Owen Hughes
Encyclopedia
Owen Edward Hughes was a judge and former territorial level politician. He served as a Member of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly from 1885 until 1888.
from 1873-74 and in The Pas
in 1875. In 1876 Stobard retired from Duck Lake and Hughes was appointed head of their fur trade business. In 1879 four militia companies were organized in the Prince Albert area and he was appointed the captain of the Duck Lake company that consisted mainly of Metis
from the Duck Lake, Batoche and St. Laurent
. Gabriel Dumont was one of his two lieutenants. The militia units were disbanded in 1884 only sightly prior to the North-West Resistance. After Dumont's victory at Duck Lake
, Hughes is reported to have said to Middleton
, "Gabriel Dumont, my lieutenant, and my half-breeds who have just driven your army back. Great Scot, had I been there to lead them, we'd have driven you out of the country." Despite the fact that many of his friends fought with Riel
, Hughes fought on the Federal Government side and was present at the Battle of Battoche and accompanied Middleton's men aboard the Northcoate.
at Norway House in 1875.
In 1876 Hughes was appointed as a Senior Magistrate of the District of Keewatin
and of the Northwest Territories
in 1878. He also served as sheriff of the District of Saskatchewan
from 1887 to 1899.
in the 1885 Northwest Territories election
. Hughes defeated candidate Andrew Porter by eight votes to win the Lorne
electoral district and his first term in office.
Hughes ran for re-election in the Prince Albert electoral district in the 1888 Northwest Territories general election
. The electoral district was mandated to return two members to the assembly in that election. He was defeated by William Plaxton
and John Felton Betts
finishing third place in a field of three candidates.
, a member of a prominent Anglo-Metis
family in Winnipeg. They had two sons.
Early life
Owen Hughes was born in London, England in 1848. He and his brother were sent to school in France following the death of his father in around 1852. Following school in France, he moved to Germany to attend university at either Heidelberg or Hannover.Military career
According to Hughes, he joined the German Army sometime between 1864 and 1866 and was still enlisted in 1870 at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian war. Upon learning that his brother was fighting for the other side he deserted and returned to England. He claimed to then have been involved in running guns from England to France and in 1871 he was able to get his brother out of France. Hughes then moved to the Northwest Territories as an employee of Kew Stobart and Co. and worked in Nelson RiverNelson River
The Nelson River is a river of north-central North America, in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Its full length is , it has mean discharge of , and has a drainage basin of , of which is in the United States...
from 1873-74 and in The Pas
The Pas, Manitoba
The Pas is a town in Manitoba, Canada, located in Division No. 21, Manitoba in the Northern Region, some 630 kilometres northwest of the provincial capital, Winnipeg, near the border of Saskatchewan. It is sometimes still called Paskoyac by locals as the first trading post was called Fort Paskoyac...
in 1875. In 1876 Stobard retired from Duck Lake and Hughes was appointed head of their fur trade business. In 1879 four militia companies were organized in the Prince Albert area and he was appointed the captain of the Duck Lake company that consisted mainly of Metis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
from the Duck Lake, Batoche and St. Laurent
St. Laurent de Grandin, Saskatchewan
St. Laurent de Grandin is an area of Métis settlement along the South Saskatchewan River. It is just east of Duck Lake, Saskatchewan, and at present is the site of the St. Laurent Ferry, as well as the Roman Catholic Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes...
. Gabriel Dumont was one of his two lieutenants. The militia units were disbanded in 1884 only sightly prior to the North-West Resistance. After Dumont's victory at Duck Lake
Battle of Duck Lake
The Battle of Duck Lake was a skirmish between Métis soldiers of the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan and Canadian government forces that signalled the beginning of the North-West Rebellion.-Prelude:...
, Hughes is reported to have said to Middleton
Frederick Dobson Middleton
General Sir Frederick Dobson Middleton KCMG, CB was a British general noted for his service throughout the Empire and particularly in the North-West Rebellion.-Military career:...
, "Gabriel Dumont, my lieutenant, and my half-breeds who have just driven your army back. Great Scot, had I been there to lead them, we'd have driven you out of the country." Despite the fact that many of his friends fought with Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
, Hughes fought on the Federal Government side and was present at the Battle of Battoche and accompanied Middleton's men aboard the Northcoate.
Judicial career
Hughes is listed as a witness to the signing of Treaty 5Treaty 5
Treaty 5 is a treaty that was first established in September, 1875, between Queen Victoria and Saulteaux and Swampy Cree non-treaty tribes and peoples around Lake Winnipeg in the District of Keewatin. Much of what is today central and northern Manitoba was covered by the treaty, as were a few small...
at Norway House in 1875.
In 1876 Hughes was appointed as a Senior Magistrate of the District of Keewatin
District of Keewatin
The District of Keewatin was a territory of Canada and later an administrative district of the Northwest Territories.The name "Keewatin" comes from Algonquian roots—either kīwēhtin in Cree or giiwedin in Ojibwe—both of which mean north wind in their respective languages...
and of the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
in 1878. He also served as sheriff of the District of Saskatchewan
District of Saskatchewan
The District of Saskatchewan was a regional administrative district of Canada's Northwest Territories. Much of the area was incorporated into the province of Saskatchewan. The western part became part of Alberta, and the eastern part is now part of Manitoba. Its capital was Prince Albert...
from 1887 to 1899.
Political career
Hughes was first elected to the Northwest Territories Legislature1st Council of the Northwest Territories
This is a list of appointed and elected members of the 1st Council of the Northwest Territories in Canada from November 7, 1876 to 1888. Prior to 1876, members were appointed to the Temporary North-West Council....
in the 1885 Northwest Territories election
Northwest Territories election, 1885
The Northwest Territories election of 1885 was the first major election in the history of the territory. The election took place on 15 September 1885....
. Hughes defeated candidate Andrew Porter by eight votes to win the Lorne
Lorne (N.W.T. electoral district)
Lorne was an electoral district that existed in the District of Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories from 1880 until 1888. The district was one of the first three created by Royal Proclamation in 1880...
electoral district and his first term in office.
Hughes ran for re-election in the Prince Albert electoral district in the 1888 Northwest Territories general election
Northwest Territories general election, 1888
The Northwest Territories general election of 1888 was the first general election in the history of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Elections were held in various districts between 20 June and 30 June 1888...
. The electoral district was mandated to return two members to the assembly in that election. He was defeated by William Plaxton
William Plaxton
William Plaxton was a Canadian politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.Plaxton ran for election for the first time in the 1888 Northwest Territories general election in the Prince Albert electoral district. During that election Prince Albert was a...
and John Felton Betts
John Felton Betts
John Felton Betts was a merchant and political figure in the Northwest Territories, Canada. He represented Prince Albert and then Cumberland in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories from 1888 to 1898....
finishing third place in a field of three candidates.
Family
In 1881 Hughes married Isabella InksterInkster
Inkster can refer to:Places*Inkster, Michigan, United States*Inkster, North Dakota, United States*Inkster , Manitoba, CanadaPeople*Juli Inkster, professional golfer...
, a member of a prominent Anglo-Metis
Anglo-Métis
A 19th-century community of the Métis people of Canada, the Anglo-Métis, more commonly known as Countryborn, were children of fur traders; they typically had Orcadian, Scottish, or English fathers and Aboriginal mothers. Their first languages were generally those of their mothers: Cree, Saulteaux,...
family in Winnipeg. They had two sons.