Richard Reid Dobell, (January 27, 1836 – January 11, 1902) was a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

businessman and politician.Who Was Who, Published by A&C Black Limited. Online edition, 2020

Biography

Born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, and educated at

Liverpool College Liverpool College is a coeducational day and boarding school in Mossley Hill, Liverpool, England. It was one of the thirteen founding members of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, Headmasters' Conference. History Liverpool Coll ...

, he came to the

Province of Canada The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in British North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report ...

in 1857 and started a lumber business. With his brother-in-law, Thomas Beckett, he founder the firm R. R. Dobell & Co, Quebec, at one time one of the largest of its kind in Canada. He took an active interest in public affairs, was elected President of the Quebec Board of Trade, and was a Harbour Commissioner for that city. He actively promoted the cold storage principle in transatlantic steamers, and was President of the Cold Storage Company of Quebec. Other appointments included Director of the Quebec Railway Bridge Company. In 1895 he unsuccessfully stood as an independent candidate for 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 ...

, but the next year was elected as the Liberal candidate for the riding of

Quebec West Quebec West () was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1935, and from 1949 to 1968. It was created by the ''British North America Act'', 1867. It was abolished i ...

in the 1896 federal election, and was re-elected in

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15 ...

. From 1896 to 1902, he was a

Minister without Portfolio A minister without portfolio is a government minister without specific responsibility as head of a government department. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet with decision-making authorit ...

in the cabinet of

Wilfrid Laurier Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier (November 20, 1841 – February 17, 1919) was a Canadian lawyer, statesman, and Liberal politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. The first French Canadians, French ...

. He was a prominent supporter of the cause of Imperial federation, and was a founder of the

British Empire League The British Empire League existed from 1895 to 1955; its purpose was to secure permanent unity for the British Empire. Origin The British Empire League was a society founded by Lord Avebury (1834-1913), Lord Roberts (1832-1914) and Lord Stra ...

. He died on 13 January 1902 of a head injury caused by falling from a horse while visiting his son-in-law at

Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a coastal town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour, shipping port, and fashionable coastal res ...

, England.

Family

Dobell married Elizabeth Frances Macpherson, daughter of Sir David Lewis Macpherson, businessman and later Canadian senator. His son,

Charles Macpherson Dobell Lieutenant General Sir Charles Macpherson Dobell, (22 June 1869 – 17 October 1954) was a Canadian soldier who served with the Royal Welch Fusiliers of the British Army. Military career Born in Quebec City, the son of Richard Reid Dobell, an ...

, was a Major General in the British Army.

References

* * 1837 births 1902 deaths Accidental deaths in England English emigrants to pre-Confederation Quebec Liberal Party of Canada MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada 19th-century Canadian businesspeople Businesspeople from Liverpool Politicians from Liverpool Immigrants to the Province of Canada Anglophone Quebec people People educated at Liverpool College 19th-century English businesspeople 19th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada 20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada {{Liberal-Quebec-MP-stub

Biography

Family

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References