Sir Francis Stillman Barnard (May 16, 1856 – April 11, 1936) 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 ...

parliamentarian and the tenth

Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia The lieutenant governor of British Columbia () is the viceregal representative of the , in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The office of lieutenant governor is an office of the Crown and serves as a representative of the monarchy in ...

. Barnard is often referred to as Frank Barnard, as was his father Francis Jones Barnard, who as the founder of

Barnard's Express Barnard's Express, later known as the British Columbia Express Company or BX, was a pioneer transportation company that served the Cariboo and Fraser-Fort George regions in British Columbia, Canada from 1861 until 1921. The company's beginnings ...

, was one of BC's more notable pioneer entrepreneurs.

Early life

Stillman was born on May 16, 1856, in Toronto, Ontario. In 1860, he moved with his mother to Victoria, BC, where his father had preceded them by a year. There, he attended the Collegiate School from 1866 to 1870 after which, he was sent to Hellmuth College in London, Ontario, to continue his education. In 1873, he returned to British Columbia where he assisted his father in the operation of the family business, the B.C. Express Company a.k.a.

. In 1880, he was appointed as manager of the company when his father's health turned for the worse. He continued in this position until 1888, when he resigned to successfully run for the Cariboo seat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

. Politically, he was a "liberal conservative", as Stillman was an ardent supporter of

John A. Macdonald Sir John Alexander Macdonald (January 10 or 11, 1815 – June 6, 1891) was the first prime minister of Canada, serving from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1891. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, he had a political career that sp ...

, with whom he campaigned and worked actively for the rapid settlement and development of the province.

Accomplishments

In addition to his primary role in the B.X. Express, Barnard was president and majority shareholder of Victoria Transfer Co. Ltd. and its counterpart, Vancouver Transfer Co. Ltd. He was director and secretary of the Vancouver Improvement Company, and also a director of the Hastings Sawmill Company, the British Columbia Milling and Mining Company, and of the Selkirk Mining and Smelting Company. He was also a Victoria City Councillor in 1886 and 1887. He was a member of the Union Club in Victoria, and of the

Rideau Club The Rideau Club is a private social club in Ottawa, Ontario. The club was founded in 1865 by Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir George-Étienne Cariter as a gentlemen's club, but since 1979 has been mixed-sex. For much of its history the club was pop ...

in Ottawa. From 1914 to 1919, he was the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. He was knighted in 1919 by Edward, Prince of Wales.

Personal life

In 1883 he married Martha Amelia Sophia Loewen, (1866–1942) whose father was prominent in the flour & distillery business. In married life, Sir Barnard resided at Duval Cottage, Victoria.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barnard, Francis Stillman 1856 births 1936 deaths Businesspeople from Toronto Politicians from Toronto Canadian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) MPs Lieutenant Governors of British Columbia Members of the House of Commons of Canada from British Columbia