John Hamilton Gray (1814-1889)

John Hamilton Gray John Hamilton Gray (born 1814, 5 June 1889) is a Canadian politician. XIX century, originating from New Brunswick. He was a participant in Charlottetown and Québec. He is a member of the Fathers of the Confederacy.

The Gray family came from Nova Scotia, but he was born in Bermuda. He studied law at King's College in Windsor, Nova Scotia. In 1837 he started his law practice in New Brunswick. In 1840 he joined the provincial militia. Gray joined politics in 1850 when he was elected to the Legislative Assembly. He joined the reformist opposition, soon becoming one of its leaders. Gray was one of the greatest speakers of his time. His fiery speeches made the impression of Governor James Bruce that this offered him a place in the Conservative-controlled Royal Council. Gray's admission led him to be considered a traitor in the ranks of the opposition. As a matter of fact, he joined the conservatives, with whom, as their leader in 1854, he was forced to move to the opposition. In 1856 when the Tories returned to power, Gray became Prime Minister. However, a year later he lost power with the loss of a majority in the Congregation. He attempted to get closer to the liberals, but his offer was rejected. Gray became one of the two delegates of the New Brunswick Conference in Charlottetown and Québec. Because the Confederation idea was very unpopular in New Brunswick (as well as in Nova Scotia), Gray lost the trust of his constituencies and, consequently, his mandate in the 1865 election. In the first federal election he won a mandate for the Canadian Parliament. He did not take part in the next election, but accepted the post of chair of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. He famously defended the rights of the Chinese minority. Authoritative control (person):

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