John Sparrow David Thompson, Prime Minister
Canada's Fourth PM Lead Government for Two Years, from 1892 - 1894
Nov 17, 2008
A son in a strict Protestant family, John Sparrow David Thompson was born on November 10, 1845 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. His father was the Queen's Printer in Nova Scotia and superintendent of the money order system, according to New Advent's Catholic Encyclopedia. He was also a recorder for political debates and trials. It was this work that the younger Thompson must have taken an interest in; upon completing schooling in Halifax, at the tender age of 15 he began studies in law and stenography. He worked for a time doing the same work as his father, using his skills as stenographer for trials and assembly debates in the Nova Scotia Legislature, said Collections Canada.
Articling with a Halifax lawyer, Thompson was called the bar in 1865. Married to Annie Affleck in 1870, Thompson changed his religious status from Protestant to Catholic a few months after the wedding. He was elected as Alderman in Halifax in 1871, a post he kept for six years, and then was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in 1877. Within a year, the job of NS Attorney-General was his.
MP for Antigonish, NS
On retirement of Conservative leader Simon Holmes in 1882, Thompson was made Premier of Nova Scotia. He was also made Justice in the provincial Supreme Court. The provinical party was not returned to power in elections, but further promotion was at hand; three years later, Thompson was elected as the MP for Antigonish in the federal election and he was named Minister of Justice of Canada under Sir John A. Macdonald's Conservative government in 1885.
Thompson gave a compelling speech in defense of the Louis Riel case in 1886, giving him the undisputed reputation of an extraordinary speaker. His negotiating skills were put to use to organize the Fisheries Treaty between Canada, Britain and the United States in 1888. For the service, Queen Victoria bestowed a knighthood upon Thompson. (The agreement was tossed out by the Americans shortly after.)
Criminal Code of Canada
In 1891, Prime Minister Macdonald died, and Thompson was considered the best man to step into the job. Being Catholic, Thompson declined the offer, thinking that the party would not accept his religious stance. While John Abbot “served as Prime Minister from the Senate, Thompson represented the government in the House of Commons,” noted Collections Canada. Scandals were rife at the time, and Thompson was required to investigate a few of the members of his own party. Taking the task seriously, he said he would “lop the mouldering branches away.” One of his greatest achievements was the revision of the Criminal Code of Canada in 1892.
On the retirement of Prime Minister Abbot, Thompson was made Prime Minister of Canada on November 24, 1892, the first Catholic in the leader position. A capable leader known for great skill in arbitration and negotiation, Thompson used his talents as Britiish commissioner during the Bering Sea dispute with the United States.
Justice, Fairness and the Franchise
Canada's new Prime Minister was a progressive man with a dedication to justice and fairness, and it is possible that women's rights would have been leaps ahead under Thompson's tenure. In September 1893, he said “... the Conservative Party believes that the influence of women in the politics of the country is always for good. I think, therefore, that there is a probability of the franchise being extended to the women on the same property qualifications as men,” according to First Among Equals.
Devoted to each other, Thompson and his wife Annie wrote daily to each other when apart, and used a secret code of sorts to make sure their private passages were just between themselves. The Thompsons had nine children, four of whom died in infancy. Of the surviving children, there were two sons and three daughters. One of the girls was crippled.
Privy Council Appointment
For his negotiation work for Britain, Thompson was given an appointment as a member of the Imperial Privy Council. Queen Victoria bestowed the honour at Windsor Castle on December 12, 1894. An hour later, Thompson suffered a heart attack and died. He was 49 years old.
Queen Victoria returned the Prime Minister to Canada with “due pomp and ceremony” aboard the HMS Blenheim. A state funeral was held in Halifax on January 1, 1895 and Sir John Thompson was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery. His death upset the members of both sides of Canada's government. There was no one waiting in the wings to take his place.
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