Henry Lumley Drayton

Sir Henry Lumley Drayton PC KC (April 27, 1869 – August 28, 1950) was a Canadian lawyer and politician.

The Honourable Sir Henry Lumley Drayton PC KC
Drayton, c. 1925
Minister of Finance and Receiver General
In office August 2, 1919 – December 28, 1921
Prime Minister	Arthur Meighen
Preceded by	Arthur Sifton
Succeeded by	Rodolphe Monty
In office June 29, 1926 – July 12, 1926 (Acting)
Prime Minister	Arthur Meighen
Preceded by	James Robb
Succeeded by	R.B. Bennett
Secretary of State for Canada (Acting)
In office January 24, 1921 – September 20, 1921
Prime Minister	Arthur Meighen
Preceded by	Arthur Sifton
Succeeded by	Rodolphe Monty
Minister of Railways and Canals (Acting)
In office June 29, 1926 – July 12, 1926
Prime Minister	Arthur Meighen
Preceded by	Charles Avery Dunning
Succeeded by	William Anderson Black (Acting)
Minister of Immigration and Colonization (Acting)
In office July 13, 1926 – September 24, 1926
Prime Minister	Arthur Meighen
Preceded by	Robert James Manion (Acting)
Succeeded by	Robert Forke
Minister Without Portfolio
In office July 13, 1926 – September 24, 1926
Prime Minister	Arthur Meighen
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Kingston
In office 1919–1921
Preceded by	William Nickle
Succeeded by	Arthur Ross
Member of the Canadian Parliament for York West
In office 1921–1928
Preceded by	Tom Wallace
Succeeded by	James Lawson
Personal details
Born	(1869-04-27)April 27, 1869 Kingston, Ontario, Dominion of Canada
Died	August 28, 1950(1950-08-28) (aged 81) Canada
Political party	Unionist Conservative Progressive Conservative
Spouse	Edith Mary Cawthra
Children	3
Profession	Lawyer, politician, and King's Counsel

Early life

Born in Kingston, Ontario, the son of Philip Henry Drayton, who came to Canada with the 16th Rifles of England, and Margaret S. Covernton, Drayton was educated in schools in both England and Canada. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1891 and was created a King's Counsel in 1908.

Legal career

From 1893 to 1900, Drayton was an Assistant City Solicitor for Toronto. In 1900, he formed a partnership with Charles J. Holman. In 1902, he was appointed Counsel to the Railway Committee of the Ontario Legislature. From 1904 to 1909, he was a County Crown Attorney for the County of York. In 1910, he was appointed Counsel for the Corporation of the City of Toronto. In 1911, he was appointed to the Toronto Power Commission. In 1912, he was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Board of Railway Commissioners for Canada.

Political career

Drayton was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada from Kingston in a 1919 by-election as a Conservative Party candidate. He served as Minister of Finance under both Sir Robert Borden and Arthur Meighen until the Conservative Party's defeat in the 1921 general election. Drayton kept his seat in that election.

In 1927, he was a candidate the leadership of the Conservative Party, but finished in last place. Drayton retired from politics in 1928 to become chairman of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.

He attempted to return to Parliament in the 1945 election from a seat in Victoria, British Columbia, but lost narrowly to the Liberal candidate.

Personal life and death

He was conferred a knighthood as a Knight Bachelor, which carries no postnominal letters, but carried the title 'Sir' before his name though.

Drayton married Edith Mary Cawthra and had three daughters. He died on 28 August 1950, at the age of 81.

Electoral history

1945 Canadian federal election: Victoria
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Robert Mayhew	11,806	33.32	-19.15
	Progressive Conservative	Henry Lumley Drayton	11,442	32.30	-2.48
	Co-operative Commonwealth	Murray D. Bryce	10,295	29.06	+16.38
	Communist	Garry Culhane	1,093	3.09	–
	Social Credit	William Franklin Lougheed	793	2.24	–
Total valid votes			35,429	100.0
	Liberal hold		Swing		-8.34

v t e 1926 Canadian federal election: York West
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Lumley Drayton	16,479	77.9	+2.1
	Liberal	Alfred Taylour Hunter	4,681	22.1	-2.1
Total valid votes			21,160	100.0

v t e 1925 Canadian federal election: York West
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Lumley Drayton	23,637	75.8	+30.6
	Liberal	Alexander MacGregor	7,536	24.2	-16.7
Total valid votes			31,173	100.0

v t e 1921 Canadian federal election: York West
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Lumley Drayton	8,850	45.3	-35.4
	Liberal	J.E.L. Streight	7,989	40.9	+21.6
	Progressive	James Alexander Cameron	2,710	13.9
Total valid votes			19,549	100.0

By-election on 20 October 1919 On William Folger Nickle's resignation, 7 July 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Government (Unionist)	Henry Lumley Drayton	acclaimed

References

• "A cyclopædia of Canadian biography". Internet Archive. 1919.
• Henry Lumley Drayton – Parliament of Canada biography