Village Squire, 1975-01, Page 18Arthur Meighen
Ask an American t'o name the presidents of
the United States, and he can likely rhyme off
all the names of all the men who haw, held the
office in the nearly two hundred -year history
of that nation.
In Canada, only 15 men have held the top
office in the land in a 107 years. Yet how
many people could remember more than
about five of the names. Who, for instance,
would remember Arthur Meighen, e% en here,
in an area only a few miles from shere he
grew up. This man, Canada's ninth Prime
Minister was born in Perth county, near St.
Marys, but few people even here remember
the name, let alone the details of his history.
Those who do remember the name are more
likely to recall it in the context of the famous
spat between William Lyon Mackenzie King
and the governor general of the time, Lord
Byng of Vimy.
Meighen was a man with a remarkable
political career, but unfortunately, the most
remarkable part did not come while he
occupied the highest office in the land. But
back to the beginning.
Arthur Meighen was born in Blanchard
township, near St. Marys in June 16, 1874.
He was the son of Joseph Meighen, whose
father, Gordon had been one of the pioneers
of the area before he died when Joe was only
11. Joe quit school and tried to help take his
father's place.
When he grew up, Joseph married Mary
Bell, from the same neighbourhood and their
first child was Arthur. He grew up in this
after -pioneer farm life atmosphere in Perth
county and began school before the normal
school age in the tiny village of Anderson,
near the Meighen farm.
According to Richard R. Bonsteel who
recently prepared a paper on Meighen for the
Perth County Historical Board, Arthur
developed an interest in politics early in life.
"...he would go off by himself and pretend he
was making a speech to an important
audience."
ARTHUR
WHO?
Our only local
Prime Minister
is virtually forgotten
by most people
His parents sold their farm when he was 12
and bought one closer to St. Marys so that
Arthur could go to high school. He began
high school at age 12 and after completion, he
went on to the University of Toronto. He had
high marks, especially in mathematics and he
took part in debates. He graduated in 1896
with a Bachelor of Arts Degree at age 22.
Then it was off to adventure in the West.
He articled with a lawyer in Portage la Prairie
in Manitoba in 1902 and eventually was called
to the bar himself.
In 1904 he married Jessie Isabel Fox of
Granby Quebec. She was the only girl he'd
ever courted. He must have been an admirer
of the U.S. president of the period for when a
son came along he named him Theodore
Roosevelt (Ted). Two other children, Maxwell
and Lillian followed.
Between his law practice and his land
investments, money was no problem. And, as
did so many lawyers then and now, he
became involved in politics. In 1903 he had
VILLAGE SQUIRE/JANUARY 1975, 17