Massey family

The Massey family is a prominent family in Canada (Ontario) and the United States (North Carolina, Virginia and Indiana).

History
Hart Massey's mausoleum in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto

Canada

The Massey family of Canada was known for manufacturing farm equipment and for being patrons of the arts in Canada.[1] In 1847, Daniel Massey established the Newcastle Foundry and Machine Manufactory in what is now Newcastle, Ontario. The enterprise was subsequently renamed as the Massey Manufacturing Co. and, in 1879, moved to Toronto, Ontario. In 1891, the Massey Manufacturing Co. merged with A. Harris, Son and Company to form Massey-Harris Limited, which became the largest agricultural equipment maker in the British Empire. Massey-Harris Limited eventually became Massey-Harris-Ferguson as a result of a 1953 merger between Massey-Harris Limited and a British agricultural machinery firm, the Ferguson Company. The company's name was shortened to Massey Ferguson in 1958, which it maintains to this day.

In 1894, Hart Massey built Massey Hall, a concert hall in Toronto, in memory of his late son, Charles Albert Massey (1848–1884), who loved music. Construction was financed by Hart Massey. In 1975, Massey Hall was municipally designated as a historic site under the Ontario Heritage Act. On 15 June 1981, Massey Hall was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. Starting in July 2018, Massey Hall underwent a two-year restoration project to restore and renew both the interior and exterior of the building, improve patron amenities and accessibility, open two new music venues, and enable the return of the building's original stained glass windows from 1894.[2]

In 1918, the Massey family incorporated the Massey Foundation, which was responsible for the construction of many Toronto landmarks and was the first trust of its kind in Canada. In 1919, Vincent Massey, who would be sworn in as Governor General of Canada in 1952, initiated and financed the Hart House, a student activity centre at the University of Toronto and one of the earliest North American student centres. Vincent Massey, who was an alumnus and benefactor of the university, named the Hart House student centre in honour of his grandfather, Hart Massey.

In 1962, the Massey Foundation established, built and partially endowed Massey College, a graduate residential college at the University of Toronto.

United States

The Massey family of Virginia included Parson John Edward Massey, who was the second Lieutenant Governor of Virginia following the American Civil War. At one point, he co-owned Ash Lawn, the former home of President James Monroe, which was located beside President Thomas Jefferson's Monticello plantation in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The Massey family of North Carolina descended from Thomas Massey, who migrated from Cheshire, England, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1683 on a sloop named Endeavor.

The Massy and Massey families of the midwest descend from Nicholas Massey (1630–1688), who migrated to Dorchester, Maryland, from the Isle of Ely in England. His second great-grandson is Nicholas Massy/Massey of Iredell, North Carolina.

Family members
  • Jacob Massy/Massey (1760–1796), North Carolina, American Revolutionary War veteran
  • Daniel Massey (1798–1856), Canadian blacksmith and producer of farm implements
    • Hart Massey (1823–1896), Canadian businessman and philanthropist
      • Charles Albert Massey (1848–1884), Canadian businessman
        • Charles "Bert" Massey (died in 1915), Canadian salesman for York Motors, killed by his maid[3][4]
        • Arthur Lyman Massey (1874–1935)
      • Chester Daniel Massey (1850–1926)
      • Lillian Massey Treble (1854–1915), Canadian philanthropist and educator
      • Walter Edward Massey (1864–1901), Canadian businessman and president of Massey-Harris
        • Denton Massey (1900–1984), Anglican priest and politician
          • Elizabeth Massey Breithaupt (1923–2013)
          • Marilyn Massey Treviranus Mackay-Smith (1926– ), horsewoman, co-founder of USCTA & JRTCA
          • Walter Edward Hart Massey (1928–2014), Canadian voice and character actor
      • Frederick Victor Massey (1867–1890), died of pulmonary complications

Legacy

Buildings in Canada named in honour of members of the Massey family:

See also

References
  1. "Massey - The Canadian Encyclopedia". Retrieved 2017-05-18.
  2. "Massey Hall Forever". Massey Hall. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
  3. "The Massey Murder: 100 years later, the tabloid tale still fascinates - Canada - CBC News". Retrieved 2017-05-18.
  4. "torontoist.com". Retrieved 2017-05-18.
  5. "Massey Centre » Our History". www.massey.ca. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
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