David Christie, was a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 politician.

Born in Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

, he came to Canada with his family in 1833.

In 1852, he was elected to the 4th Parliament of the Province of Canada

4th Parliament of the Province of Canada

The 4th Parliament of the Province of Canada was in session from 1852 to June 1854. Elections were held in the Province of Canada in October 1851...

. He was re-elected to the 5th Parliament of the Province of Canada

5th Parliament of the Province of Canada

The 5th Parliament of the Province of Canada was in session from 1854 to November 1857. Elections were held in the Province of Canada in July 1854. Sessions were held in Quebec City until 1856 and then in Toronto....

 and 6th Parliament of the Province of Canada

6th Parliament of the Province of Canada

The 6th Parliament of the Province of Canada was in session from 1858 to June 1861. Elections were held in the Province of Canada in December 1857. Sessions were held in Toronto in 1858 and then in Quebec City from 1859...

. David Christie was in frequent contact with George Brown

George Brown (Canadian politician)

George Brown was a Scottish-born Canadian journalist, politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation...

 who published The Globe newspaper.

In the fall of 1849, David Christie was a founding member of the Clear Grit movement. Along with other Clear Grit supporters, Christie argued for a Canadian brand of republicanism that included the election of a deep number of government representatives. David Christie also coined the term Clear Grit according to Charles Dent

Charles Dent

Charles Dent may refer to:* Charlie Dent , American politician* John Charles Dent , Canadian author and journalist* Charles Dent , Northwest Territories politician...

, who traces the term to a discussion between Christie and George Brown

George Brown (Canadian politician)

George Brown was a Scottish-born Canadian journalist, politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation...

 where Christie criticised any Reformer who would hang back like Brown, declaring "We want only men who are Clear Grit".

In 1858, he was elected to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada

Legislative Council of the Province of Canada

The Legislative Council of the Province of Canada was the upper house for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as Canada West and later the province of Ontario...

. In 1867, he was summoned to the Canadian Senate

Canadian Senate

The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...

 representing the senatorial division of Erie, Ontario. A Liberal

Liberal Party of Canada

The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...

, the Honourable

The Honourable

The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...

 David Christie served until his death in 1880. From 1873 to 1874, he was the Secretary of State of Canada. From 1874 to 1878, he was the Speaker of the Canadian Senate

Speaker of the Canadian Senate

The Speaker of the Senate of Canada is the presiding officer of the Senate of Canada. The speaker represents the Senate at official functions, rules on questions of parliamentary procedure and parliamentary privilege, and oversee debates and voting in the red chamber. This position is often...

. He died in Paris, Ontario

Paris, Ontario

Paris, Ontario is a community on the Grand River in Ontario, Canada. The town was established in 1850. In 1999, its town government was amalgamated into that of the County of Brant, Ontario, thus ending about 149 years as a separate incorporated municipality.-History:The town was first settled in...

 in 1880 of complications arising from gangrene

Gangrene

Gangrene is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that arises when a considerable mass of body tissue dies . This may occur after an injury or infection, or in people suffering from any chronic health problem affecting blood circulation. The primary cause of gangrene is reduced blood...

.