Philip Michael Matthew Scott VanKoughnet
Encyclopedia
The Hon. Philip Michael Matthew Scott VanKoughnet (January 21, 1822 – November 7, 1869), President of the Executive Council of the Province of Canada
, Minister of Agriculture, Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chancellor of Upper Canada.
, Upper Canada
in 1822, the son of Philip VanKoughnet
. VanKoughnet's mother had originally planned for him to become a minister in the Church of England
. However, after he served in his father's militia battalion
during the Upper Canada Rebellion
, he went on to study law with George Stephen Benjamin Jarvis
at Cornwall and then with another firm at Toronto
. VanKoughnet was called to the Upper Canada bar in 1843, and with his brother, Mathew, they acquired the largest legal practice in Upper Canada
. He lectured in law at the University of Trinity College
and also served on its council. He became a Queen's Counsel
in 1850.
should be transferred from the Hudson's Bay Company
and that they should become part of the Province of Canada
. Following the resignation of Sir Allan Napier MacNab he was named President of the Executive Council of the Province of Canada
and Minister of Agriculture in the administration of Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché
; he was elected to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
for the Rideau district later that same year.
VanKoughnet efficiently reorganised the department of Agriculture, and in particular took effective measures to check the ravages of the Hessian fly
and weevil
. In 1858, he was named Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands in the Cartier-Macdonald administration, and held office for four years. In 1860, he was also appointed the first Chief Superintendent of Indian Affairs. During his time as Commissioner of Crown Lands
he established the system of selling townships en bloc, and opened up some of the best colonial roads.
He also acted as Leader of the Conservative Government in the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
, or Upper House of Canada. He was named Chancellor of the Court of Chancery
of Upper Canada in 1862 and named Chancellor of Ontario in 1867. He held that office till his death, having declined the office of Chief Justice which Macdonald
made him in 1868. Vankoughnet died at Toronto
on 7 Nov., 1869.
He was a close political and personal friend of Sir John A. Macdonald
, but made his way chiefly through his own abilities. His niece, Gertrude Agnes VanKoughnet, married Sir John's only son, Sir Hugh John Macdonald
. VanKoughnet was a forcible and fluent speaker, and an able lawyer. An annual award is made in his name to a member of the graduating law class of Osgoode Hall Law School
, where his full length portrait hangs. A small village in Muskoka, on the old Peterson Colonization Road, was named for him.
); veteran of the Battle of Waterloo
and the Peninsular War
, who settled in Canada
in 1845. Mrs VanKoughnet's mother, Eliza, was the daughter of Major-General John Hassard (1797–1848) R.E., C.M.G. They were the parents of two sons. After graduating from Bishop's University
, their eldest son went to live in Ireland
. Their second son settled in England
at Tyttenhanger House
, Hertfordshire
. The latter was Captain Edmund Barker VanKoughnet (1849–1905) R.N., J.P., C.M.G., who married Lady Jane Charlotte Elizabeth Alexander (1850–1941), daughter of James Alexander, 3rd Earl of Caledon
. Lady Jane VanKoughnet wrote a history of her husband's family, 'The von Gochnats'.
Executive Council of the Province of Canada
The Executive Council of the Province of Canada had a similar function to the Cabinet in England but was not responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from its inception in 1841 to 1848....
, Minister of Agriculture, Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chancellor of Upper Canada.
Early life
He was born in CornwallCornwall, Ontario
Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St...
, Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
in 1822, the son of Philip VanKoughnet
Philip VanKoughnet
Colonel The Hon. Philip VanKoughnet M.P. landowner, businessman and political figure in Upper Canada.- History of the name :...
. VanKoughnet's mother had originally planned for him to become a minister in the Church of England
Anglican Church of Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada is the Province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French name is l'Église Anglicane du Canada. The ACC is the third largest church in Canada after the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada, consisting of 800,000 registered members...
. However, after he served in his father's militia battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
during the Upper Canada Rebellion
Upper Canada Rebellion
The Upper Canada Rebellion was, along with the Lower Canada Rebellion in Lower Canada, a rebellion against the British colonial government in 1837 and 1838. Collectively they are also known as the Rebellions of 1837.-Issues:...
, he went on to study law with George Stephen Benjamin Jarvis
George Stephen Benjamin Jarvis
George Stephen Benjamin Jarvis was a judge and political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick in 1797 and moved to York with his family in 1809. He joined the 49th Regiment of the British Army as a volunteer and served during the War of 1812. He served in the 104th...
at Cornwall and then with another firm at Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. VanKoughnet was called to the Upper Canada bar in 1843, and with his brother, Mathew, they acquired the largest legal practice in Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
. He lectured in law at the University of Trinity College
University of Trinity College
The University of Trinity College, informally referred to as Trin, is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1851 by Bishop John Strachan. Trinity was intended by Strachan as a college of strong Anglican alignment, after the University of Toronto severed its ties with the Church of...
and also served on its council. He became a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1850.
Politics
Spending a fortune to do so, VanKoughnet entered politics in 1856. During his campaign, he expressed the belief that the ownership of the Northwest TerritoriesNorthwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
should be transferred from the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
and that they should become part of the Province of Canada
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...
. Following the resignation of Sir Allan Napier MacNab he was named President of the Executive Council of the Province of Canada
Executive Council of the Province of Canada
The Executive Council of the Province of Canada had a similar function to the Cabinet in England but was not responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from its inception in 1841 to 1848....
and Minister of Agriculture in the administration of Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché
Étienne-Paschal Taché
Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché was a Canadian doctor, politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation.Born in St. Thomas, Lower Canada, in 1795, the third son of Charles Taché and Geneviève Michon, Taché studied at the Séminaire de Québec until the War of 1812 when he joined the 5th battalion of the...
; 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...
for the Rideau district later that same year.
VanKoughnet efficiently reorganised the department of Agriculture, and in particular took effective measures to check the ravages of the Hessian fly
Hessian fly
The hessian fly or barley midge, Mayetiola destructor, is a species of fly that is a significant pest of cereal crops including wheat, barley and rye. Though a native of Asia it was transported into Europe and later into North America, supposedly in the straw bedding of Hessian troops during the...
and weevil
Weevil
A weevil is any beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. They are usually small, less than , and herbivorous. There are over 60,000 species in several families, mostly in the family Curculionidae...
. In 1858, he was named Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands in the Cartier-Macdonald administration, and held office for four years. In 1860, he was also appointed the first Chief Superintendent of Indian Affairs. During his time as Commissioner of Crown Lands
Commissioner of Crown Lands
Commissioner of Crown Lands may refer to:*Commissioners of Crown Lands *Commissioner of Crown Lands...
he established the system of selling townships en bloc, and opened up some of the best colonial roads.
He also acted as Leader of the Conservative Government in 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...
, or Upper House of Canada. He was named Chancellor of the Court of Chancery
Court of Chancery
The Court of Chancery was a court of equity in England and Wales that followed a set of loose rules to avoid the slow pace of change and possible harshness of the common law. The Chancery had jurisdiction over all matters of equity, including trusts, land law, the administration of the estates of...
of Upper Canada in 1862 and named Chancellor of Ontario in 1867. He held that office till his death, having declined the office of Chief Justice which Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
made him in 1868. Vankoughnet died at Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
on 7 Nov., 1869.
He was a close political and personal friend of Sir John A. Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
, but made his way chiefly through his own abilities. His niece, Gertrude Agnes VanKoughnet, married Sir John's only son, Sir Hugh John Macdonald
Hugh John Macdonald
Sir Hugh John Macdonald, PC was the only surviving son of the first Prime Minister of Canada, Sir John A. Macdonald, and was a politician in his own right, serving as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and a federal cabinet minister, and briefly as the eighth Premier of Manitoba.-Early...
. VanKoughnet was a forcible and fluent speaker, and an able lawyer. An annual award is made in his name to a member of the graduating law class of Osgoode Hall Law School
Osgoode Hall Law School
Osgoode Hall Law School is a Canadian law school, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and affiliated with York University. Named after the first Chief Justice of Ontario, William Osgoode, the law school was established by The Law Society of Upper Canada in 1889 and was the only accredited law...
, where his full length portrait hangs. A small village in Muskoka, on the old Peterson Colonization Road, was named for him.
Family
Philip VanKoughnet married Elizabeth Turner (b.1829), daughter of Colonel Charles Barker Turner (1787–1853), Knight of Hanover (Royal Guelphic OrderRoyal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
); veteran of the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
and the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
, who settled in 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 1845. Mrs VanKoughnet's mother, Eliza, was the daughter of Major-General John Hassard (1797–1848) R.E., C.M.G. They were the parents of two sons. After graduating from Bishop's University
Bishop's University
Bishop's University is a predominantly undergraduate university in Lennoxville, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Bishop's is one of three universities in the province of Quebec that teach primarily in the English language...
, their eldest son went to live in 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...
. Their second son settled in 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...
at Tyttenhanger House
Tyttenhanger House
Tyttenhanger House is a 17th century country mansion, now converted into commercial offices, at Tyttenhanger, near St Albans, Hertfordshire. It is a Grade I listed building....
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. The latter was Captain Edmund Barker VanKoughnet (1849–1905) R.N., J.P., C.M.G., who married Lady Jane Charlotte Elizabeth Alexander (1850–1941), daughter of James Alexander, 3rd Earl of Caledon
James Alexander, 3rd Earl of Caledon
James Du Pre Alexander, 3rd Earl of Caledon styled Viscount Alexander from birth until 1839, was a soldier and politician....
. Lady Jane VanKoughnet wrote a history of her husband's family, 'The von Gochnats'.