Thomas White (Canadian politician)

The Hon. Thomas White
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Cardwell
In office 1878–1888
Preceded by	Dalton McCarthy
Succeeded by	Robert Smeaton White
Personal details
Born	(1830-08-07)August 7, 1830 Montreal, Lower Canada
Died	April 21, 1888(1888-04-21) (aged 57) Ottawa, Ontario
Political party	Conservative
Children	Robert Smeaton White
Cabinet	Minister of the Interior (1885–1888) Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs (1887–1888)

Thomas White, PC (August 7, 1830 – April 21, 1888) was a Canadian journalist and politician.

Life

He was born in Montreal, Lower Canada in 1830, the son of Thomas White, a leather merchant who came to Canada from Ireland in 1826. White worked at a number of jobs before entering the printing trade with the Queen's Printer in Toronto around 1850. He moved to Quebec City in 1851 when that office moved there. In 1852, he assisted Stewart Derbishire in editing the Canada Gazette. He married Esther Vine at Quebec in 1853. Later that year, he founded the Peterborough Review with his brother-in-law. He also served as reeve of Peterborough. From 1860 to 1864, he studied law with Sidney Smith at Cobourg but soon returned to journalism. In 1864, he moved to Hamilton and took over the operation of the Daily Spectator and Journal of Commerce. In 1870, with his brother Richard, he bought the Montreal Gazette.

White was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1878 elections representing the riding of Cardwell. A Conservative, he was re-elected in 1882 and 1887. He served in two ministerial positions: Minister of the Interior and Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs.

White died of pneumonia in Ottawa in 1888. His son Robert Smeaton White also served in the House of Commons.

References

• Thomas White – Parliament of Canada biography
• "Thomas White". Dictionary of Canadian Biography (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. 1979–2016. 
• The Canadian biographical dictionary and portrait gallery of eminent and self-made men : Quebec and the Maritime provinces volume (1881)

Ministers of the Interior
Secretaries of State for the Provinces (1867–73)	Archibald Howe Aikins (acting) Gibbs
Ministers of the Interior of Canada (1873–1936)	Campbell Laird Scott (acting) Mills J. Macdonald Macpherson White J. Macdonald (acting) Dewdney Daly H. Macdonald Scott (acting) Sifton Laurier (acting) Oliver Rogers Roche Meighen Lougheed Stewart Stevens (acting) Bennett Stewart Murphy Crerar

Superintendents-General of Indian Affairs
Langevin Howe Aikins (acting) Gibbs Campbell Laird Scott (acting) Mills Macdonald White Macdonald (acting) Dewdney Daly H. Macdonald Scott (acting) Sifton Laurier (acting) Oliver Rogers Roche Meighen Lougheed Stewart Stevens (acting) Bennett (acting) Stewart Mackenzie Murphy Crerar1
1The offices of Minister of Immigration and Colonization, Minister of the Interior, Minister of Mines and Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs were abolished and the office of Minister of Mines and Resources was created and came in force on December 1, 1936.