John M. Charlton 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...

 Member of Parliament

Canadian House of Commons

The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...

 and businessman. Charlton was the Member of Parliament for Norfolk North

Norfolk North

For the UK Parliament constituency, see North Norfolk Norfolk North was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1904. It was located in the province of Ontario. It was created by the British North America Act of 1867 which divided the county of...

, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

 for 32 years until 1904. He was the author of "Parliamentary Recollections" and contributed to the North American Review.

Born in Garbuttsville, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, John was the eldest son of Adam Charlton of Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. He was first educated in McLaren Grammar School of Caledonia, New York

Caledonia (town), New York

Caledonia is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 4,567 at the 2000 census .The Town of Caledonia contains the Village of Caledonia. The town is in the northwest part of the county and is southwest of Rochester, NY.- Community amenities :Caledonia's high school...

 before moving to the Springville Academy in the state. Interested in bettering himself, he studied medicine, the law, and public speaking. In 1849, at the age of twenty, he moved with his parents to Ayr

Ayr, Ontario

The village of Ayr, Ontario, Canada is a settlement located within the Township of North Dumfries in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in Southwestern Ontario...

, in Dumfries Township, Ontario, and became a farmer. Charlton's interest in educating himself continued led to him helping to start a library in the town of Ayr. In 1853, he moved to Lynedoch and opened a general store. Charlton married Ella Gray, daughter of George Grey of Charlotteville, Ontario, in 1854.

His next career move was to become the Canadian Manager for the lumber company of Messieurs Smith & Westover of Town of Tonawanda, New York in 1859. Charlton was first elected to the House of Commons in 1871, as member of the Liberal Party of Canada

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...

. He had strong religious views and high ideals, was a strong advocate for provincial rights, and worked for years for passage of a law affording protection to women and girls under a certain age. His speeches were considered blunt and brusque compared to his contemporaries. After a tour of the United States in 1897, Charlton served on the Joint High Commission between Great Britain, Canada and the United States from 1898 to 1899. His wife, Ella Gray, died in 1905, and Charlton entered a marriage with Cora J. Given in 1907. He died of a stroke

Stroke

A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...

at his home in Lynedoch in 1910.

External links

• Future Relations of Canada & the United States New York Times, August 18, 1901