Political party Conservative Nationality Canadian | Role Canadian statesman Name Alexander Campbell | |
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Governor General The Marquess of LansdowneThe Lord Stanley of Preston Party Conservative Party of Canada Cabinet Minister of Justice, Minister of Militia and Defence, Minister of the Interior (Canada), Minister of Inland Revenue | ||
Children Charles Sandwith Campbell | ||
Sir Alexander Campbell (March 9, 1822 – May 24, 1892) was an English-born, Upper Canadian statesman and politician, and a father of Canadian Confederation.
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Life
Born in Hedon, Yorkshire, he was brought to Canada by his father, who was a doctor, when he was one year old. He was educated in French at St. Hyacinthe in Quebec and in the grammar school at Kingston, Ontario. Campbell studied law and was called to the bar in 1843. He became a partner in John A. Macdonald's law office.
He was elected to the Legislative Council in 1858 and 1864, and served as the last Commissioner of Crown Lands 30 March 1864 – 30 June 1867. He attended the Charlottetown Conference and the Quebec City Conference in 1864, and at Confederation was appointed to the Canadian Senate. He later held a number of ministerial posts in the Cabinet of Sir John A. Macdonald and was the sixth Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1887 to 1892.
He died in office in Toronto in 1892, and was buried at Cataraqui Cemetery in Kingston, Ontario.
In 1883, he built his home on Metcalfe Street, Ottawa, now known as 'Campbell House'.
Campbell Crescent in Kingston, a street in the Portsmouth municipal district, is named in his honour.
Family
In 1855, Campbell married Georgina Frederica Locke, daughter of Thomas Sandwith of Beverley, Yorkshire, and a niece of Humphrey Sandwith III (1792–1874) of Bridlington. He left two sons (the eldest was Charles Sandwith Campbell) and three daughters.