Thomson CEP
NAME: Thomson, Charles Edward Poulett
ACHIEVEMENTS: Governor-General of Canada who oversaw the creation of the Canadian Constitution
NICKNAME/ALIAS: Baron Sydenham
DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: September 13, 1799, Wimbledon, England
DATE/PLACE OF DEATH/AGE AT DEATH: September 19, 1841, Kingston, Ontario,
Canada. Aged 42
DISCIPLINE: Diplomat
FIELD: Politics
LANGUAGE: English
PARENTS: John Poulett Thomson; Charlotte Jacob
SIBLINGS: Brothers: Andrew and George Julius Scrope( vulcanologist);
Six sisters: (names unknown)
SPOUSE: None
CHILDREN: None
EDUCATION: Private schools
MAJOR WORK: None
LIFE AND TIMES:
At 19, Thomson traveled for a year on the continent, first accompanying his mother and sisters to Nice and then spending time in Switzerland, Italy and Spain. Back in London, Thomson found it impossible to take an interest in his father's business and expressed a desire to be a diplomat. But he was unable to get a place in a foreign embassy, so he resigned himself to joining the family firm.
In 1825, at 26, Thomson began to take a keen interest in the proceedings of Parliament. He was liberal in his thinking and had already made friends with Utilitarian radical thinker <a pal of> James Mill*. He also met <a pal of> Jeremy Bentham*, who had founded the Utilitarian school of thought. Encouraged and actively supported by these friends, he stood for Parliament and was elected 1826.
In 1827, Thomson declared himself in support of Free Trade, and voted for the repeal of legislation discriminating against Free-churchmen and Roman Catholics. Thomson contracted gout and spent the winter of 1829 in Paris, where he met diplomats and politicians in the French government and pressed the cause of free trade.
In 1830, now returned to the House, he served on the committee debating the renewal of the <on committee about> East India Company* Charter. In November, 1831, he began negotiations in Paris for a commercial treaty with France.
When Parliament closed for the summer recess, Thomson toured the manufacturing districts in the north and in Scotland. In 1834, he was made President of the Board of Trade. In 1837, Thomson was responsible for the institution of the School for Design at Somerset House. Thomson also tried to get the principle of copyright in design put into law, but the United States, France and other countries would not accept the principle of
international copyright.
He was considering moving to the House of Lords when the idea of taking the post of Governor of Canada was proposed. This interested him, and Lord Spencer, one of his oldest friends, recommended him. On his 40th birthday, Thomson embarked at Portsmouth for Canada.
Thomson landed in Quebec in October, 1839, and then took up residence as governor in Montreal. The task in Canada was to effect the union of the upper and lower provinces, and establish a new constitution for the future Canadian government. At the end of the year, he was delighted when the proposal of a Union passed through the Legislature of both Provinces.
In the summer of 1840, Thomson went on a tour of Upper Canada. On his return, the Queen made him Baron Sydenham (of Sydenham, England and Toronto, Canada).
Elections in Canada in 1841 revealed the extent of the rift within the Lower Province. In Quebec, anti-Union members were elected, but in the French counties of Montreal, Rouville, Terrevonne, Vaudreuil and Chambly pro-Unionists were returned. The elections were marred by violence but the first Parliament in Canada took place, and Thomson was satisfied.
By now, Thomson was so ill that he could make no further effort to bring about French/English reconciliation, nor to realize his wish to set up municipal authorities in Canada. He resigned and obtained medical leave so that he could return to Britain immediately. While preparing to return, he had a riding accident and died.
ASSESSMENT: Thomson's work in establishing a new constitution for Canada that united the Upper and Lower Provinces was a difficult and delicate task, which he carried out with great diplomacy and courage.
EXTRA CONNECTIONS: His younger brother was geologist <brother was> Scrope*
ONELINER: CEP Thomson, Governor-General of Canada
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Scrope, George Poulett, Memoir of the Life of the Rt. Hon. Charles, Lord Sydenham GCB, John Murray, London, 1843