Richard Cartwright
Richard Cartwright was a significant Canadian political figure and businessman born on December 4, 1835, in Kingston, Upper Canada. He was the son of an Anglican clergyman and was educated at Trinity College in Dublin, although he did not obtain a formal degree. Cartwright amassed wealth through various business ventures, particularly in real estate, gold and coal mining, and railroads, while also holding high-level positions in the banking sector. His political career began in 1863 when he was elected to the Canadian Parliament as a Tory, later becoming an Independent before joining the Liberal Party in 1873. As a prominent Liberal leader, he served as Canada's minister of finance from 1873 to 1878 and held the position of minister of trade and commerce from 1896 to 1911. Cartwright was known for his advocacy of free trade between Canada and the United States and played a key role in the Senate, stepping in as premier during the absence of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. He married Frances Lawe in 1859 and enjoyed outdoor activities such as cricket and boating, but he passed away on September 24, 1912, after a hernia operation, leaving his family with diminished resources due to his political endeavors.
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Richard Cartwright
Politician
- Born: December 4, 1835
- Birthplace: Kingston, Upper Canada (now Ontario)
- Died: September 24, 1912
- Place of death: Kingston, Ontario
Contribution: Richard Cartwright was a Canadian statesman and businessman whose enterprises included finance, transportation, real estate, mining, and manufacturing. Cartwright served in the Parliament of Canada in 1863, representing Ontario constituencies, and later became a senator. As a leader of the Liberal Party’s Ontario faction, he served as minister of finance and minister of trade and commerce and was a major advocate of free trade with the United States.
Early Life
Richard Cartwright was born in Kingston, Upper Canada, on December 4, 1835. His parents were Robert David Cartwright and Harriet Dobbs. Cartwright’s paternal grandfather was a well-known merchant and landowner who held several political offices.
Cartwright’s father, an Anglican clergyman, died of tuberculosis in 1843. In 1851, Cartwright and his younger brother were sent to school at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Although he was there until 1856, he did not earn a formal degree. Instead, Cartwright returned to Canada and eventually used family money to begin building up his own fortune in business, investing in many different areas of commerce, including gold and coal mines and railroads. Most of his income, however, came from real estate transactions in the Ontario towns of Kingston and Napanee.
Cartwright held several high-level positions in the banking industry and was director of the Canada Life Assurance Company from 1869 to 1873. He was a prominent member of Kingston’s St. George Cathedral and helped to found Women’s Medical College at Queen’s College in 1883.
Political Career
Cartwright was elected to the Canadian Parliament in 1863 as a Tory. Two years after the Dominion of Canada was formed in 1867, Cartwright broke with Liberal-Conservative Party leader, and later prime minister, Sir John Macdonald, because of Macdonald’s financial policies, and became an Independent. Finally, in 1873, he joined the Liberal Party and became a powerful Liberal leader, supporting free trade between the United States and Canada.
He was Canada’s minister of finance from 1873 to 1878. He served as minister of trade and commerce from 1896 to 1911. During that time, Cartwright moved to the Senate of Canada and filled in four times as premier (or prime minister) when Sir Wilfrid Laurier was absent. He was the government leader during his final two years in the Senate. Cartwright was considered the chief financial spokesman of Canada’s Liberal Party for close to forty years.
Personal Life
Cartwright married a distant Irish cousin, Frances Lawe, in 1859. He was athletic and enjoyed cricket, riding, swimming, and boating. On September 24, 1912, after a hernia operation, Cartwright died. Having spent much of his fortune on election campaigns, his family was left with approximately $228,400.
Bibliography
Cartwright, Sir Richard. Reminiscences. Toronto: W. Briggs, 1912. Print.
“Cartwright, the Right Hon. Sir Richard John, P.C., G.C.M.G.” Parliament of Canada. Library of Parliament, n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2013.
Morgan, Cecilia, and Robert Craig Brown. “Cartwright, Sir Richard John.” Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. 14. Toronto: U of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003. Web, 14 Aug. 2013.
“Sir Richard Cartwright.” Quebec History Encyclopedia. Marianopolis College, 2005. Web. 14 Aug. 2013.