824. Courtesy of McCord Museum

Harwood was christened at Sheffield Cathedral, England, third son of William Harwood and Elizabeth Unwin. Representing William Harwood & Sons — his family's wholesale silver and hardware business in Sheffield that exported to Jamaica, Bermuda, Baltimore and Lower Canada — he came to Montreal in 1821. The obscure young merchant's fortunes were significantly improved when, two years later, he married Marie-Louise Josephte de Lotbinière (1803 - 1869), eldest daughter of Michel-Eustache-Gaspard-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière.

Politics

[edit]

He was named to the Legislative Council of Lower Canada in 1832 and served until the Lower Canada Rebellion led to the dissolution of the council. He was a member of the Special Council from August 1839 until it was dissolved in 1841. After several unsuccessful attempts, in 1858, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada for Vaudreuil; he resigned in 1860 to run (successfully) for a seat in the Legislative Council for Rigaud division. In 1853, Harwood helped found the Vaudreuil Railway Company.

Seigneur de Vaudreuil

[edit]
Robert Unwin Harwood, 1824

Despite being an Englishman who had married into the right to be called a seigneur, Harwood was held in great respect by his tenants. Exchanging a life of society and business in Montreal, he and his wife arrived in Vaudreuil in 1829 to bring the estate back to order. Rather than relying on rents as an income he built a large-scale co-operative mill to the great benefit of all those who lived on his land. He gave generously to churches, schools and the needy in Vaudreuil. He described his interest in pursuing reforms in agriculture and transportation as 'a hobby', but he displayed a firm grasp of the problems facing his tenants, and it revealed his genuine concern to improve things.

When it came to collecting his seigneurial dues he preferred leniency to litigation, adding to the respect and admiration that his tenents held for him. His brother in England on the other hand berated him for his liberal attitude writing to him that 'the management of property to advantage is a talent not possessed by many, and certainly not by our family'. But the French-speaking newspaper La Minerve wrote at his death,

Mr Harwood's conduct as a seigneur has been and remains irreproachable... Few seigneurs were as well liked by their censitaires as he was... The Hon. Robt. Harwood was much respected, indulgent to his tenantry, of unspotted reputation, courteous and considerate to all with whom he had relations.

Chateau Vaudreuil

[edit]

In 1830, Harwood rebuilt the old manor house at Vaudreuil where his wife had grown up, naming the new house 'Chateau Vaudreuil'. It was a large and imposing four-storey stone house on a hill, that burned down in 1870. After Harwood's death, when the Seigneurial system of New France had been abolished, his heirs sold the house and it subsequently became the College de St. Raphael before it was destroyed by fire. After the fire, under the foundation stone a leaden plate stamped with three fleurs de lys was found bearing the French inscription: (requires a source!)

This stone was laid by Lady Louise Elyzabeth de Joybert, wife of the high and powerful Seigneur Philippe de Rigaud (Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil), Chevalier, Marquis de Vaudreuil, Grand Cross Order of Saint Louis, Governor and Lieutenant-General to the King of all of New France in 1723, the 15th of March.

Lady Louise de Joybert was the daughter of Pierre de Joybert de Soulanges et de Marson and his wife Marie-Francoise (who died in Paris, 1732), the daughter of Louis-Théandre Chartier de Lotbinière, Mrs Harwood's great-great-great grandfather.

Family

[edit]

In 1823, at Vaudreuil, Robert Unwin Harwood married Marie-Louise-Josephte Chartier de Lotbinière (1803–1869), the eldest daughter of the Speaker of the House of Commons, Michel-Eustache-Gaspard-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière, and heiress to the Seigneury of Vaudreuil. Her mother, Mary Charlotte Munro, was a daughter of Captain The Hon. John Munro. The Harwood children became known as the de Lotbinière-Harwoods - co-seigneurs of Vaudreuil and first cousins of Sir Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière, Prime Minister of Quebec and Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. Their children were:

Robert Unwin Harwood died at Chateau Vaudreuil in 1863, and he and his family are buried in the Chartier de Lotbiniere (subsequently the de Lotbiniere-Harwood) vault at their church, Saint-Michel, Vaudreuil, built by Mrs Harwood's grandfather, Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, Marquis de Lotbinière.

[edit]
  • "Biography". Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec de 1792 à nos jours (in French). National Assembly of Quebec.
  • "Robert Unwin Harwood". Dictionary of Canadian Biography (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. 1979–2016.
  • History of the Seigneury of Vaudreuil
  • Records of the de Lotbiniere-Harwood family of Vaudreuil