Memorable Manitobans: Benjamin H. Holman (1848-1927)

Click to enlarge

Benjamin H. Holman
Click to enlarge

Butcher.

Born at Napierville, Quebec on 1 December 1848, son of Captain George and Julia A. Holman, brother of Jacob Hall Holman, he moved to Montreal where he apprenticed as a butcher from 1865 to 1868 then opened a retail butcher shop at Port Henry, New York. He returned to Montreal in late 1869 and operated a butchery there, as well as in Colorado, until 1882 when he moved to Winnipeg. He opened a retail butchery at the corner of Main Street and St. Mary Avenue in partnership with his brother, under the firm name of Holman Brothers. In 1902, he organized the Holman Meat Company which merged with another company two years later to become Gallagher & Holman Limited, with himself as Vice-President. He was also Vice-President of Gibson & Gage Limited.

In 1882, he married Margaret Cunningham (1858-1947) and they had seven children: Dora T. Holman (1883-1976, wife of Jack A. McCulloch), Vera Gladys Holman (1884-1980, wife of George A. McKay), Alice Lillian Holman (1887-1985, wife of James B. Carter), Stanley Benjamin Holman, Rockley Hall Holman (1891-1990), George Alexander Holman (1894-1972), and Cecil Cunningham Holman (1898-1992). He was a member of the Canadian Order of Foresters (Court Garry No. 2), IOOF, Army and Navy Veterans’ Association, Ancient Order of United Workmen, and Winnipeg Caterers Benevolent Society.

He died at his Winnipeg home, 197 Mayfair Avenue, on 20 October 1927 and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery.

Sources:

1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

Birth and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“Ben. H. Holman, resident here 45 years, dies,” undated newspaper clipping. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B8]

Obituary [Margaret Holman], Winnipeg Tribune, 5 June 1947, page 23.

Obituary [George Alexander Holman], Winnipeg Free Press, 2 June 1972, page 18.

Obituary [Dora T. McCulloch], Winnipeg Free Press, 27 December 1976, page 25.

Obituary [Allice Lillian Carter], Winnipeg Free Press, 18 July 1985, page 50.

Obituary [Rockley Hall Holman], Winnipeg Free Press, 25 October 1990, page 54.

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

We thank Terry Webber and Tahna Neilson for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 22 October 2021

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:

Custom Search

Browse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z

Browse deaths occurring in:
1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024


Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca

Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements

Help us keep
history alive!