Colonel Darby Bergin (September 7, 1826 – October 22, 1896) was an

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

physician and political figure. He represented

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

from 1872 to 1874 and from 1878 to 1882 and then

Cornwall and Stormont Cornwall and Stormont was a federal electoral district represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1882 to 1904. It was located in the province of Ontario. This riding was created in 1882 from parts of Cornwall and Stormont ridings. I ...

from 1882 to 1896 in the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

as a

Liberal-Conservative Liberal conservatism is a political ideology combining conservative policies with liberal stances, especially on economic issues but also on social and ethical matters, representing a brand of political conservatism strongly influenced by libe ...

member. He was the 1st Canadian Surgeon General.

Early life

Darby Bergin was born in York (later

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...

in 1826, the son of William Bergin, a York merchant who had immigrated from

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. He studied at

Upper Canada College Upper Canada College (UCC) is an independent day and boarding school for boys in Toronto, Ontario, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The college is widely described as Canada's most prestigious preparatory school, and ha ...

and

McGill College McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

, receiving his MD.CM in 1847. Bergin set up practice at

. He was founder and president of the Eastern District Medical Association, president of the St. Lawrence and Eastern District Medical Association and examiner for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, also serving president of the council for the college from 1881 to 1882 and from 1885 to 1886. With his brother John, he also raised horses and cattle.

Political career

Bergin represented

from 1872 to 1874 and from 1878 to 1882 and then

from 1882 to 1896 in the

as a

member. He was defeated by Alexander Francis Macdonald, the brother of

Donald Alexander Macdonald Donald Alexander Macdonald (February 17, 1817 – June 10, 1896) was a Canadian politician. Born in 1817 in St. Raphael's, Upper Canada, Donald Alexander Macdonald studied at St Raphael's College under the first Catholic Bishop of Onta ...

, in 1874. He opposed the Canada Temperance Act of 1878, feeling that, in the end, it increased, rather than prevented, the consumption of alcohol. Bergin also introduced private member's bills to regulate working conditions for women and children, even though it was believed by some that labour regulations fell under provincial control; his efforts led to the introduction of legislation regulating labour conditions in Ontario factories. With Joseph Kerr, he promoted the development of the Ontario Pacific Railway, serving as president from 1886 until his death in 1896, when his brother John succeeded him. Bergin also helped promote the expansion of the

Cornwall Canal The Cornwall Canal was built by the British government of Canada to bypass a troublesome rapids hindering navigation on the St. Lawrence at Cornwall, Ontario. Construction began in 1834 and was completed in 1843. Ontario Heritage Trust Founding o ...

Military career

Bergin was very active with the

Canadian Militia The Canadian Militia is a historical title for military units raised for the defence of Canada. The term has been used to describe sedentary militia units raised from local communities in Canada; as well as the regular army for the Province of Ca ...

. He was appointed a Surgeon in the ''3rd Battalion, Stormont Militia'' in 1850 and in 1851 transferred to the 4th Battalion. In 1862 during the Trent Affair, he raised and commanded the '' 1st Cornwall Rifle Company'', which served on active duty as ''No. 3 Company, 3rd Provisional Battalion'', in La Prairie from December 1863 to April 1864, and during the St. Albans Raid. He commanded the company on active duty in Cornwall during the Fenian Raid in 1866, and when the '' 59th Stormont and Glengarry Battalion'' was created on July 3, 1868, Major Bergin was appointed the first Commanding Officer. He commanded the battalion in the garrison at Cornwall during the Fenian Raid of 1870, and remained in command of the regiment until 1885. He was succeeded by Colonel J.H. Bredin. On April 1, 1885, Colonel Bergin was appointed to command of the medical services for the North-West Field Force that was mobilizing for service in the

North-West Rebellion The North-West Rebellion (), was an armed rebellion of Métis under Louis Riel and an associated uprising of Cree and Assiniboine mostly in the District of Saskatchewan, against the Government of Canada, Canadian government. Important events i ...

. He was appointed

Surgeon General Surgeon general (: surgeons general) is a title used in several Commonwealth countries and most NATO nations to refer either to a senior military medical officer or to a senior uniformed physician commissioned by the government and entrusted with p ...

and served with Middleton's expedition in 1885. Although he was unsuccessful in persuading the government to create a permanent militia medical corps following the

, the

Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps The Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC) was an administrative corps of the Canadian Army. History The Militia Medical Service was established in 1898. It consisted of an Army Medical Service (officers) and an Army Medical Corps (oth ...

was later established in 1904.

Death

On October 22, 1896, Darby Bergin died in Cornwall while still in office after succumbing to an unidentified illness.

Electoral record

On Mr. Bergin being unseated on petition, 24 December 1879:

External links

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
*
Darby Bergin fonds, Library and Archives Canada
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bergin, Darby 1826 births 1896 deaths Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario People of the Fenian raids Surgeons general of Canada People from York, Toronto Canadian people of Irish descent 19th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada