John Foster McCreight facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Foster McCreight
|
|
|---|---|
Hon. John Foster McCreight
|
|
| 1st Premier of British Columbia | |
| In office November 14, 1871 – December 23, 1872 |
|
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Lieutenant Governor | Joseph Trutch |
| Succeeded by | Amor De Cosmos |
| MLA for Victoria City | |
| In office October 16, 1871 – September 11, 1875 Serving with Robert Beaven, Simeon Duck, James Trimble
|
|
| Preceded by | first member |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Charles Elliott |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1827 (Bap. Sept. 3) Caledon, County Tyrone, Ireland |
| Died | November 18, 1913 (aged 86) Hastings, East Sussex, United Kingdom |
| Political party | None |
| Spouse | Anna Johanna McCreight |
John Foster McCreight (born 1827, died 1913) was an important lawyer and judge. He became the very first Premier of British Columbia. A Premier is like the head of the government for a province.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Foster McCreight was born in Caledon, County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1827. His family was well-known in the area. He studied law at Trinity College Dublin, a famous university. In 1852, he officially became a lawyer.
Soon after, McCreight left Ireland. He moved to Melbourne, Australia, to start his law practice. In 1859, he left Australia and traveled to San Francisco. From there, he sailed north to Victoria, British Columbia.
Life in British Columbia
McCreight arrived in Victoria in 1860. At that time, Victoria was the capital of the Colony of Vancouver Island. This colony was governed by Sir James Douglas. In 1862, McCreight was allowed to practice law in British Columbia. He opened his own law office in Victoria.
People described McCreight as a quiet person. Outside of his work, he was involved in the local Masonic Lodge. He was also an active member of the local Anglican church.
Joining the Government
By 1866, the colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia had joined together. In 1867, Canada became a country through Canadian confederation. British Columbia did not join right away. However, the colony's money problems and location soon made joining Canada a good idea.
British Columbia officially joined Canada on July 20, 1871. McCreight became the Attorney General in the new government. The Attorney General is the chief legal advisor to the government.
First Premier of British Columbia
In October 1871, the first provincial election took place. McCreight won a seat for Victoria City in the legislature. The Lieutenant Governor, Sir Joseph Trutch, chose McCreight to be British Columbia's first Premier. He also continued to serve as Attorney General.
McCreight was not naturally suited for public life. One of his colleagues said he was "bad tempered and queer." Despite this, McCreight's time as Premier was very busy. His government passed many new laws in less than a year. However, he found it hard to work with other politicians. He lost their support and resigned in 1872. This happened after he lost a vote of no confidence in the legislature.
After being Premier, McCreight served as the first Treasurer for the Law Society of British Columbia. This group helps manage lawyers in the province. He held this role from 1874 to 1880.
Supreme Court Justice and Retirement
McCreight stayed in the legislature until 1875. Then, he went back to his law practice. Five years later, in 1880, he became a justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. He worked as a judge in different areas, including the Cariboo region, Victoria, and New Westminster.
In 1897, McCreight retired at the age of 70. He later moved back to the United Kingdom. He passed away in Hastings, East Sussex, at 86 years old.
Legacy
McCreight Lake, located north west of Campbell River, British Columbia, is named after him.
