Founder Profile
William Pryor
Last reviewed: November 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is William Pryor?
William Pryor is a founder of Scotiabank, which was founded in 1832 with Halifax Merchant Consortium of 1832.
- Company founded
- Scotiabank
- Founded
- 1832
- Co-founders
- Halifax Merchant Consortium of 1832
Founding Story
William Pryor was a prominent 19th-century Halifax merchant, shipowner, and civic leader who served as the first President of The Bank of Nova Scotia in 1832. Pryor led the founding committee of merchants who petitioned the colonial government of Nova Scotia for a chartered banking institution to break the local financial monopoly and support maritime merchant shipping.
Sources
This profile does not yet cite a source specific to William Pryor. The sources below document the company company rather than the person, so check them against the claims above.
- The Bank of Nova Scotia Annual Report (Fiscal 2024) (Scotiabank)
- Scotiabank Corporate Investor Relations Briefings (Scotiabank)