Person Record

Metadata

Name

Vidal, Alexander

Born

1819

Birthplace

England

Deceased

Nov. 18, 1906

Father

Richard Emeric Vidal

Mother

Charlotte Penrose Mitton

Education

Alexander Vidal was educated at the Royal Mathematical School, Christ's Hospital in London, England

Occupation

He was a Provincial Land Surveyor from 1843 to 1852 in the area of Canada West (Ontario). The Surveying Department-Canada West was established in 1845 as a branch within the Department of Crown Lands for the Province of Canada. He was responsible for surveying the township of Saugeen, Bruce County, in 1851 and participated in the survey of parts of Bentinck and Glenelg townships in Grey County in 1845. In or around 1852, he became manager of the Sarnia branch of the former Bank of Upper Canada until the demise of that institution in 1866. He then joined the Bank of Montreal as manager until 1875. He was also Treasurer of Lambton County for 38 years. He was elected to the St. Clair division in the Legislative Council of Canada in 1863 and retained his seat until 1867. In the general election of 1872, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Conservative Party. In January 1873, he was called to the Senate of Canada, and he remained a senator until his death on November 18, 1906.

Places

After emigrating to Canada from England, Vidal settled at Sarnia, Upper Canada, in 1835.

Sources

Sources:
a) Contents of Alexander Vidal fonds, BCM&CC A2006.195;
b) The Canadian Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gallery of Eminent and Self-made Men Ontario, volume 1. Chicago: American Biographical Pub. Co., 1880.
c) McClure, Shirley. "Vidal's Survey of Saugeen Township, 1851." "The Bruce County Historical Society Yearbook 1999" Print.