CHAPTER XXXVII

FINANCE

MONTREAL BANKING AND INSURANCE BODIES

I. BANKING: HAMILTON’S PLAN FOLLOWED BY THE FIRST BANK OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1791--1792, THE ATTEMPTED CANADA BANKING COMPANY AT MONTREAL--DELAY THROUGH AMERICAN WAR OF 1812--1815, RENEWED AGITATION FOR A BANK CHARTER FOR MONTREAL--1817, THE FIRST BANK OF MONTREAL WITHOUT A CHARTER--ITS FIRST OFFICERS--OTHER BANKS FOLLOW--THE QUEBEC BANK--THE RIVAL “BANK OF CANADA”--THE BANK OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA--MOLSONS BANK--THE MERCHANTS BANK--BANQUE JACQUES CARTIER, PREDECESSOR TO BANQUE PROVINCIALE--THE ROYAL BANK--THE BANQUE D’HOCHELAGA--THE MONTREAL CITY AND DISTRICT BANK--BANKS WITH HEAD OFFICES ELSEWHERE--MONTREAL BANK CLEARINGS WITH CANADIAN AND NORTH AMERICAN CITIES.

II. INSURANCE: THE PIONEER FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY OF CANADA--THE “PHOENIX”--THE “AETNA”--IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES--THE GREAT FIRE OF 1854--LATER COMPANIES. A. LIFE INSURANCE: THE PIONEER COMPANIES--THE SCOTTISH AMICABLE AND SCOTTISH PROVIDENT COMPANIES. B. MISCELLANEOUS INSURANCE 553