Thomas Dickson Archibald (8 April 1813 – 18 October 1890) was a Canadian businessman, politician, and senator. Born in Onslow, Nova Scotia, Archibald had by the early 1830s established himself as a businessman in the area surrounding

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, on

Cape Breton Island Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...

, engaging in merchandising and goods transportation by ship. In 1854 he was appointed to the

Legislative Council of Nova Scotia The Legislative Council of Nova Scotia was the upper house of the legislature of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It existed from 1838 to May 31, 1928. From the establishment of responsible government in 1848, members were appointed by the ...

, and was its chairman in 1861. In 1860 he was appointed to the

Executive Council of Nova Scotia The Executive Council of Nova Scotia (informally and more commonly, the Cabinet of Nova Scotia) is the cabinet of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Almost always made up of members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, the cabinet is s ...

for three years. In 1867 he was appointed to the

Senate of Canada The Senate of Canada () is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons, they compose the Bicameralism, bicameral le ...

and sat 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 ...

. He died in

Sydney Mines Sydney Mines (Mi'kmaq language, Mi'kmawi'simk: ''Klmuejuapskwe'katik;'' Scottish Gaelic: ''Mèinnean Shidni'') is a community and former town in Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. Founded in 1784, and incorporated as a town i ...

, Nova Scotia.

Early life and merchant career

Archibald was born in Onslow, Nova Scotia, on 8 April 1813. His parents were David Archibald and Olivia Dickson, and he was their fourth son. He attended

Pictou Academy Pictou Academy (PA), founded in 1815 by Dr. Thomas McCulloch, is a secondary school in Pictou, Nova Scotia. Prior to the twentieth century, it was a grammar school; a liberal, nonsectarian degree-granting college; and then a secondary school. Picto ...

. He then worked for General Mining Association's offices at

Stellarton Stellarton is a town in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is adjacent and to the south of the larger town of New Glasgow. In pioneer times the area was called Coal Mines Station, and from 1833 until 1889, it was known as Albion Mines. The ...

, Nova Scotia. He moved to

in 1832 to become a businessman in merchandising, mining, and building ships in

North Sydney, Nova Scotia North Sydney (Mi'kmaq language, Mi'kmawi'simk: ''Kweso'mkiaq'', Scottish Gaelic: ''Suidni A Tuath'' or ''Am Bàr'') is a former town and current community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Located on the north side of Sydn ...

. By 1841 he was working for Archibald and Company, co-founded by his brother Samuel, and worked with many of his relatives there. The firm focused on merchants, agents for coal sales, and agents for the North Sydney Marine Railway. He became a chief partner of the firm by 1853. Archibald was also an agent for British and American insurance companies and the

Bank of Nova Scotia The Bank of Nova Scotia (), operating as Scotiabank (), is a Canadian multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. One of Canada's Big Five banks, it is the third-largest Canadian bank by deposits and ...

. He also purchased vessels, and between 1842–1889 he owned one-fifth of the shipping capacity in Sydney, mostly wooden sailing ships.

Political career

In 1854 there was a vacancy for the

, and the ''Cape Breton News'', a paper on Cape Breton Island, campaigned for the seat to be filled by someone from the island. Archibald was appointed later that year, remaining on the council until 1867, and was its chairman in 1861. He became involved with the termination of General Mining Association's monopoly in Nova Scotia in 1858 and 1859. He advocated for residents on

to continue to mine for coal on their property after the end of the monopoly. This event also allowed other firms, such as Archibald's Gowrie Mines, to open new coalfields on the island. Archibald opposed bills that would equalize the electoral weight of counties in Nova Scotia and allow French fishermen, subsidized by their government to sell their products duty-free. He also opposed increasing the penalties for violating liquor licensing laws, stating sarcastically, "we need only go a step further and make the violation a hanging matter." In 1860 he was appointed to the

, serving there for three years. He favoured Nova Scotia's entry into

Canadian Confederation Canadian Confederation () was the process by which three British North American provinces—the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick—were united into one federation, called the Name of Canada#Adoption of Dominion, Dominion of Ca ...

. In October 1867 he was appointed by royal proclamation to the Canadian Senate to represent North Sydney. He was affiliated with the

Liberal-Conservative Party The Liberal-Conservative Party () was the formal name of the Conservative Party of Canada until 1917, and again from 1922 to 1938. Prior to 1970, candidates could run under any label they chose, and in many of Canada's early elections, there wer ...

. He was also appointed as the United States Consul in Sydney.

Personal life and death

Archibald married Susan Elizabeth Corbett on 14 November 1839, and they had seven children, including Edward, Thomas, Blowers, William, and a daughter named Emma. Corbett died, and Archibald married Elizabeth Hughes on 10 June 1867. His final marriage was to Maria Louisa Burnyeat, on 2 June 1874. He died in

, Nova Scotia on 18 October 1890.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Archibald, Thomas Dickson 1813 births 1890 deaths 19th-century Canadian businesspeople 19th-century members of the Senate of Canada Canadian senators from Nova Scotia Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) senators Members of the Legislative Council of Nova Scotia People from Colchester County Colony of Nova Scotia people Canadian people of Ulster-Scottish descent