Henry Starnes

Mayor Henry Starnes
Henry Starnes Source: Library and Archives Canada
9th Mayor of Montreal
In office 1856–1858
Preceded by	Wolfred Nelson
Succeeded by	Charles-Séraphin Rodier
Constituency	West
In office 1866–1868
Preceded by	Jean-Louis Beaudry
Succeeded by	William Workman
Personal details
Born	13 October 1816 Kingston, Upper Canada
Died	March 3, 1896(1896-03-03) (aged 79) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Spouse(s)	Eleanore Stuart
Children	7
Profession	banker, merchant

Henry Starnes (October 13, 1815 – March 3, 1896) was a Quebec businessman and political figure.

He was born in Kingston in Upper Canada in 1816 and studied at the Montreal Academical Institution and the Petit Séminaire de Montréal. He began work with James Leslie's food importing business in Montreal and became a partner in the business in 1849. He then served as director for several banks in Montreal. He served on Montreal's City Council from 1852 to 1853 and from 1855 to 1856 and as Mayor from 1856 to 1858 and 1866 to 1868. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada for Châteauguay in 1858; he was reelected in 1861. He was named to the Legislative Council of Quebec for Salaberry division in 1867. In 1859, he had become manager for the Montreal branch of the Ontario Bank; in 1871, he helped establish the Metropolitan Bank and became its first president. That bank served as a conduit for transferring contributions from Sir Hugh Allan to George-Étienne Cartier; in exchange, Cartier had promised Allan the contract for the transcontinental railroad. The exposure of this arrangement led to the Pacific Scandal and the fall of John A. Macdonald's Conservative government. The Metropolitan Bank closed in 1876; Starnes' unorthodox financial management was blamed for its collapse. He served as speaker for the legislative council from 1878 to 1882; he served in the provincial executive council as railway commissioner from 1882 to 1884 and commissioner of agriculture and public works in 1887.