Francis Hincks

Infobox President
name = Sir Francis Hincks


caption = The Hon. Francis Hincks
birth_date = birth date|1807|12|14|mf=y
birth_place = Cork, Ireland
death_date = August 18, 1885
death_place = Montreal, Quebec
order = Premier of Canada West
term_start = 1851
term_end = 1854
predecessor = Robert Baldwin
successor = Sir Allan Napier MacNab
party = Reformer
religion = Presbyterian
profession = businessman
spouse =

Sir Francis Hincks, PC (December 14, 1807 – August 18, 1885) was a Canadian politician.

Born in Cork, Ireland, he was the son of Thomas Dix Hincks an orientalist, naturalist and Presbyterian minister and the brother of Edward Hincks orientalist, naturalist and clergyman.

He moved to York (Toronto) in 1832 and set up an importing business there. He rented property from William Warren Baldwin and his son, Robert Baldwin, becoming friends with the family. He accepted a job as manager for the Farmer's Bank but became manager of the newly-formed Bank of the People after the management of the Farmers' Bank became dominated by Tories. When even moderate reformers were being persecuted following the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837, Hincks considered moving to the United States. However, the appointment of Lord Durham in 1838 provided new hope and he chose to continue in Upper Canada. He established "The Examiner" in Toronto, with the aim of promoting responsible government; this newspaper merged with the "Globe", the predecessor of the Globe and Mail, in 1855.

Hincks was elected to the 1st Parliament of United Canada in 1841, representing Oxford County. In 1842, He was appointed inspector general of public accounts. In 1844, he became editor of a new newspaper in Montreal, the "Pilot", which supported Reformers in both Canada East and Canada West. Because he sought subscriptions for his paper in Canada West, he came into conflict with George Brown, editor of the "Globe". In 1848, he sold the paper and accepted the post of inspector general. He was Premier of the Province of Canada from 1851 to 1854. Hincks' vision of a railroad linking British North America led to the establishment of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1852 and he helped negotiated the Reciprocity Treaty of 1854 with the United States. A scandal developed in 1854 as a result of profits made by Hincks and Mayor John George Bowes of Toronto from the sale of railway stock and the government fell as a result; when this matter was reviewed in the next parliament, no basis was found for allegations of corruption against Hincks.

In 1856, he accepted an appointment as governor of Barbados and the Windward Islands, and, in 1861, became governor of British Guiana.He was knighted in 1869. On his return to Canada, he was Minister of Finance from 1869 until 1874. In 1878, he represented the federal government on the Ontario-Manitoba boundary commission.

He was also an editor of the "Toronto Express" newspaper. He died in Montreal of smallpox in 1885.

Hincks Township in Quebec was named in his honour (but was officially renamed in 1975 to Lac-Sainte-Marie).cite web |url=http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/ct/topos/carto.asp?Speci=33337&Latitude=45,95&Longitude=-75,95&Zoom=1700 |title=Lac-Sainte-Marie (Municipalité) |accessdate=2008-09-04 |publisher=Commission de toponymie du Québec |language=French]

References

* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=5583 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]
* [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/bio.asp?lang=E&query=2608&s=M Synopsis of federal political experience from the Library of Parliament]