Sir Allen Bristol Aylesworth, (27 November 1854 – 13 February 1952) was a Canadian lawyer and parliamentarian.

Life and career

Born in Newburgh, Canada West, of United Empire Loyalist ancestry, Aylesworth was educated at the University of Toronto, and called to the

Ontario Bar The Law Society of Ontario (LSO; french: Barreau de l'Ontario) is the law society responsible for the self-regulation of lawyers and paralegals in the Canadian province of Ontario. Founded in 1797 as the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC; f ...

in 1878. As the Canadian member of the

Alaska Boundary Tribunal The Alaska boundary dispute was a territorial dispute between the United States and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, which then controlled Canada's foreign relations. It was resolved by arbitration in 1903. The dispute had existed ...

in 1903, he presented his country's views in a minority report. Elected to the Dominion parliament in 1905, he served in the

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

of Sir Wilfrid Laurier as postmaster-general and minister of labour, 1905–1906, and minister of justice, 1906–1911, in which capacity he oversaw the pardon of

Angelina Napolitano Angelina Napolitano (1882–1932) was an Immigration to Canada, immigrant to Canada who murdered her intimate partner violence, abusive husband in 1911, igniting a public debate about domestic violence and the Capital punishment, death penalty.Plat ...

, Canada's first

battered woman defence Battered woman syndrome (BWS) is a pattern of signs and symptoms displayed by a woman who has suffered persistent intimate partner violence: whether psychological, physical, or sexual, from her male partner. It is classified in the ICD-9 (code ) a ...

case. He acted as British representative at the North Atlantic Fisheries Arbitration in The Hague, 1910–1911, and was knighted for his services. A Liberal, Aylesworth was elected to the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

in a by-election on 22 November 1905 and re-elected in the

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...

as the Member of Parliament for the riding of

York North York North was a federal riding in Ontario, Canada, that was in the House of Commons of Canada from Confederation in 1867 until 2004. The federal riding was eliminated in 2003 when it was redistributed between two new ridings of Newmarket—A ...

in the province of Ontario. He served

Cabinet of Canada The Cabinet of Canada (french: Cabinet du Canada) is a body of Minister of the Crown, ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada. Chaired by the ...

under Sir Wilfrid Laurier as the Minister of Labour and Postmaster General of Canada from 16 October 1905 – 3 June 1906, and as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada from 4 June 1906 – 6 October 1911. On 11 January 1923 he was appointed to the

Senate of Canada The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The Senate is modelled after the B ...

upon the recommendation of William Lyon Mackenzie King. He represented the senatorial division of North York, Ontario until his death.

Legacy

Mount Aylesworth, aka Boundary Peak 177, a summit on the Alaska-British Columbia boundary, was named for him in 1927.

References

External links

*
Plaque in Honour of Sir Allen Bristol Aylesworth (plaque #26)Allen Bristol Aylesworth archives
held at th
University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aylesworth, Allen Bristol 1854 births 1952 deaths Canadian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Canadian King's Counsel Canadian senators from Ontario Liberal Party of Canada MPs Liberal Party of Canada senators Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada Postmasters General of Canada Lawyers in Ontario University of Toronto alumni Ministers of Labour of Canada