McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Smithers, Charlotte
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
- Learmont Smithers, Charlotte
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1845-1934
History
Charlotte Smithers Learmont was born on August 25, 1847, in Ireland.
Charlotte immigrated to Montreal with her family in 1847. Her father, Charles Francis Smithers, was an accountant with the Bank of British North America, providing a comfortable life for his wife and children. Charlotte attended Hannah Willard Lyman’s young ladies’ academy in Montreal. Her education was completed in New York City during 1862–63 when her father managed the bank’s agency there. In 1882, at the age of 37, Charlotte married widower Joseph Bowles Learmont (1839–1914), who had an 8-year-old son named Holton Hamilton. A native of Montreal, Learmont was a partner in Caverhill, Learmont and Company Limited, a large and profitable wholesale hardware business. As Learmont's wealth and status grew through successful business ventures and his marriage, he became involved in numerous charitable endeavours. He served as a director for several organizations that benefited the community, including the Montreal General Hospital. Charlotte and Joseph Learmont had no children, which allowed them freedom from many parental responsibilities. This, combined with their elevated social standing, enabled Charlotte to dedicate her time and financial resources to a variety of philanthropic activities. She was actively involved in Montreal's Young Women’s Christian Association, where she held positions as treasurer, vice-president, and president.
By the late 1890s, she and her husband had taken on significant roles in the Montreal branch of the Victorian Order of Nurses for Canada. In 1900, they both became incorporators of the Charity Organization Society and served on its board of directors. In 1904, Charlotte founded the Montreal branch of the Needlework Guild of Canada, which provided clothing for those in need. That same year, she was among the prominent citizens who helped secure the incorporation of the Parks and Playgrounds Association of Montreal. Her quest for a healthy and beautiful city led her to accept the vice-presidency of the City Improvement League, which was founded in 1909. She was also a member of the Themis Club, one of the first women's social clubs in Canada, as well as the Royal Montreal Golf Club. Learmont played a significant role in both the conceptualization and realization of two major exhibitions in Montreal: the Montreal Tuberculosis Exhibition in 1908 and the Child Welfare Exhibit in 1912.
With her husband, she attended Emmanuel Congregational Church, where he served as the superintendent of the Sunday school for two decades. After living on Mackay Street during the early years of their marriage, the couple commissioned the prominent Montreal architect Edward Maxwell to design a home for them in 1892. Completed in 1893–94 on McGregor Street (now Dr. Penfield Avenue), their home was notable for Joseph's library, which was considered one of the most sophisticated and diverse personal collections in Canada.
She died on July 2, 1934, in Montreal, Quebec.