Ned, someties nicknamed ``Pinkie'' in his youth, was the second of three
children of Captain Thomas Merett, Royal Canadian Rifles, formerly of Royal
North Gloucester Militia and 3
East Kent (``The Buffs'') Regiment. His
elder sisters Agnes (Daisy), married to General Benson, and his younger brother,
Fred, a banker, both pre-deceased him.
Ned bagan his career in 1880 with the Merchants' Bank of Canada as a junior
clerk in Kingston where his father was then stationed. In 1889, as accountant,
he was transferred to the Napanee, Ont., branch, where in 1893 he was appointed
manager. In Napanee two daughters were born, Helen in 1892, Hilda in 1893, and a
son Stuart in 1895. In that year the family wasmoved to Mitchell, Ont., Father
remaining there as manager only about a year until he was again transferred,
this time to the Bank's New York office, where he continued as agent until 1906.
During that ten year posting the family lived in Garden City, Long Island,
Father commuting (even in those days) to the big city.
In 1906, another promotion brought him back to Canada as Chief Inspector and
Superintendant of Branches, with headquarters in Montreal. In this post he
remained until 1922 when the Merchants' Bank was merged with the Bank of
Montreal,
when he became manager of the St. Peter & St. James Streets branch (formerly
head offics of the Molson's Bank---also merged with the larger institution).
Father later became manager of the Montreal Branch---his office just off the
central rotunda,---until his retirement in 1936.
In 1885, aged 19, Father dd garrison duty at Fort Henry, in Kingston, during the Riel Rebellion, as lance-corporal with the Prince of Wales Own Rifles. Later during World-War I he joined the Home Guard and trained as a private on Fletcher's Field.
``Ned-the-Father'', as his daughter-in-law Hazel irreverently dubbed him, was a highly respected banker. He was also popular as a keen sportsman and loved golf, curling, fishing and sailing. His occupation and his recreations brought him many friends in Montreal society, almost all of them anglophones in those days of English dominance. He belonged to a number of clubs including the Mount Royal, Forest & Stream, Royal Montreal Curling (he was a president), Royal Montreal Golf, St. Maurice Fish and Game. He was one of a group of cronies known as the ``Twelve Apostles'' which met once a month at the Mount Royal Club for a hearty dinner, hosted by each of the members in turn, and followed by bridge. Names of the well-known members included: Baillie, Braithwaite, Cains, Claxton, Findlay, McGill, McMaster, Pitblade, Ross, Williamson ...
The bank merger in 1922 considerably altered Dad's career. It was the Merchants' Bank general manager who was blamed for its downfall and Dad's reputation suffered not at all. The banking community held him in high esteem, and the Bank of Montreal at once situated him in the important posts he held until his superannuation. These however did not earn him the smae salary as his former job, and he had to sell the fine home he had built in the centre of Montreal's ``Golden Square Mile''. However, he was able to buy and maintain a smaller semi-detached house and ménage (with two instead of three servants) in Westmount, as well as the family summers in Metis. And right through his retirement he kept on some of his club memberships---the fees probably covered by the Bank on top of a very good pension, a generous percentage of which Mother enjoyed after his death.
Father enjoyed a drink---always in moderation. He would occasionally produce a martini cocktail so icy cold and so overdosed with vermouth and lemon peel that Mother would not touch it, much to his disgust. Wine, as I recall (other than sherry), appeared only for Christmas dinner. Dad often had a whisky with his dinner but never considered his children old enough to partake, me in particular, until the night I dined with Mother and Dad the day his first grandson, Timothy, was born. On that occasion he offered me a beer: I declined, adding that I would like a whisky. He was quite taken aback and for a moment uncertain how to react; then conceded that I had ``become a man'' and so entitled to my first drink (at home).
Dad was superannuated by the Bank at age 70, and retired in customary good health. He briefly undertook one or two voluntary obs such as Treasurer of Federated Charities (= ``Red Feather'', = ``Centraide''). He spent much of his time churning out rather overworked fuzzy watercolours which gradually covered the walls of his bedroom. (The Bank used an earlier one for an annual calendar). His father was also an amateur watercolourist; I have three larger paintings signed ``TM'', attributed to him, of a calibre which, if in fact he did them, would put him in a talent category far beyond those of his son or grandson! Dad indulged himself from time to time by buying paintings, chiefly of the English watercolour school, and once, to Mother's horror, bought a white carrara marble statue, 1/3 size, of a semi-nude water nymph, which lived in the drawing room.
WhenDad was about 80 he was very perturbed and apprehensive because the doctor hospitalized him, for the first (probably) time in his life, for a general check-up. He survived that, to him, traumatic experience and continued in good health until he went to hospital for the second time, in May 1958, and a few days later died, of being 92 years old.