Today’s installment of “who wants to be bored by a vain 90+ year old” brings us the 5th Canadian Prime Minister, Sir Mackenzie Bowell.
Name | Sir Mackenzie Bowell |
Born: | December 27, 1823 in Rickinghall, England |
Died: | December 10, 1917 |
Party: | Conservative |
Held Office: | December 21, 1894 – April 27, 1896 |
Best known for: | -was a prominent Orangeman-played an important role in expelling Louis Riel from the House-became P.M. when Thompson died-was one of only 2 people to be P.M. while not in the House (he was leader of the Senate at the time)
-his government imploded over the Manitoba Schools Question (the Manitoba provincial government had stopped funding its Catholic schools in 1890, even though it was required to under the Manitoba Act of 1870. This pissed people off and it seems there was lots of fighting in the federal government over what to do about it.) |
Some Things I Didn’t Know About This P.M. | -died 17 days short of his 94th birthday-the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online makes many references to him being very vain, including being really proud of not looking his age when he was in his 90s and not being able to believe that the cabinet ministers who resigned might not have liked him |
If you are just dying to read more about Sir M.B., with long-winded notes about his time at Minister of Customs (I’m looking at you, National Archives!)? Check out:
Image credits: From from the Library and Archives Canada, copyright is expired.