Albert James Smith
Hon. Sir Albert James Smith, April 1868
Attorney General of Canada (Acting)
In office
June 1, 1874  July 7, 1874
Preceded byAntoine-Aimé Dorion
Succeeded byTélesphore Fournier
Premier of the Colony of New Brunswick
In office
September 21, 1865  April 14, 1866
Preceded bySamuel Leonard Tilley
Succeeded byPeter Mitchell
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Westmorland
In office
1867–1882
Succeeded byJosiah Wood
Personal details
Born(1822-03-12)March 12, 1822
Shediac, New Brunswick
DiedJune 30, 1883(1883-06-30) (aged 61)
Dorchester, New Brunswick
Resting placeDorchester Rural Cemetery
Political partyLiberal
Spouse
Sarah Marie Young
(m. 1868)
Childrenone son (d. 30 June 1883)

Sir Albert James Smith KCMG PC QC (March 12, 1822 June 30, 1883) was a New Brunswick politician and opponent of Canadian confederation. Smith's grandfather was a United Empire Loyalist who left Massachusetts to settle in New Brunswick after the American Revolution.

A. J. Smith's legacy paid for this house, the residence of his grandson J. W. Y. Smith, called Younglands, on Shediac Bay, New Brunswick. Built in 1927, it is now owned by a Catholic order.

Smith entered politics in 1852 entering the House of Assembly as an opponent of the Tory compact that ran the colony and became a leading reform and advocate of responsible government which was granted to the colony in 1854. Smith became a member of the reform government that took power that year and went on to become Attorney-General in 1861 under Premier Samuel Leonard Tilley. Smith split with Tilley over railway policy and Canadian confederation with Smith becoming leader of the Anti-Confederates winning the 1865 election but was forced from office the next year by the lieutenant-governor.

He was created a Queen's Counsel in 1862.

Smith reconciled with Confederation after it became a fact and became minister of fisheries in the Liberal government of Alexander Mackenzie in 1873. He died in 1883, and was interred in Dorchester Rural Cemetery.

Electoral record

1867 Canadian federal election: Westmoreland
Party Candidate Votes%
LiberalAlbert James Smith2,20782.9
ConservativeIsrael J.D. Landry45417.1
1872 Canadian federal election: Westmoreland
Party Candidate Votes%±%
  Liberal Albert James Smith acclaimed

By-election: on Mr. Smith being appointed Minister of Marine and Fisheries:

By-election on 7 November 1873
Party Candidate Votes
  Liberal Albert James Smith acclaimed
1874 Canadian federal election: Westmoreland
Party Candidate Votes%±%
  Liberal Albert James Smith acclaimed
1878 Canadian federal election: Westmoreland
Party Candidate Votes%±%
  Liberal Albert James Smith 2,572 57.2
  Unknown R.A. Chapman 1,928 42.8
1882 Canadian federal election: Westmoreland
Party Candidate Votes%±%
  Conservative Josiah Wood 2,620 54.5 +11.7
  Liberal Albert James Smith 2,188 45.5 -11.7

Further reading

  • J. E. Belliveau, 1976, The Splendid Life of Albert Smith and the Women he Left Behind, Windsor, NS: Lancelot Press

References

  • "Albert James Smith". Dictionary of Canadian Biography (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. 1979–2016.
  • Albert James Smith – Parliament of Canada biography
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