Archibald Woodbury McLelan (20 December 1824 – 26 June 1890) 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 ...

shipbuilder and politician, the sixth

Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia The lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia () is the viceregal representative in Nova Scotia of the , who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada, as well as the other Commonweal ...

. McLelan was born in Londonderry, Nova Scotia, the son of member of the

Nova Scotia House of Assembly The Nova Scotia House of Assembly (french: Assemblée législative de la Nouvelle-Écosse; gd, Taigh Seanaidh Alba Nuadh), or Legislative Assembly, is the deliberative assembly of the General Assembly of Nova Scotia of the province of Nova Scotia ...

member Gloud Wilson McLelan. Archibald McLelan was educated in

Great Village Great Village is a rural community of approximately 500 people located along Trunk 2 and the north shore of Cobequid Bay in Colchester County, Nova Scotia. It is considered locally to incorporate the areas of Highland Village to the west and S ...

and joined his father's shipping and retail business. On his father's death in 1858 he succeeded him in the House of Assembly. Strongly opposed to confederation with Canada, McLelan was elected as the first federal

member of parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colch ...

as an

Anti-Confederate ''Anti-Confederation'' was the name used in what is now the Maritimes by several parties opposed to Canadian Confederation. The Anti-Confederation parties were accordingly opposed by the Confederation Party, that is, the Conservative and Liberal- ...

. He reconciled himself to Confederation and was summoned 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 ...

in 1869 where he 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 resigned from the Upper House to run again for 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 Commo ...

in an 1881 by-election and was returned to parliament as a

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

. McLelan served from 10 December 1885–26 January 1887 as the

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", ...

in the second administration of Sir John A. Macdonald. In 1842, he married Caroline Metzler. McLelan died in Halifax at the age of 65.

Electoral record

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:McLelan, Archibald 1824 births 1890 deaths Anti-Confederation Party MPs Canadian Ministers of Finance Canadian people of Ulster-Scottish descent Canadian senators from Nova Scotia Canadian shipbuilders Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) MPs Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) senators Lieutenant Governors of Nova Scotia Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Nova Scotia Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada People from Colchester County Postmasters General of Canada Nova Scotia pre-Confederation MLAs