Thomas Scott (Manitoba politician)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Scott was a Canadian military figure, Manitoba
Member of the Legislative Assembly
, Member of Parliament
and the third Mayor of Winnipeg in the 19th century.
Scott was born in Lanark County, Ontario
in what was then Upper Canada
to Irish immigrant parents. He was the youngest of four children. His father died when he was an infant, and the family moved to Perth, Ontario
where Scott attended school and then apprenticed as a printer
. He founded the Perth Expositor newspaper
in 1861 and was its editor
and proprietor, until 1872.
In 1860, Scott signed up for military service
, during the Trent Affair
. He was in command of the Perth Infantry and served for five months on the frontier during the Fenian Raids
crisis on 1866. During the Red River Expedition
of 1870, Scott – by this time a colonel
– was in command of the Ontario Rifles which arrived at Fort Garry
following Louis Riel
's escape. He returned to Ontario
, in December 1870, but was sent again to Fort Garry, in 1871, as part of the Second Red River Expedition. In 1874, he retired from military service but remained in Manitoba
where he entered politics
and was elected to Winnipeg
's first city council
; he became mayor in 1877. In 1878, he was elected
to the Manitoba legislature from the district of Winnipeg and, in 1880, he defeated incumbent
Donald A. Smith
to become the Conservative MP
for Selkirk
. He was re-elected in the 1882 federal election
in the new riding of Winnipeg
.
Scott returned to military service, in 1885, while still an MP, after the Minister of the Militia
Sir Adolphe-Philippe Caron
asked Scott to raise a regiment to put down the North-West Rebellion
of 1885. Smith raised and equipped the Ninety-fifth Manitoba Grenadiers in thirteen days.
Scott retired from politics, in 1887, and became collector
of customs
at the port of Winnipeg.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
, Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and the third Mayor of Winnipeg in the 19th century.
Scott was born in Lanark County, Ontario
Lanark County, Ontario
Lanark County is a county located in the Canadian province of Ontario. As of 2006, the population is 63,785. Its county seat is Perth.The county took its name from the town of Lanark in Scotland.-Geography:...
in what was then 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...
to Irish immigrant parents. He was the youngest of four children. His father died when he was an infant, and the family moved to Perth, Ontario
Perth, Ontario
Perth is a town in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada . It is located on the Tay River, 83 km southwest of Ottawa, and is the seat of Lanark County.-History:...
where Scott attended school and then apprenticed as a printer
Printer
Printer may refer to:* Printer , a person or a company* Printer , a hardware device* Optical printer for motion picture films* The Moscow subway station Pechatniki, whose name means "Printers"...
. He founded the Perth Expositor newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
in 1861 and was its editor
Editor
The term editor may refer to:As a person who does editing:* Editor in chief, having final responsibility for a publication's operations and policies* Copy editing, making formatting changes and other improvements to text...
and proprietor, until 1872.
In 1860, Scott signed up for military service
Military service
Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations require a specific amount of military service from every citizen...
, during the Trent Affair
Trent affair
The Trent Affair, also known as the Mason and Slidell Affair, was an international diplomatic incident that occurred during the American Civil War...
. He was in command of the Perth Infantry and served for five months on the frontier during the Fenian Raids
Fenian raids
Between 1866 and 1871, the Fenian raids of the Fenian Brotherhood who were based in the United States; on British army forts, customs posts and other targets in Canada, were fought to bring pressure on Britain to withdraw from Ireland. They divided many Catholic Irish-Canadians, many of whom were...
crisis on 1866. During the Red River Expedition
Wolseley Expedition
The Wolseley Expedition was a military force authorized by Sir John A. Macdonald to confront Louis Riel and the Métis in 1870, during the Red River Rebellion, at the Red River Settlement in what is now the Canadian province of Manitoba...
of 1870, Scott – by this time a colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
– was in command of the Ontario Rifles which arrived at Fort Garry
Fort Garry
Fort Garry, also known as Upper Fort Garry, was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in what is now downtown Winnipeg. It was established in 1822 on or near the site of the North West Company's Fort Gibraltar. Fort Garry was named after Nicholas...
following Louis Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
's escape. He returned to 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....
, in December 1870, but was sent again to Fort Garry, in 1871, as part of the Second Red River Expedition. In 1874, he retired from military service but remained in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
where he entered politics
Politics of Manitoba
Like all Canadian provinces, Manitoba is governed by a unicameral legislature, the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The executive branch is formed by the majority party; the party leader is the Premier of Manitoba, the head of the executive branch...
and was elected to Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
's first city council
Winnipeg City Council
The Winnipeg City Council is the governing body of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors.-2006-2010:Council elected in the 2006 election:-2010-2014:...
; he became mayor in 1877. In 1878, he was elected
Manitoba general election, 1878
The third Manitoba general election was held on December 18, 1878 to elect representatives to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba....
to the Manitoba legislature from the district of Winnipeg and, in 1880, he defeated incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Donald A. Smith
Donald Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal
Sir Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal, GCMG, GCVO, PC, DL was a Scottish-born Canadian fur trader, financier, railroad baron and politician.-Early life:...
to become the Conservative MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Selkirk
Selkirk (electoral district)
Selkirk was a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1871 to 1979.This riding was created in 1871 when the province of Manitoba was created....
. He was re-elected in the 1882 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1882
The Canadian federal election of 1882 was held on June 20, 1882 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 5th Parliament of Canada.Prime Minister Sir John A...
in the new riding of Winnipeg
Winnipeg (electoral district)
Winnipeg was a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1882 to 1917.This riding was created in 1882 from parts of Selkirk riding....
.
Scott returned to military service, in 1885, while still an MP, after the Minister of the Militia
Minister of Militia and Defence (Canada)
The Minister of Militia and Defence was the federal government minister in charge of the volunteer army units in Canada prior to the creation of the Canadian Militia, before the creation of the Canadian Army....
Sir Adolphe-Philippe Caron
Adolphe-Philippe Caron
Sir Joseph-Philippe-René-Adolphe Caron, PC, KCMG was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He is now best remembered as the Minister of Militia and Defence in the government of Sir John A...
asked Scott to raise a regiment to put down the North-West Rebellion
North-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
of 1885. Smith raised and equipped the Ninety-fifth Manitoba Grenadiers in thirteen days.
Scott retired from politics, in 1887, and became collector
Collection agency
A collection agency is a business that pursues payments of debts owed by individuals or businesses. Most collection agencies operate as agents of creditors and collect debts for a fee or percentage of the total amount owed....
of customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
at the port of Winnipeg.
External links
- Thomas Scott, Manitoba Historical Society
- House of Commons biography Parliament of Canada