Thomas Roberts Ferguson (December 1818 – September 15, 1879) 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 ...

businessman and political figure. He represented Cardwell in the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...

from 1867 to 1873 and Cardwell 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

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

member from 1867 to 1872. His niece was women's rights activist

Emily Murphy Emily Murphy (born Emily Gowan Ferguson; 14 March 186826 October 1933) was a Canadian women's rights activist and author. In 1916, she became the first female magistrate in Canada and the fifth in the British Empire after Elizabeth Webb Nichol ...

(née Ferguson), one of " The Famous Five".

Life and career

Thomas Roberts Ferguson was born in

County Cavan County Cavan ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is based on the hi ...

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 ...

in 1818 and came to Canada with his family during the 1830s. They settled near

Cookstown Cookstown (, ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the fourth-largest town in the county and had a population of 12,546 in the 2021 census. It, along with Magherafelt and Dungannon, is one of the main towns in the Mid-Ulster ...

and he became a farmer and later a merchant there. He was a member of the

Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants. It also has lodges in England, Grand Orange Lodge of ...

, becoming deputy grand master in 1858. Ferguson was a member of the council for Innisfil Township from 1852 to 1873, serving as reeve for 18 years. In 1858, he was elected to represent South Simcoe in the

Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the Parliament of the Province of Canada. The Province of Canada consisted of the former province of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East (now Quebec), and Upper Canada ...

and served until

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

. He supported representation by population. Ferguson also served as an officer in the local militia and became a lieutenant-colonel in 1865, participating in the defense against the Fenian raids. He was elected to both the Ontario legislature and the House of Commons ( Cardwell in 1867 and was re-elected by acclamation to the provincial assembly in 1872. In the same year, he was struck on the head while attempting to stop a fight at a political meeting at

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

and was forced to resign his seat in 1873 due to incapacity. He was appointed customs collector at Collingwood but was dismissed in 1876 after the Liberals came into power. He died at Cookstown in 1879.

Electoral history

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson, Thomas Roberts 1818 births 1879 deaths Politicians from County Cavan Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from Canada West Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario Irish emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario Canadian people of Scottish descent People of the Fenian raids Immigrants to Upper Canada 19th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada 19th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario