23 August 2019

Chartologist of the Dominion

On Sunday, 25 August at 11 am Beechwood Cemetery will unveil a new Great Canadian Plaque to honour the Chartologist of the Dominion, Hensley Reed Holmden (1852-1928). The event comprises a short ceremony at the gravesite which is in section A, a few speeches and a reception in the main building.

"Born in Plymouth, England, coming to Canada in 1881, he worked as a journalist for a number of newspapers earning a reputation as one of the best reporters in the Capital.
In 1900 he became President of the Press Gallery. Changing career at age 52 he became Chartist of the Dominion Archives. In 1912 he published the Catalogue of Maps, Plans and Charts in the Map Room of the Dominion Archives which classified and indexed some 4,106 items. His tireless search for maps and charts led to the outline of the Arctic and defined Provincial boundaries for all Canadians to see."

For more on see A Brief History of the National Map Collection at the Public Archives of Canada (pdf)

According to an entry in Wikitree he married Janet Murray (1853-1917), and they had 17 children in 18 years (between 1879 and 1897).

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hooray!!! Most worthy recognition!