Frederic Orr-Lewis

Frederic Orr-Lewis was born at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He is the second son of the late William Thomas Lewis and Mary (Graham) Lewis, and a grandson of the late William Lewis, sheriff of Glamorganshire, Wales. The father was a shipowner in Canadian Inland Lakes. William Thomas Lewis came to Canada from Swansea, Wales, in 1852, locating at Hamilton. He became a prominent figure on the inland lakes between Chicago and Kingston and was a large shipowner. He retired from active business in 1890 and moved to Montreal, where he departed this life in 1908. For more than two decades he had survived his wife, who passed away in 1886.

Frederic Orr-Lewis was educated in Kingston, Ontario, and on leaving school went with J. Muckleston & Company, wholesale hardware merchants of the same city. He resigned from that position to establish his own business in Kingston in 1888 and removed the establishment to Montreal in 1889, associated with his brothers James Graham Lewis and Thomas Graham Lewis. The firm was then Lewis Brothers, which was later formed into the limited liability company of Lewis Brothers, Limited, of which he is still the president. From the beginning their trade has extended to such an extent that they now occupy the entire eight-story building which covers Nos. 20 to 42 inclusive on Bleury Street, Montreal, with sales offices in Ottawa, Toronto and other western cities. They have been recognized as one of the leading hardware establishments of the Dominion.

Frederic Orr-Lewis is also a director of the Merchants’ Bank of Canada and director of the Montreal Cotton Company and president of Canadian Vickers, Limited, which is associated with the English firm of Vickers, Sons & Maxim. In 1903 he was elected to the presidency of the Dominion Wholesale Hardware Merchants’ Association.

On the 18th of June, 1896, at Christ church, Montreal, was celebrated the marriage of F. Orr-Lewis and Maude Mary Helen Booth, daughter of William Booth of London, Ontario. They now have three children, a son and two daughters, John Duncan, Helen Merryday and Mary-Graham. The religious faith of the family is that of the Presbyterian church, Mr. and Mrs. Orr-Lewis holding membership therein.

He is widely and popularly known in club circles, holding membership in the leading organizations of that character in Montreal, including the St. James, Canada, Forest and Stream, Montreal Hunt, Montreal Jockey, Mount Royal, Montreal Royal Golf and Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Clubs. He is likewise a member of the Rideau Club of Ottawa, Ontario; and the Canada, the Wellington and Junior Carlton Clubs of London, England.