John A. Macdonald and Wilfrid Laurier are two of the most well-known prime ministers in Canadian history, but plenty happened in the brief time between their tenures.
Plenty of prime ministers, relatively speaking.
“No one has written a book about how we had six prime ministers in the span of five years,” said Michael Hill.
So, the Orillia man set out to change that.
Hill, a history buff whose previous book was called The Mariposa Folk Festival: A History, has written The Lost Prime Ministers. It tells the tale of four Tory PMs who came and went between 1891 and 1896.
“It’s something not too many people know about,” Hill said.
Those ‘lost’ prime ministers were John Abbott (1891-92), John Thompson (1892-94), Mackenzie Bowell (1894-96) and Charles Tupper (1896).
“It’s such an unusual story,” Hill said, noting that type of turnover hasn’t been seen since.
He enjoyed researching for his book, allowing him to learn more about those who were bookended by Macdonald and Laurier.
“Even if these guys had not become prime minister, they’d have certainly been well-known Canadians in the 19th century,” he said. “They were remarkable men in their chosen fields.”
Abbott, he explained, was the richest lawyer in the country and invested in railroads.
“He was really a mover and shaker when it came to building the Canadian Pacific Railway,” Hill said.
He left office due to failing health. His successor, Thompson, died in office after suffering a heart attack.
The briefness of the reign of the next PM, Bowell, had nothing to do with health. Seen as indecisive, he stepped down after his cabinet revolted, with many of his ministers resigning.
Then came Tupper. Then went Tupper.
He took on the top job in May 1896 and reluctantly stepped down about two months later, after losing an election to Laurier.
“I was amazed that there was so much I didn’t know about these four guys,” Hill said.
He hopes those who read his book will be just as excited to learn more about Canada’s political past.
“We should know more about our history,” he said. “It’s an important thing that we know who we are and where we came from.”
The Lost Prime Ministers will be available Feb. 22. It can be pre-ordered here.
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