Edward Hale (politician)
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The Honourable Edward Hale D.C.L. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Special Council of Lower Canada | |
| In office September 19, 1839 – February 10, 1841 | |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Warden, District Council of Sherbrooke | |
| In office 1840 onwards | |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada for Sherbrooke (two elections) | |
| In office 1841–1848 | |
| Preceded by | New position |
| Succeeded by | Bartholomew Gugy |
| Member of the Legislative Council of Quebec for Wellington | |
| In office 1867–1875 | |
| Preceded by | New position |
| Succeeded by | William Hoste Webb |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 6, 1800 |
| Died | April 26, 1875 (aged 74) Quebec City, Quebec |
| Party | Quebec: Conservative |
| Spouse | Eliza Cecilia Bowen |
| Relations |
|
| Children | 7 |
| Parent(s) | John Hale and Elizabeth Amherst Hale |
| Occupation | Businessman, farmer and landowner |
Edward Hale, D.C.L. (December 6, 1800 – April 26, 1875) was a Quebec businessman and political figure. He was Chancellor of Bishop's University and a significant figure to Bishop's College School.
Hale was born in Quebec City in 1800, the son of John Hale and Elizabeth Amherst Hale, who were well-connected in the colonial government and society of Lower Canada.[1][2]
His father was a British army officer who had settled in Lower Canada. John Hale was appointed to the Legislative Council of Lower Canada in 1808 and served as a member until the constitution was suspended in 1838. He was also a member of the Executive Council of Lower Canada from 1820 until his death in 1838.[1][2]
His mother was the sister of William Pitt Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst. Their father, Lieutenant General William Amherst, had fought for Britain in the Seven Years' War and had defeated French troops at the Battle of Signal Hill in St. John's, Newfoundland.[1][2]
His paternal uncle, also named Edward Hale, was seigneur of Portneuf. He later served on the Special Council of Lower Canada, which replaced the Parliament of Lower Canada after the suspension of the constitution in 1838.[1]
Edward Hale was educated at a private school in England, obtaining a good education. He returned to Lower Canada in 1820, where he was named secretary to the auditor general for the province. From 1823 to 1828, he was secretary to his maternal uncle, Lord Amherst, who was the Governor of the Bengal Presidency in India. He then travelled in Europe. After he returned to Lower Canada in 1831, he married Eliza Cecilia Bowen, the daughter of Edward Bowen, a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada and later judge of the Court of King's Bench. The couple had seven children.[1][2]
Business, agricultural and educational interests
Hale and his wife settled on a property in the Sherbrooke area, on the Saint-François River in the Eastern Townships, around 1834. He was active in agriculture in the area, and gradually acquired significant land-holdings. He was also involved in business developments. He was a shareholder in the British American Land Company which was established to sell land in that part of the province.[1][2]
Hale was also president of the Stanstead and Sherbrooke Mutual Fire Insurance Company. Along with Alexander Tilloch Galt, also of Sherbrooke, Hale was involved in the establishment of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad, linking Montreal to Portland, Maine. The railway ran through the Eastern Townships and Hale was on the sub-committee planning the local route.[1][2]
In 1866, he was named chancellor for Bishop's College, a post previously held by his father-in-law, Judge Bowen. The appointment was in recognition of the services he had provided to the Church of England in the Sherbrooke area. He was also a founder of Bishop's College School. He was also on the administrative board of the Jeffrey Hale Hospital, which his brother had established in his will.[1][2][3]