Cartwright, Sir Richard John National Historic Person
Kingston, Ontario
Sir Richard John Cartwright, 1908
© Topley Studio / Library and Archives Canada | Bibliothèque et Archives Canada / PA-025961
Address :
216 Ontario Street, Kingston, Ontario
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
1938-05-19
Life Date:
1835 to 1912
Other Name(s):
-
Cartwright, Sir Richard John
(Designation Name)
Importance:
Canadian Minister of Finance (1873-78) and Minister of Trade and Commerce (1896-1904)
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: 216 Ontario Street, Kingston, Ontario
Grandson of a prominent Loyalist merchant, Richard John Cartwright was born in Kingston, Upper Canada, and became a successful businessman. A Conservative in the Legislative Assembly of Canada (1863-67), he was later a Liberal member of the House of Commons for thirty-seven years (1867-1904), until appointed to the Senate. He served as Minister of Finance in the Mackenzie cabinet (1873-78) and under Laurier as Minister of Trade and Commerce (1896-1904). A renowned orator and free trader, he was the architect of the Liberal election policy of 1891 favouring unrestricted reciprocity with the United States. He died at Kingston.