About Sir John Abbott:
Sir John Abbott was Prime Minister of Canada for only 17 months and saw himself as a caretaker prime minister, stepping in on the death of Sir John A. Macdonald in 1891.
Sir John Abbott has a few notable firsts to his name:
- Sir John Abbott was the first Canadian prime minister to be born on Canadian soil.
- Sir John Abbott was the first Senator to become Prime Minister of Canada.
- Sir John Abbott was the first Canadian prime minister to be a member of both the House of Commons and the Senate.
Prime Minister of Canada:
1891-92
Birth:
March 12, 1821 in St. Andrews, Lower Canada
Death:
October 30, 1893 in Montreal, Quebec
Education:
BCL - University of McGill College
Professional Background of Sir John Abbott:
- Corporate lawyer
- Dean, Faculty of Law, McGill University, Montreal 1855-80
- President, Canada Central Railway 1862
- Raised and commanded Argenteuil Rangers 1862-84
Political Affiliation:
Liberal-Conservative
Ridings (Electoral Districts):
- Argenteuil (provincial)
- Argenteuil (federal)
Political Career of Sir John Abbott:
- John Abbott was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada in 1857.
- He was re-elected in 1861 and 1863 and was a member until Canadian Confederation in 1867.
- He was appointed Solicitor General of the Province of Canada in 1862.
- John Abbott was rirst elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1867.
- He was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 1887.
- He was Leader of the Government in the Senate from 1887 to 1893.
- John Abbott was also Mayor of the municipality of Montreal from 1887 to 1888.
- On the death of Sir John A. Macdonald, John Abbott became Leader of the Conservative Party and was sworn in as Prime Minister of Canada in 1891.
- John Abbott resigned as Prime Minister of Canada due to ill health in 1892.
- Sir John Thompson took over as Prime Minister.
