Andrew Charles Elliott

Andrew Charles Elliott

Andrew Charles Elliott (born around 1828 in Ireland , † April 9, 1889 in San Francisco ) was a Canadian politician , lawyer and judge . For two years, from February 1, 1876 to June 25, 1878, he was Prime Minister of the Province of British Columbia .

biography

Nothing is known about Elliott's youth. He worked from 1851 as a legal clerk at Lincoln's Inn in London , was licensed as a barrister in 1854 and then worked at the Inner Temple . With a letter of recommendation from Lord Lytton , he went to British Columbia in 1859 and built the colony's court system under Governor James Douglas . He held several administrative positions such as gold commissioner and magistrate, was a member of the appointed legislative council in 1865/66 and was chief sheriff of the United Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia from 1866 .

After British Columbia's accession to the Canadian Confederation in 1871, Elliott was provincial magistrate in Lillooet . In September 1875 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as a member of the Victoria constituency and immediately took on the role of opposition leader (no parties existed then). Prime Minister George Anthony Walkem lost a vote of no confidence on February 1, 1876, and Lieutenant Governor Joseph William Trutch appointed Elliott as the new head of government.

Three weeks later, he won the election. The road and port buildings commissioned by his predecessors tore a large hole in the provincial treasury. Elliott was forced to collect taxes, which led to a rapid decline in popularity. In the elections in May 1878 he lost his seat. He continued the official business until June 25 and withdrew from politics. Elliott became seriously ill; when he was in San Francisco in 1886 , his doctors advised him not to return to the harsh northern climate.

Web links

• Andrew Charles Elliott . In: Dictionary of Canadian Biography . 24 volumes, 1966–2018. University of Toronto Press, Toronto ( English , French ).
• Andrew Charles Elliott ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .