Only colonial to be Prime Minister of Britain
National Archives of Canada
Born: 16 September 1858, Rexton, New Brunswick
Died: 30 October 1923, London, England
Andrew Bonar Law grew up in New Brunswick, the son of a Scottish clergyman. His mother died when he was twelve and he was taken to Scotland to live with her cousins. After making his fortune as an iron merchant, Law turned to politics. He was elected Conservative M.P. for Glasgow Blackfriars in 1900 and leader of the party in 1911.
When David Lloyd George resigned, the King invited Law to form the new administration. He was elected prime minister in 1922, the only person born outside the United Kingdom to hold the post. However, Law only served 209 days before resigning in May of 1923 because of deteriorating health. He died later that year of throat cancer and is buried in Westminster Abbey.
Additional trivia:
Law was dubbed the "unknown prime minister".
More information on:
Sources include:
Kearney, Mark, and Randy Ray. The Great Canadian Trivia Book. Toronto: Hounslow Press, 1996.
Connections:
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By Province · New Brunswick
By Claim to Fame · Law & Politics
Added 14 April 2002.
