Mackenzie Bowell

The Honourable Sir Mackenzie Bowell PC KCMG
Bowell in 1891
5th Prime Minister of Canada
In office December 21, 1894 – April 27, 1896
Monarch	Victoria
Governor General	The Earl of Aberdeen
Preceded by	John Thompson
Succeeded by	Charles Tupper
Canadian Senator from Quebec
In office December 1892 – December 10, 1917
Appointed by	John Sparrow David Thompson
Member of Parliament for Hastings North
In office September 20, 1867 – December 1892
Preceded by	Riding established
Succeeded by	Alexander Augustus Williamson Carscallen
Personal details
Born	(1823-12-27)December 27, 1823 Rickinghall, Suffolk, England
Died	December 10, 1917(1917-12-10) (aged 93) Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Resting place	Belleville Cemetery, Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Nationality	Canadian
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Harriet Bowell ​ ​ (m. 1847; died 1884)​
Children	9
Awards	Order of St Michael and St George Canadian General Service Medal Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Province of Canada Dominion of Canada
Branch/service	Canadian militia (1861-1872)
Years of service	1861–1872
Rank	Lieutenant-Colonel
Unit	Belleville Volunteer Militia Rifle Company The Argyll Light Infantry 49th Hastings Battalion
Battles/wars	Fenian Raids

Sir Mackenzie Bowell PC KCMG (/ˈboʊ.əl/; December 27, 1823 – December 10, 1917) was a Canadian newspaper publisher and politician, who served as the fifth prime minister of Canada, in office from 1894 to 1896.

Bowell was born in Rickinghall, Suffolk, England. He and his family moved to Belleville, Upper Canada in 1832. When in his early teens, Bowell was apprenticed to the printing shop of the local newspaper, the Belleville Intelligencer, and some 15 years later, became its owner and proprietor.

In 1867, following Confederation, he was elected to the House of Commons for the Conservative Party. Bowell entered cabinet in 1878, and would serve under three prime ministers: John A. Macdonald, John Abbott, and John Thompson. He served variously as Minister of Customs (1878–1892), Minister of Militia and Defence (1892), and Minister of Trade and Commerce (1892–1894). Bowell kept his Commons seat continuously for 25 years, through a period of Liberal Party rule in the 1870s. In 1892, Bowell was appointed to the Senate. He became Leader of the Government in the Senate the following year.

In December 1894, Prime Minister Thompson unexpectedly died in office. The Earl of Aberdeen, Canada's governor general, appointed Bowell to replace Thompson as prime minister, due to his status as the most senior cabinet member. The main problem of Bowell's tenure as prime minister was the Manitoba Schools Question. His attempts at compromise alienated members of his own party, and following a Cabinet revolt in early 1896 he was forced to resign in favour of Charles Tupper. Bowell stayed on as a senator until his death at the age of 93, but never again held ministerial office; he served continuously as a Canadian parliamentarian for 50 years.