The Honourable Sir Mackenzie Bowell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 6th Prime Minister of Canada | |
| In office 21 December 1894 – 27 April 1896 | |
| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Preceded by | Sir John Thompson |
| Succeeded by | Sir Charles Tupper |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1823-12-27)27 December 1823 Rickinghall,England |
| Died | 10 December 1917(1917-12-10) (aged 93) Belleville,Ontario |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Harriet Moore |
| Children | 9 |
| Alma mater | None (no post-secondary schooling) |
| Occupation | Newspaperman: printer, editor and, later, owner |
Sir Mackenzie Bowell,PC,KCMG (December 27, 1823 – December 10, 1917) was the sixthPrime Minister of Canada from 21 December 1894 to 27 April 1896.
Bowell was born inRickinghall,Suffolk,England to John Bowell and Elizabeth Marshall. In 1832 his family moved toBelleville,Ontario. He started work helping the printer at the townnewspaper,The Intelligencer. He became printer and editor with that newspaper, and later its owner. He was aFreemason[1] and anOrangeman, becoming Grandmaster of the Orange Order of British North America, 1870 – 1878. In 1847 he marriedHarriet Moore (1829 – 1884). He had four sons and five daughters.
Bowell was elected to theHouse of Commons in 1867, as aConservative, for North Hastings, Ontario. In 1878 he became Minister of Customs. In 1892 he became Minister of Militia and Defence. He was a skilled and hardworking administrator. He later became Minister of Trade and Commerce. He was elected to the Senate. His visit toAustralia in 1893 led to the first meeting ofBritish colonies and territories. It was held inOttawa in 1894. He becameLeader of the Government in the Senate onOctober 311893.
In December 1894 the Prime Minister SirJohn Thompson died suddenly. Bowell was the most senior Cabinet minister and was appointed Prime Minister by the Governor General. Bowell was the second of two Canadian Prime Ministers to serve in the Senate rather than the House of Commons. (The first wasJohn Abbott.)
As Prime Minister, Bowell faced the difficultManitoba Schools Question. In 1890Manitoba stopped giving money toCatholic schools. This was the opposite of an earlier law called in theManitoba Act of 1870. Bowell other political leaders could not solve the problem. It had divided the country, the government, and even Bowell's own Cabinet. He could not make up his own mind on how to fix the problem. As a Senator he could not speak in the arguments in the House of Commons. Bowell supported a law that would have forced Manitoba to restore funding the Catholic schools. His Cabinet did not agree. Normal government activities stopped. His Cabinet decided he did not have the ability to be Prime Minister and he was forced to resign. Seven government ministers resigned and stopped new people from being appointed. Bowell called them "a nest of traitors". After ten days, the Governor General stepped in and the problem was solved. Six of the ministers went back to their jobs.Charles Tupper was the person who was seen as the real leader. Tupper had been CanadianHigh Commissioner to theUnited Kingdom. He had been asked to come back and taker over from Bowell. Bowell resigned at the end of the parliamentary session.
Bowell was the Conservative leader until 1906. He stayed in the Senate until his death. He died ofpneumonia in Bellville, just before he turned 94. He was buried in theBelleville Cemetery. His funeral was attended by a full group of the Orange Order.
Bowell's descendants live inHertfordshire, England.
