William Antrobus Griesbach
Major General the Honourable William Antrobus Griesbach Charles May | |
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Succeeded by | John Alexander McDougall |
Alderman on the Edmonton City Council | |
In office December 12, 1904 – December 10, 1906 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order & Bar Volunteer Officers' Decoration | January 3, 1878
Early life
Griesbach was born in
William Griesbach left the rest of the family in 1891 in order to attend
Boer War and legal career
Griesbach enlisted with the Canadian Mounted Rifles in 1899 to fight in the Second Boer War. He knew from being weighed in at boxing tournaments that he fell short of the minimum 140-pound (64 kg) weight to enlist, so on his way to being weighed he surreptitiously grabbed a large piece of coal from the enlistment centre's coal box and held it behind his back while he stood on the scales. During his service, he was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal and received four bars.
Upon his return in 1901, he opened a law office of his own. An Edmonton Bulletin article in 1927 quoted him as saying of these early years
My rent was $12 a month. The first month I didn't make anything; the second I made exactly $12, and the third I went up to $17. Most of my callers in those days were people who wanted to sell me books.
Pre-war political career
Griesbach's first bid for political office took place in the
Previously that same year, he had run as a
Griesbach resigned as alderman one year into his term in order to run for mayor in the 1906 election. He was victorious, collecting more than sixty percent of the vote in a three-person race and becoming, at twenty-eight years old, the youngest mayor in the city's history, before or since. He served a one-year term, but did not seek re-election and stayed out of municipal politics thereafter.
He ran as a Conservative in the 1911 federal election, finishing second of three candidates in the riding of Edmonton (the victorious candidate was Liberal Frank Oliver).
Griesbach's final involvement in provincial politics came during the 1913 election, when he ran as a Conservative in Edmonton. He finished fourth of five candidates, missing out on either of the city's two seats.
World War I
In 1906, Griesbach was commissioned as a lieutenant in the 19th Alberta Dragoons. He was promoted to captain in 1907
When World War I broke out, the Dragoons volunteered as a unit. In December of that year, Griesbach was promoted to major assigned to command the 49th Battalion. He was able to recruit 1000 men in eight days in January 1915. The unit served in various engagements, including the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the Battle of Arras, the Battle of Passchendaele, and the liberation of Mons. In 1917, Griesbach was promoted to Brigadier-General and assigned command of the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade of the 1st Canadian Division.
He was awarded the
During
Federal Parliament
William Griesbach was elected to the
Personal life, death, and legacy
Griesbach was an accomplished
In 1906, he married Janet Scott McDonald Lauder.
William Antrobus Griesbach died in Edmonton on January 21, 1945, of a sudden heart attack.
References
- ^ "Griesbach Lodge #191 – Highlands Masonic Hall 5526 118 Ave NW". Retrieved July 7, 2022.
External links
- William Antrobus Griesbach – Parliament of Canada biography
- Edmonton Public Library biography of William Griesbach
- City of Edmonton biography of William Griesbach
- Real Estate Weekly biography of William Griesbach
- William Antrobus Griesbach fonds at Library and Archives Canada
- Report to the Edmonton City Council Executive Committee including a list of aldermen who have been honoured in the names of Edmonton's features[permanent dead link]
- Generals of World War II