Born in London in 1834, Mr. Ansell was educated in England and Germany. He came to Canada in 1860.He was an ardent British imperialist, and was acquainted with John A. MacDonald and George-Etienne Cartier from pre-Confederation times. In his "Welding the Lines of Union" he unfolded a scheme similar to the one later advocated by Joseph Chamberlain. Appointed Consul-General for Mexico in Canada, he resigned in 1913 due to age. He was deeply involved in Jewish educational and philanthropic work, and was the first chairman of the Canadian Committee of Jewish Colonization Association. He was a charter member and for 17 years president of Baron de Hirsch Institute and was instrumental in passing of legislation giving equal rights to Jewish children in public schools in Montreal. He died in Montreal in 1914.