David Monro

Who was David Monro?

David Monro was a seigneur, businessman and political figure in Lower Canada. His surname was also sometimes spelled Munro.

He was born around 1765 in Scotland. The date of his arrival at Quebec is not known but, in 1791, he was involved in administering the dissolving of a partnership between Alexander Davison and John Lees. Monro later became partners with Mathew Bell and, with George Davison, they purchased the Saint-Maurice ironworks in 1793. George Davison died in 1799, which left Monro and Bell the sole owners of the ironworks at Saint-Maurice. In 1804, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada for Saint-Maurice and generally supported the English party.

In 1807, Munro married Catherine MacKenzie, who was the sister of Mathew Bell's wife. He helped found the Quebec Committee of Trade in 1809. He also served in the local militia, becoming major in 1813. Monro served as justice of the peace for Trois-Rivières and Quebec districts. He was a member of the management committee of the Union Company of Quebec, which operated the Union Hotel at Quebec. Monro retired from the business in 1816, selling his share to Bell.