Annie Thompson
Encyclopedia
Annie Emma, Lady Thompson (née Affleck) (June 26, 1845 – April 10, 1913) was the wife of Sir John Thompson, the fourth Prime Minister of Canada
.
She was born in Halifax
, Nova Scotia
to James Affleck, a sea captain, and Catherine Saunders. She was the eldest of eight children. She has been described by historians as a high-spirited young woman who resembled Catherine Linton in Emily Brontë
's Wuthering Heights
.
She married Thompson in 1870 in Portland, Maine
. Their first child, a son, was stillborn
on September 3, 1871. They had eight more children:
In 1882, when John Thompson was concerned about losing an electoral battle in Antigonish
, Annie wrote him to say that "I wish I could be with you for one ten minutes to talk square to you...So keep up your courage... win or lose they can’t keep you from me much longer...So now you must not be such an awful baby until you get home and then I’ll see how far you can be indulged."
John Thompson was appointed to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia in 1882. When he was offered the opportunity to become Minister of Justice
in 1885, Annie Thompson encouraged him to leave that bunch of "sere old crows" (her words) on the Nova Scotia bench and get out into a world which would better test and demonstrate his talents. The Thompson family finally moved to Ottawa in 1888, and John Thompson became Prime Minister
in 1892.
On December 12, 1894, John Thompson died of a heart attack in Windsor Castle at the age of 49. He left a very small estate, and the Lady Thompson Fund was begun that month as a private subscription for the children.
Lady Thompson moved to Toronto in 1895. Friends, including Lady Aberdeen and Senator Frank Smith, aided her in finding housing and establishing herself. She lived at 18½ St Joseph Street, and became a member of the nearby St Basil's Roman Catholic Church.
In hospital in 1913 for exploratory surgery, she was diagnosed with inoperable cancer
and died on the operating table. She was buried in Mount Hope Catholic Cemetery
in Toronto.
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
.
She was born in Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
to James Affleck, a sea captain, and Catherine Saunders. She was the eldest of eight children. She has been described by historians as a high-spirited young woman who resembled Catherine Linton in Emily Brontë
Emily Brontë
Emily Jane Brontë 30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848) was an English novelist and poet, best remembered for her only novel, Wuthering Heights, now considered a classic of English literature. Emily was the third eldest of the four surviving Brontë siblings, between the youngest Anne and her brother...
's Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights is a novel by Emily Brontë published in 1847. It was her only novel and written between December 1845 and July 1846. It remained unpublished until July 1847 and was not printed until December after the success of her sister Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre...
.
She married Thompson in 1870 in Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
. Their first child, a son, was stillborn
Stillbirth
A stillbirth occurs when a fetus has died in the uterus. The Australian definition specifies that fetal death is termed a stillbirth after 20 weeks gestation or the fetus weighs more than . Once the fetus has died the mother still has contractions and remains undelivered. The term is often used in...
on September 3, 1871. They had eight more children:
- John Thomas Connolly Thompson (1872–1952)
- Joseph Thompson (1874–1935)
- Mary Aloysia (Babe) Thompson (1876–1917)
- Mary Helena Thompson (1878–1944)
- Annie Mary Thompson (1879–1880)
- unknown name (died at birth, December 7, 1880)
- Frances Alice (Frankie) Thompson (1881–1947)
- David Anthony Thompson (1883–1885)
In 1882, when John Thompson was concerned about losing an electoral battle in Antigonish
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Antigonish is a Canadian town in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia. The town is home to St. Francis Xavier University and the oldest continuous highland games in North America.-History:...
, Annie wrote him to say that "I wish I could be with you for one ten minutes to talk square to you...So keep up your courage... win or lose they can’t keep you from me much longer...So now you must not be such an awful baby until you get home and then I’ll see how far you can be indulged."
John Thompson was appointed to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia in 1882. When he was offered the opportunity to become Minister of Justice
Minister of Justice (Canada)
The Minister of Justice is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the Department of Justice and is also Attorney General of Canada .This cabinet position is usually reserved for someone with formal legal training...
in 1885, Annie Thompson encouraged him to leave that bunch of "sere old crows" (her words) on the Nova Scotia bench and get out into a world which would better test and demonstrate his talents. The Thompson family finally moved to Ottawa in 1888, and John Thompson became Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
in 1892.
On December 12, 1894, John Thompson died of a heart attack in Windsor Castle at the age of 49. He left a very small estate, and the Lady Thompson Fund was begun that month as a private subscription for the children.
Lady Thompson moved to Toronto in 1895. Friends, including Lady Aberdeen and Senator Frank Smith, aided her in finding housing and establishing herself. She lived at 18½ St Joseph Street, and became a member of the nearby St Basil's Roman Catholic Church.
In hospital in 1913 for exploratory surgery, she was diagnosed with inoperable cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
and died on the operating table. She was buried in Mount Hope Catholic Cemetery
Mount Hope Catholic Cemetery
Mount Hope Catholic Cemetery at 305 Erskine Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada was consecrated on July 9, 1898 by Roman Catholic Archbishop John Walsh. The first burial occurred on March 27, 1900. By the end of the 20th Century, the cemetery was full, holding the remains of more than 76,000 persons...
in Toronto.