Sir Henry Lumley Drayton PC KC (April 27, 1869 – August 28, 1950) was a Canadian lawyer and politician.
Sir Henry Lumley Drayton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of Finance and Receiver General | |
| In office August 2, 1919 – December 28, 1921 | |
| Prime Minister | Arthur Meighen |
| Preceded by | Arthur Sifton |
| Succeeded by | Rodolphe Monty |
| In office June 29, 1926 – July 12, 1926 (Acting) | |
| Prime Minister | Arthur Meighen |
| Preceded by | James Robb |
| Succeeded by | R.B. Bennett |
| Secretary of State for Canada (Acting) | |
| In office January 24, 1921 – September 20, 1921 | |
| Prime Minister | Arthur Meighen |
| Preceded by | Arthur Sifton |
| Succeeded by | Rodolphe Monty |
| Minister of Railways and Canals (Acting) | |
| In office June 29, 1926 – July 12, 1926 | |
| Prime Minister | Arthur Meighen |
| Preceded by | Charles Avery Dunning |
| Succeeded by | William Anderson Black (Acting) |
| Minister of Immigration and Colonization (Acting) | |
| In office July 13, 1926 – September 24, 1926 | |
| Prime Minister | Arthur Meighen |
| Preceded by | Robert James Manion (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Robert Forke |
| Minister Without Portfolio | |
| In office July 13, 1926 – September 24, 1926 | |
| Prime Minister | Arthur Meighen |
| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Kingston | |
| In office 1919–1921 | |
| Preceded by | William Nickle |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Ross |
| Member of the Canadian Parliament for York West | |
| In office 1921–1928 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Wallace |
| Succeeded by | James Lawson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 27, 1869 Kingston, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | August 28, 1950 (aged 81) |
| Political party | Unionist Conservative Progressive Conservative |
| Spouse | Edith Mary Cawthra |
| Children | 3 |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Early life
editBorn in Kingston, Ontario, the son of Philip Henry Drayton, who came to Canada with the 16th Rifles of England, and Margaret S. Covernton, Drayton was educated in the schools of England and Canada. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1891 and was created a King's Counsel in 1908.
Legal career
editFrom 1893 to 1900, Drayton was an Assistant City Solicitor for Toronto. In 1900, he formed a partnership with Charles J. Holman. In 1902, he was appointed Counsel to the Railway Committee of the Ontario Legislature. From 1904 to 1909, he was a County Crown Attorney for the County of York. In 1910, he was appointed Counsel for the Corporation of the City of Toronto. In 1911, he was appointed to the Toronto Power Commission. In 1912, he was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Board of Railway Commissioners for Canada.
Political career
editDrayton was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada from Kingston in a 1919 by-election as a Conservative Party candidate. He served as Minister of Finance under both Sir Robert Borden and Arthur Meighen until the Conservative Party's defeat in the 1921 general election. Drayton kept his seat in that election.
In 1927, he was a candidate the leadership of the Conservative Party, but finished in last place. Drayton retired from politics in 1928 to become chairman of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.
He attempted to return to Parliament in the 1945 election from a seat in Victoria, British Columbia, but lost narrowly to the Liberal candidate.
Personal life and death
editDrayton married Edith Mary Cawthra and had three daughters. He died on August 28, 1950, at the age of 81.
Electoral history
edit| 1945 Canadian federal election: Victoria | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Robert Mayhew | 11,806 | 33.32 | -19.15 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Henry Lumley Drayton | 11,442 | 32.30 | -2.48 | ||||
| Co-operative Commonwealth | Murray D. Bryce | 10,295 | 29.06 | +16.38 | ||||
| Communist | Garry Culhane | 1,093 | 3.09 | – | ||||
| Social Credit | William Franklin Lougheed | 793 | 2.24 | – | ||||
| Total valid votes | 35,429 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | -8.34 | ||||||
| 1926 Canadian federal election: York West | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Conservative | Henry Lumley Drayton | 16,479 | 77.9 | +2.1 | ||||
| Liberal | Alfred Taylour Hunter | 4,681 | 22.1 | -2.1 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 21,160 | 100.0 | ||||||
| 1925 Canadian federal election: York West | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Conservative | Henry Lumley Drayton | 23,637 | 75.8 | +30.6 | ||||
| Liberal | Alexander MacGregor | 7,536 | 24.2 | -16.7 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 31,173 | 100.0 | ||||||
| 1921 Canadian federal election: York West | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Conservative | Henry Lumley Drayton | 8,850 | 45.3 | -35.4 | ||||
| Liberal | J.E.L. Streight | 7,989 | 40.9 | +21.6 | ||||
| Progressive | James Alexander Cameron | 2,710 | 13.9 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 19,549 | 100.0 | ||||||
| By-election on 20 October 1919
On William Folger Nickle's resignation, 7 July 1919 | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government (Unionist) | Henry Lumley Drayton | acclaimed | |||