Alexander Bannerman
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Sir Alexander Bannerman (7 October1788 – 30 December 1864) was a merchant, vintner and colonial governor.
Bannerman was a prominent businessman in his hometown of Aberdeen, Scotland managing the family wine business as well as having a hand in trading and whaling. In 1832 he became Member of Parliament for Aberdeen in the British House of Commons and remained an MP until his retirement in 1847.
In 1851 he became governor of Prince Edward Island and instituted responsible government there but was removed in 1854 due to political unrest and became governor of the Bahamas. Bannerman returned north to become governor of Newfoundland from 1857 to 1864, the second governor since responsible government had been granted.
He clashed with John Kent, the premier of Newfoundland, whom he felt was corrupt. Bannerman accused Kent's government of using relief aid as patronage and also accused Kent of being unreasonable in negotiations with France over the French Shore. In 1861 after Kent accused Bannerman of conspiring with the courts and opposition Conservative Party of Newfoundland against a proposal to reduce the salaries of judges. Bannerman dismissed the Kent government and appointed the leader of the opposition, Hugh Hoyles as the new premier.
Kent's Liberal Party of Newfoundland defeated the Conservative government in a Motion of No Confidence resulting in an election campaign that was fought along sectarian lines with Catholics largely voting Liberal and Protestants largely voting Conservative. The Protestant Conservative Party of Newfoundland narrowly defeated Kent's Liberals and riots erupted in Catholic Harbour Grace when Bannerman cancelled voting there essentially denying the Liberals two seats in the legislature thus allowing the Conservatives to have a legislative majority.
Bannerman resigned as governor in 1864 and returned to England where he caught a cold and fell down a flight of stairs causing his death on December 30th.
External link
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online (http://www.biographi.ca/EN/ShowBio.asp?BioId=38402)
- Short biography and picture (http://www.heritage.nf.ca/govhouse/governors/g48.html)