William Gooderham Sr.

William Gooderham Sr.
Born	Template:Birth date Scole, Norfolk, England
Died	August 20, 1881(1881-08-20) (aged 90)
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, distiller, banker
Known for	Co-founder of Gooderham and Worts distillery; president of the Bank of Toronto

William Gooderham Sr. (August 29, 1790 – August 20, 1881) was a British-born Canadian entrepreneur, distiller, and banker. He is recognized as a co-founder of the Gooderham and Worts distillery.

Life and career

Originally from Scole, Norfolk, England, Gooderham emigrated to York, Upper Canada (present-day Toronto) in 1832 to collaborate with his brother-in-law, James Worts, in establishing a wind-driven flour mill. Following Worts' passing in 1834, Gooderham assumed control of the mill under the name William Gooderham Company.

In 1837, he expanded operations by adding a distillery to process excess grain. By 1845, he formed a partnership with Worts’ son, James Gooderham Worts, and rebranded the enterprise as Gooderham and Worts. The company grew significantly through innovations such as gas lighting and steam power, along with constructing a shipping wharf. By the 1860s, their fleet included schooners operating on the Great Lakes. Gooderham played a pivotal role in Toronto’s industrial development, transportation infrastructure, financial institutions, and stock exchange activities. He also held positions on the Toronto Board of Trade’s council and its arbitration committee.

In 1842, Gooderham was instrumental in founding Little Trinity Anglican Church, where he served as warden for three decades. He was appointed president of the Bank of Toronto in 1864.

Descendants

His son George Gooderham (1830–1905) became a distinguished businessman and benefactor. The family’s commercial and charitable traditions were carried on by grandsons George Horace Gooderham and Albert Gooderham. His great-grandson, Dean Gooderham Acheson, notably served as U.S. Secretary of State.

William George Gooderham (1853–1935), his eldest son, led Mineral Springs Limited and held the presidency of the Bank of Toronto until his death.

In 1870, Charles Horace Gooderham constructed a Georgian Revival residence in Meadowvale (now part of Mississauga), which was later sold and incorporated into Rotherglen School. Additionally, he built a Queen Anne Revival style mansion at 592 Sherbourne Street in Toronto in 1883; this property transformed into the Selby Hotel in 1912 and was subsequently integrated into a contemporary apartment complex named The Selby in 2015.

See also

• York-Durham Heritage Railway
• Northern Railway of Canada
• Toronto and Nipissing Railway
• Toronto Harbour Commission

External links

• The Gooderham & Worts families – genealogy website