Thomas Bassett MacAulay

T.B. MacAulay was president of the Sun Life Assurance Company in Montreal, and established his Mount  Victoria Farm in 1900 as a country home for his family. Mr. MacAulay was chosen president of the Sun Life Assurance Company in 1905 and continued to hold the position until 1925, retiring as chairman of the board. He was involved in many civic causes in the Montreal area as well as within the insurance industry worldwide.

Mount Victoria Farm was located at Hudson, outside of Montreal. He started to breed pedigreed livestock with Hackney horses in 1905. In following years, Mr. MacAulay arranged for yearly importations of Clydesdales, Hackney and Shetland ponies, sheep and cattle from England, Scotland and Wales.

Spending time on his farm increased his interest in agriculture. Home­bred stock was exhibited at major exhibitions in the region and his farm soon became known for winning Clydesdales, Shetland and Hackney ponies, cattle and sheep. Dr. W.E. Watson was hired to manage the farm. As his ponies began to collect ribbons and championships, ponies with the Montvic prefix became in demand as show harness ponies. His imported stallions, Glendermott Wildfire and Christopher North, can be found back in the pedigrees of many winning Hackney ponies. Ponies were sold into the northwestern United States, and into Ontario and throughout Quebec. Many of the Manor Hackney Farm and Daviburn Farm ponies of the 1920s and 1930s were of Mount Victoria Farm breeding. Many of Mrs. Loula Long Combs’ ponies carried the bloodlines as well as those bred by the Appin Farm in New York.

What might be considered one of Mr. MacAulay’s greatest achievements was the establishment of the Montvic Holstein herd, considered by many as the most influential herd in Holstein history. The purchase of the bull, Johanna Rag Apple Pabst, in 1925 to mate with his select Montvic herd of cows was to become one of the greatest transactions in breed history. The Montvic influence in Holstein genetics is still acknowledged as being of the finest standard.

He supported agricultural learning with large donations to the University of Edinburgh and McGill University in Montreal for research in soils and crops.

In a short period of time, using his considerable financial resources, Mr. MacAulay's energies to producing superb quality livestock in many different breeds made Mount Victoria Farm a destination of quality breeding stock for many breeders and exhibitors.
T.B. MacAulay passed away in 1942. 

(Inducted April 2014)