Memorable Manitobans: Henry Martyn Belcher (1856-1923)

Wholesale merchant.

Born at Calcutta, India on 21 November 1856, son of Reverend Canon Samuel Belcher and Jane Belcher, he came to Canada in 1863 and was educated at the Galt Collegiate Institute in Ontario. He commenced business as a wholesale merchant at Montreal, in 1872. He later became associated with the firm of Gaults Limited at Toronto and, when it established a western office at Winnipeg in 1900, he was appointed its Managing Director. He served as President of the Winnipeg Board of Trade from 1908 to 1909. During his term, he was a delegate to the Imperial Congress of the Chambers of Commerce at Sydney, Australia in 1909.

In 1884, he married Jessie Sloan Notman (1860-1942) of Montreal and they had five sons and two daughters. A keen rifleist, he was a member of the Victoria Rifles of Canada (Montreal) from 1875 to 1885 and a member of the Canadian rifle team to Wimbledon, England in 1882. He was a founding member of the St. Charles Country Club, a life member of the M.A.A.A. (Montreal), and a member of the Manitoba Club, Winnipeg Automobile Club, and Holy Trinity Anglican Church. He enjoyed motoring. In 1901, his residence at 37 Edmonton Street was designed by architect George Browne.

He retired from business in 1922 and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he died on 25 June 1923.

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Belcher House (37 Edmonton Street, Winnipeg)

Sources:

Who’s Who in Western Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women of Western Canada, Volume 1, edited by C. W. Parker, Vancouver: Canadian Press Association, 1911.

“Winnipeg business man dies at coast,” Manitoba Free Press, 27 June 1923.

“Mrs. H. M. Belcher dies in Vancouver,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 March 1942.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 9 February 2020

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

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