John Kinder Labatt

John Kinder Labatt (1803 – 26 October 1866) was an Irish-Canadian brewer and the founder of the Labatt Brewing Company.

John Kinder Labatt, c. 1864

Life and career

He was born in Queen's County (now County Laois), Ireland, to Valentine Knightley Chetwode Labat (1761–1813), an Irish-Huguenot, and Jane Harper Labat. Little is known of his early years.[1]

Labatt immigrated to Canada in the 1830s and initially established himself as a farmer near London, Upper Canada. In 1847, he invested in a brewery with a partner, Samuel Eccles, launching "Labatt and Eccles". When Eccles retired in 1854, Labatt acquired his interest and renamed the firm the "London Brewery". He was assisted by his sons Ephraim, Robert and John.

In 1849, Labatt started a new venture along with several other London businessmen including Thomas Carline called the Proof Line Road Joint Stock Company.[2] The company built a road that linked London and the northern hinterlands. Upon completion, the road had three tollgates.

Beyond the brewery, Labatt was a town councillor for Saint David's Ward from 1850 to 1851 and a founding member of the London Board of Trade (which is now The London Chamber of Commerce),[3] as well as the founder of the London and Port Stanley Railway.[1]

Upon his death, his son John Labatt purchased the brewery, which grew to become one of the largest in Canada.

See also

References
  1. "Biography – LABATT, JOHN KINDER – Volume IX (1861-1870) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography". www.biographi.ca.
  2. Bellamy, Matthew (2012). "Steaming into the age of rale and pale ale: John Labatt and the transformation of Canadian brewing 1855-1877" (PDF). Brewery History. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  3. "History - London Chamber of Commerce, ON". www.londonchamber.com. Retrieved 7 June 2019.


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