William Hamilton Merritt III

Who was William Hamilton Merritt III?

William Hamilton Merritt III was a Canadian soldier, author, and mining engineer. His grandfather, William Hamilton Merritt, was a politician in Ontario. Confusingly, his father and cousin also shared his name; even though he is now known as William Hamilton Merritt III, during his life, he did not refer to himself as the third.

After completing schooling in Ontario at Trinity College School and Upper Canada College, Merritt studied at Clifton College and the Royal School of Mines in England, where he received his A.R.S.M.. Upon returning to Canada, he published pamphlets on mining and taught at the School of Mining in Kingston, Ontario. He was elected vice-president of the Ontario Mining Institute.

Merritt also pursued a career as a soldier. In 1882 he joined the Governor-General’s Bodyguard, where he was promoted quickly through the ranks. In 1903, he became lieutenant-colonel. Merritt served in the Northwest Rebellion and the Boer War, but by 1914 he was too old to serve in the First World War. He maintained an interest in military matters, though, and published a book, Canada and National Service, which advocated compulsory military service.