Francis Collier Draper (March 3, 1837 in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

– July 25, 1894) was Chief Constable of Toronto beginning 16 January 1874.

Family and education

He was the son of William Henry Draper, Solicitor General, Chief Justice and head of the

Ontario government The government of Ontario (french: Gouvernement de l'Ontario) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Ontario. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the province by the lieutenant governor— ...

for some years. His mother was Augusta White. He married twice, first to Mary Catherine Baines (died 1872) the daughter of

Thomas Baines (John) Thomas Baines (27 November 1820 – 8 May 1875) was an English artist and explorer of British colonial southern Africa and Australia. Life and work Born in King's Lynn, Norfolk, on 27 November 1820, Baines was apprenticed to a coach ...

, Secretary of the

Clergy Corporation {{One source, date=June 2009 The Clergy Corporation, or the Clergy Reserve Corporation of Upper Canada, existed to oversee, manage and lease the Clergy reserves of Upper Canada, a large amount of land in Upper Canada that had been put aside for the ...

, and had a child, Mary Augusta Catherine Draper. His second wife was Elsie, widow of Henry Routh. There were no children of the second marriage. Draper was educated at

Upper Canada College Upper Canada College (UCC) is an elite, all-boys, private school in Toronto, Ontario, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The college is widely described as the country's most prestigious preparatory school, and has produce ...

and

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute () (RPI) is a private research university in Troy, New York, with an additional campus in Hartford, Connecticut. A third campus in Groton, Connecticut closed in 2018. RPI was established in 1824 by Stephen Van ...

in Troy, N.Y.

Career

He was called to the bar in 1867. He was a Major in

The Queen's Own Rifles ("In peace prepared") , colours = None (Rifle regiments have no colours) , march = , mascot = , battle_honours = See #Battle honours , website ...

and an active sportsman. Draper was also a

freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

and served as registrar of the provincial grand lodge. Draper became

Police Chief The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

of Toronto on 16 January 1874. He continued in this role for 12 years resigning only due to ill health.

References

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
1837 births 1894 deaths Toronto police chiefs Burials at St. James Cemetery, Toronto Upper Canada College alumni Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute alumni {{law-enforcement-bio-stub