Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley | |
|---|---|
 Tilley in 1864 | |
| 4th & 7thLieutenant Governor of New Brunswick | |
| In office 11 November 1885 – 21 September 1893 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Premier | Andrew George Blair |
| Preceded by | Robert Duncan Wilmot |
| Succeeded by | John Boyd |
| In office 15 November 1873 – 11 July 1878 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Premier | George Edwin King John James Fraser |
| Preceded by | Lemuel Allan Wilmot |
| Succeeded by | Edward Barron Chandler |
| Premier of the Colony of New Brunswick | |
| In office 19 March 1861 – 21 September 1865 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Governor | John Manners-Sutton Arthur Hamilton-Gordon |
| Preceded by | Charles Fisher |
| Succeeded by | Albert James Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 May 1818 |
| Died | 25 June 1896(1896-06-25) (aged 78) |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 10, includingLeonard Percy de Wolfe Tilley |
Sir Samuel Leonard TilleyPC KCMG CB (May 8, 1818 – June 25, 1896) was aCanadian politician and one of theFathers of Confederation.[1] Tilley was descended fromUnited Empire Loyalists on both sides of his family. As apharmacist, he went into business as adruggist.
Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley was born inGagetown, New Brunswick, on May 8, 1818,[2] to astorekeeper named Thomas Morgan Tilley, and Susan Ann Peters, both of whom had descended fromAmerican loyalists.[3]
Samuel Leonard Tilley entered politics as an activist in thetemperance movement. As a result of the 1848 recession, caused in part byBritain's economic policies, he became an advocate forresponsible government. Tilley later joined the New Brunswick Colonial Association, which advocated for the colony's own control over its public expenses, the establishment of apublic school system, government control ofpublic works, and "honest government" in general.
First elected to theNew Brunswick Assembly as aLiberal in 1850, he sat inopposition until the 1854 election swept the reformers to power. Tilley becameProvincial Secretary in the government ofCharles Fisher. In 1855 he persuaded the assembly to pass aprohibition law, but that proved a failure and was later repealed.[4]
He attended each of theCharlottetown,London, andQuebec City Conferences as a supporter ofCanadian Confederation. He served aspremier of thecolony of New Brunswick from 1861 until his government was defeated in the election of 1865. As premier, he supported the New Brunswick's entry into Confederation and the construction of an intercolonial railway.
A common tale states that Tilley was the originator of the word "Dominion" inCanada's name. TheFathers of Confederation had been discussing what to prefix Canada with, Kingdom of Canada being Macdonald's preference. During morning devotions, Tilley read Psalm 72:8, which states "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth", and presented this inspiration to the others, being as their ambition was to stretch the new nation to thePacific Ocean and from theSt Lawrence River to theNorth Pole. "Dominion" had been used before, but Tilley pushed hard for it to be adopted in reference to Canada, despite Macdonald's preference.
The term led to the naming of the July 1 national holiday; however, the reference to a unique Canadian historical development was discarded in 1982 when "Canada Day", which had already been in use by most Canadians, was made official by an act of Parliament. In French, the date had long been known asla fête nationale (national feast or national birthday), a date which is often now applied to June 24 in Quebec, a date officially known asSaint-Jean-Baptiste Day.
Tilley entered federal politics with Confederation in 1867 and served in the federal cabinet as Minister of Customs. He becameMinister of Finance in 1873 and served until the defeat of the government later that year. He was appointed thefourthLieutenant Governor of New Brunswick in 1873 and served until 1878. When Macdonald'sTories returned to power in 1878, Tilley was elected member for Saint John and again became minister of finance; while in that office he introducedprotective tariffs which became the basis of Canadian financial policy.[4] He served in cabinet until his retirement from politics in 1885, when he was again appointed theseventhLieutenant Governor of New Brunswick.
TheSir Leonard Tilley Building was named in his honour.He is interred in theFernhill Cemetery inSaint John, New Brunswick.
On May 6, 1843, Tilley married Julia Ann Hanford inSaint John, New Brunswick; they had eight children. Hanford died in 1862, leaving Tilley awidower. On October 22, 1867, he married Alice Starr Chipman inSt. Stephen, New Brunswick; they had two children, including future New Brunswick PremierLeonard Percy de Wolfe Tilley. Samuel Leonard Tilley died in 1896 on June 25.[3]
Tilley, then-Minister of Customs, married his second wife on October 20, 1867. Alice Starr Chipman was the daughter of ship owner (The Cedars) Zachariah Chipman and his wife Mary Eliza. The couple had two sons Herbert Chipman Tilley, born September 6, 1868, and Leonard Percy DeWolfe Tilley, born May 21, 1870. In July 1884, he and his wife were presented to Her Majesty Queen Victoria, at Osborne, by the Princess Louise. The couple were activists in thetemperance movement. During the 13 years the couple lived at Government House, Fredericton no intoxicants were in use at their entertainments. Alice was instrumental in the founding of the Victoria College Hospital atFredericton, New Brunswick. She helped found the Industrial School for Boys, the Nurses`Home, the Seamen's Mission and the Home for Consumptives atSaint John, New Brunswick. The Chipman homestead inSt. Stephen, New Brunswick was donated by the heirs of the estate in 1902 to found the Chipman Memorial Hospital. Alice was a founding member of the National Council of Women and served as President of the St John Local Council of Women.[5]
There is a Samuel Leonard Tilleyfonds atLibrary and Archives Canada.[6]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)| Parliament of Canada | ||
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| Preceded by None | Member of Parliament fromCity of St. John 1867–1873 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament fromCity of St. John 1878–1885 | Succeeded by |
| British Crown colony (1854–67) | |
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| Canadian Province (1867–present) | |
| International | |
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