Alexander Edmund Batson Davie

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AEB Davie

Alexander Edmund Batson Davie , QC (born November 24, 1847 in Wells , Somerset , † August 1, 1889 in Victoria ; usually referred to as AEB Davie ) was a Canadian politician and lawyer . He was Prime Minister of British Columbia from March 29, 1887 until his death . His younger brother Theodore Davie was also head of government of this province after him.

biography

Davie went to school in Wakefield . In 1862 he emigrated to Canada with his father and three brothers. The Davies were among the first Europeans to settle in the Cowichan River valley . The other family members followed in 1867. Davie trained as a lawyer (which at the time, due to the lack of a university, did not require a higher degree). In 1873 he was admitted as a barrister , making him the first to receive his legal training entirely on Vancouver Island .

From 1872 to 1874 Davie was a legal clerk to the British Columbia Legislative Assembly . In 1874 he joined the Freemasons . In October 1875 he was elected to the provincial parliament himself, as a member of the Cariboo electoral district (at that time there were no parties). He initially supported Prime Minister George Anthony Walkem , but soon joined the opposition. Andrew Charles Elliott offered him a ministerial post in May 1877, but only a month later Davie lost his seat in the mandatory by-election. In July 1882, Davie was re-elected, this time in the Lillooet constituency . He was Attorney General in William Smithe's cabinet . In 1884 he successfully took the position before the Supreme Court of Canada that the provinces should be allowed to regulate alcohol sales themselves.

After Smithe's death, Lieutenant Governor Hugh Nelson appointed Davie as the new Prime Minister on March 29, 1887. He continued to hold the office of Attorney General. A little later he became seriously ill and in October 1887 was forced to go to California for a cure. During his six-month absence, John Robson ran the business and kept Davie up to date with regular correspondence. When he returned, his health had barely improved. The Canadian Prime Minister John Thompson offered him the appointment of Chief Justice, but he had to refuse. Davie died in office at the age of 41.

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personal data
SURNAME Davie, Alexander Edmund Batson
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian politician
DATE OF BIRTH November 24, 1847
PLACE OF BIRTH Wells , Somerset
DATE OF DEATH August 1, 1889
Place of death Victoria (British Columbia)