William Dow

File:William Dow.jpg

William Dow

This article is about the brewer and financier. For the American inventor, see William Gould Dow. For the cricketer, see Bill Dow (cricketer).

William Dow (March 27, 1800 – December 7, 1868) was a Scottish-born brewer and financier of Montreal.

Born at Muthill, Perthshire, he was the eldest son of Dr William Dow (1765-1844), Brewmaster, and Anne Mason. Since 1652, his family had been brewing in Perthshire. Having gained an extensive experience in brewing under his father, he emigrated to Montreal from Scotland in about 1818. He was employed as foreman of Thomas Dunn's brewery in Montreal and quickly became a partner. His younger brother, Andrew, who had also trained as a brewer, joined him, and on the death of Dunn, the company became known as William Dow and Company, later known as Dow Breweries. It soon was a strong competitor to Molson's, the biggest brewery in the city. Dow was also a financier and in 1860 he built his home, Strathearn House, in Montreal's Golden Square Mile.

External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• William Dow House, Montreal
• Business and History - Dow Brewery Limited