John Joseph McGee
Encyclopedia
John Joseph McGee was Clerk of the Privy Council of Canada from May 20, 1882 to May 5, 1907 and is the longest-serving occupant of the position.
Born in Wexford
, Ireland
, McGee immigrated to Canada
in 1863 at the request of his half-brother D'Arcy McGee
. He finished his education at McGill University
and joined the civil service
in 1879 as a first class clerk in the Department of the Interior. He became Assistant Clerk of the Queen's Privy Council in 1880 and became Clerk of the Privy Council two years later.
achieved prominence in ice hockey
and other sports. D'Arcy became a prominent lawyer in Ottawa. Charles, Frank, John and Walter all served in the Canadian army in World War I
. Charles and Frank died serving for Canada. James died in 1904 of a horse-riding accident.
Born in Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, McGee immigrated to Canada
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...
in 1863 at the request of his half-brother D'Arcy McGee
D'Arcy McGee
Thomas D'Arcy Etienne Hughes McGee, PC, was an Irish Nationalist, Catholic spokesman, journalist, and a Father of Canadian confederation. He fought for the development of Irish and Canadian national identities that would transcend their component groups...
. He finished his education at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
and joined the civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
in 1879 as a first class clerk in the Department of the Interior. He became Assistant Clerk of the Queen's Privy Council in 1880 and became Clerk of the Privy Council two years later.
Personal life
McGee married Elizabeth Crotty and the couple had nine children, six sons (Charles, D'Arcy, Frank, James, John Jr. and Walter) and three daughters, (Katharine, Lillian and May). Sons Frank and JamesJames A. McGee
James Aloysius McGee was a Canadian athlete. He played rugby football for and was captain of the Ottawa Football Club football team in the early 1900s. He was also an ice hockey player for the Ottawa Silver Seven, a member of the Silver Seven 1903–04 Stanley Cup championship team, and a member of...
achieved prominence in ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
and other sports. D'Arcy became a prominent lawyer in Ottawa. Charles, Frank, John and Walter all served in the Canadian army in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Charles and Frank died serving for Canada. James died in 1904 of a horse-riding accident.