William Trench III explained

William Trench III
Birth Date:	21 October 1831
Birth Place:	Dunbar, Scotland, United Kingdom
Death Place:	Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
Occupation:	Businessman, politician
Spouse:	Margaret Trench (née Cook)
Module:	Embed: yes Office: Reeve of Richmond Hill Term Start1: 1875 Term End1: 1879 Term Start2: 1881 Term End2: 1882

William Trench III (October 21, 1831 - April 12, 1896) was the reeve of Richmond Hill, Ontario from 1875–1879 and 1881 - 1882.^[1]

Born in Dunbar, Scotland, Trench came to Elgin Mills, Ontario with his family in 1842. Trench learned the blacksmith trade from his father and set up a shop in Richmond Hill in 1857.^[2] In 1866, Richmond Hill set up its first fire brigade, and Trench was chosen the first fire chief.^[3]

Trench Carriage Works

Trench later owned a carriage factory named the "Trench Carriage Works" in Richmond Hill that was one of the village's leading employer during the 1870s through 1890s.^[4] Trench manufactured buggies, wagons, stagecoaches, and carriages used in the mid to late 19th Century Ontario, but would go out of business in the 1920s due to the movement towards automobiles^[5]

Trench Street in Richmond Hill is named in his honour.^[6]

Trench died in Richmond Hill in 1896.^[7]

The buildings that housed the business remains in use as retail shops at 10117, 10119 and 10123 Yonge Street (southeast corner at Yonge Street and Lorne Avenue).

Notes and References

1. Book: Early Days in Richmond Hill - A History of the Community to 1930 . Appendix F. Community Organizations . Robert M. Stamp. Town of Richmond Hill Public Library . 1991 . August 4, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160804072640/http://edrh.rhpl.richmondhill.on.ca/default.asp?ID=saf .
2. Book: The Trench Carriage Works. Early Days in Richmond Hill - A History of the Community to 1930. Robert M. Stamp. Town of Richmond Hill Public Library. 1991. https://web.archive.org/web/20160401064653/http://edrh.rhpl.richmondhill.on.ca/default.asp?ID=s8.10 . April 1, 2016.
3. News: Department celebrates 120 years' firefighting. Phil Johnson. Toronto Star. August 12, 1986. N 7.
4. Book: Early Days in Richmond Hill - A History of the Community to 1930. Business on the Hill. Robert M. Stamp. Town of Richmond Hill Public Library. 1991 . March 24, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160324225119/http://edrh.rhpl.richmondhill.on.ca/default.asp?ID=s9.4.
5. Web site: Appendix B. Occupations*. Robert M. Stamp. Early Days in Richmond Hill - A History of the Community to 1930. Town of Richmond Hill Public Library. 1991 . August 4, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160804072319/http://edrh.rhpl.richmondhill.on.ca/default.asp?ID=sab.
6. Book: Early Days in Richmond Hill - A History of the Community to 1930. Appendix A. Settlers. Robert M. Stamp. Town of Richmond Hill Public Library. 1991 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160705162301/http://edrh.rhpl.richmondhill.on.ca/default.asp?ID=saa . July 5, 2016.
7. Web site: Trench. Town of Richmond Hill Public Library . September 14, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150914184229/http://edrh.rhpl.richmondhill.on.ca/cemeteries/stone.asp?ID=RHPresCem&SID=RHS8.9b.