Sir Henry Lumley Drayton (April 27, 1869 – August 28, 1950) was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) 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 ...
lawyer and politician.
Early life
Born in
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between To ...
, the son of Philip Henry Drayton, who came to Canada with the 16th Rifles of England, and Margaret S. Covernton, Drayton was educated in the schools of England and Canada. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1891 and was created a
King's Counsel in 1908.
Legal career
From 1893 to 1900, Drayton was an Assistant City Solicitor for Toronto. In 1900, he formed a partnership with Charles J. Holman. In 1902, he was appointed Counsel to the Railway Committee of the Ontario Legislature. From 1904 to 1909, he was a County Crown Attorney for the County of York. In 1910, he was appointed Counsel for the Corporation of the City of Toronto. In 1911, he was appointed to the Toronto Power Commission. In 1912, he was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Board of Railway Commissioners for Canada.
Political career
Drayton was first elected to the
House of Commons of Canada from
Kingston in a 1919 by-election as a
Conservative Party candidate. He served as
Minister of Finance
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...
under both Sir
Robert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden (June 26, 1854 – June 10, 1937) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Canada from 1911 to 1920. He is best known for his leadership of Canada during World War I.
Borde ...
and
Arthur Meighen
Arthur Meighen (; June 16, 1874 – August 5, 1960) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Canada from 1920 to 1921 and from June to September 1926. He led the Conservative Party from 1920 to 1926 and fro ...
until the Conservative Party's defeat in the
1921 general election. Drayton kept his seat in that election.
In 1927, he was a candidate the
leadership
Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...
of the Conservative Party, but finished in last place. Drayton retired from politics in 1928 to become chairman of the
Liquor Control Board of Ontario
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) is a Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation that retails and distributes alcoholic beverages throughout the Provinces of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. It is accountable to the Legislati ...
.
He attempted to return to Parliament in the
1945 election from a seat in
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. The ...
, but lost narrowly to the
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
candidate.
Personal life and death
Drayton married Edith Mary Cawthra and had three daughters. He died on August 28, 1950, at the age of 81.
Electoral history
References
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drayton, Henry Lumley
1869 births
1950 deaths
Canadian Knights Bachelor
Canadian Ministers of Finance
Canadian Ministers of Railways and Canals
Canadian people of English descent
Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) MPs
Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario
Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada
People from Kingston, Ontario
Canadian King's Counsel