John Hamilton Gray (14 June 1811 – 13 August 1887) was Premier of Prince Edward Island from 1863 – 1865 and one of the

Fathers of Confederation The Fathers of Confederation are the 36 people who attended at least one of the Charlottetown Conference of 1864 (23 attendees), the Quebec Conference of 1864 (33 attendees), and the London Conference of 1866 (16 attendees), preceding Canadian ...

. Gray began his political career in 1862 when he was elected to the provincial assembly as a reformer, despite his conservative roots. He became a leading member of the opposition, with a reputation even among his opponents as a great orator. He impressed the governor so much that he was invited to become a member of the Executive Council. However, his acceptance of the position drew criticism from his reform colleagues, and gained him a reputation for vacillation that followed him for the rest of his career. Gray became the Tory leader in the assembly, but when the Liberals won a majority in 1854, he was once again relegated to the opposition. Two years later, in 1856, the provincial governor dismissed the Liberal Executive Council and replaced them with a government led by Gray. Gray was born in 1811, the son of Robert Gray, a

United Empire Loyalist United Empire Loyalists (or simply Loyalists) is an honorific title which was first given by the 1st Lord Dorchester, the Governor of Quebec, and Governor General of The Canadas, to American Loyalists who resettled in British North America ...

from Virginia. The elder Gray held a number of important administrative appointments in the early colonial government. John Hamilton Gray was very educated in

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in ...

. He chose a military career, trained in England and was commissioned into the 15th Foot in 1831. He transferred to the

13th Light Dragoons The 13th Hussars (previously the 13th Light Dragoons) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army established in 1715. It saw service for three centuries including the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimean War and the First World War but then amalgamated wi ...

later the same year, the 15th Light Dragoons in 1839, the

1st Dragoon Guards The 1st King's Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment was raised by Sir John Lanier in 1685 as the 2nd Queen's Regiment of Horse, named in honour of Queen Mary, consort of King James II. It was renamed the 2nd K ...

in 1840, the 14th Light Dragoons in 1841, and the 7th Dragoon Guards in 1844. It was not long before he was asked to participate in the political life of the colony. In 1858 he was elected to represent the district of 4th Queens in the

Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island (french: Assemblée législative de l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard) is the sole chamber of the General Assembly of Prince Edward Island. The Legislative Assembly meets at Province House, which is locat ...

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 ...

. He was re-elected in 1863. Gray was Premier of Prince Edward Island from 1863 to 1865 and during that time he attempted to alleviate the problems of the tenants by passing the fifteen-year purchase act, but the final solution of this question had to await Confederation. Gray was chairman of the 1864

Charlottetown Conference The Charlottetown Conference (Canada's Conference) was held in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island for representatives from colonies of British North America to discuss Canadian Confederation. The conference took place between September 1 thro ...

, which laid the groundwork for the

British North America Act of 1867 The ''Constitution Act, 1867'' (french: Loi constitutionnelle de 1867),''The Constitution Act, 1867'', 30 & 31 Victoria (U.K.), c. 3, http://canlii.ca/t/ldsw retrieved on 2019-03-14. originally enacted as the ''British North America Act, 186 ...

. He supported the entry of the Island into Confederation but when the Island rejected the scheme he left politics, turning the government over to

James Colledge Pope James Colledge Pope, (June 11, 1826 – May 8, 1885) was a land proprietor and politician on Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. He served as premier of the colony from 1865 to 1867, and from 1870 to 1873. He was premier of PEI in 1873 whe ...

. He then returned to his first interest, the military. He was appointed adjutant-general of the PEI military in 1867 with the rank of colonel. He continued to be an administrator of military affairs until after the eventual Confederation of Prince Edward Island with Canada in 1873. In 1887 John Hamilton Gray died at Inkerman House in Charlottetown. The name of the estate is in reference to the

Battle of Inkerman The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on 5 November 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, an ...

where his father-in-law Sir John Pennyfeather, had lost honours to an older man. Inkerman Drive which once led to the house, is lined with trees planted by Gray and replacements of the same species, to represent the sides in the Battle. Linden on one side (Russian) and a mixture of white birch, beech, mountain ash and poplar on the other (French and English).Lawson, Helen - Colonel John Hamilton Gray and Inkerman House

Recognition and legacy

* Colonel Gray Sr. High School, a public secondary school in

, Prince Edward Island that opened in 1966 is named in his honour. * In 1968, a CN automobile/passenger/railcar ferry entered service carrying the name '' MV John Hamilton Gray'', honouring both Fathers of Confederation.

References

External links

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, John Hamilton 1811 births 1887 deaths Fathers of Confederation Premiers of Prince Edward Island British Militia officers East Yorkshire Regiment officers 13th Hussars officers 15th The King's Hussars officers 1st King's Dragoon Guards officers 14th King's Hussars officers 7th Dragoon Guards officers Colony of Prince Edward Island people Canadian people of Scottish descent People from Charlottetown Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island leaders Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island MLAs