Hughes, Sam, Sir, 1853-1921 : Minister of Militia and Defence.
Sam Hughes (1853-1921) was born in the township of Darlington, Durham County, Canada West. Educated locally and at the Toronto Normal School, he taught briefly in the Belleville, Lifford and Bowmanville public schools, during which time he married Caroline J. Preston in 1872. She died soon after marriage, and in 1875 he married Mary E. Burk, with whom he had one son, Garnet Burk Hughes, and two daughters. Beginning in 1875, Sam taught at the Toronto Collegiate Institute, attending the University of Toronto part time (B.A., 1880). In 1885, he abandoned teaching for journalism, becoming the owner of the Lindsay Warder, a leading Conservative paper, serving as its editor until 1897. This position soon brought him into political prominence and he contested the riding of North Victoria in 1891, unsuccessfully. He entered the House of Commons in a by-election in 1892, representing the constituency of North Victoria until 1904, and the enlarged riding of Victoria and Haliburton from 1904 until his death. During the Conservative party's years in opposition, Hughes did not play a prominent part.
When the Conservative ministry of Robert Borden took office in October 1911, Hughes received the post of Minister of Militia and Defence. He and his family had long held an interest in military activities. At the age of 13, Hughes had enlisted in the 45th (West Durham) Battalion. He served during the Fenian Raids of 1870, was commissioned in 1873, and became the Colonel of the 45th in 1897. Refused a commission with the Canadian expeditionary force during the South African War, he travelled there as a civilian and secured employment with the British Army, first as a transport officer and later as an intelligence officer. In 1907, he was elected President of the Dominion Rifle Association and served on the committee that recommended the adoption of the Ross rifle by the Canadian militia. As Minister of Militia and Defence, Hughes worked to strengthen and increase the militia forces of Canada. This included improved training opportunities, the opening of new armouries, pay increases, and enlargement of the cadet corps.
When war was declared in August 1914, Hughes set to work to mobilize the first Canadian contingent, abandoning earlier mobilization plans. At Valcartier, near Quebec, a camp capable of accommodating 30,000 troops was quickly prepared, and through his insistence, a Shell Board was created to supervise the manufacture of munitions. Hughes also accompanied the first contingent of Canadian troops overseas. He was promoted to Major-General with the Canadian militia in 1914, invested a Knight Commander of the Bath in 1915, and made an honorary Lieutenant-General in the British Army in 1916.
Hughes' methods and frankness of speech soon made him a target of criticism. His mobilization and recruiting plans came under fire and although exonerated, his haste and excessive trust in his friends involved him in the Kyte charges concerning the award of shell orders. His insistence upon the Ross rifle, proven unreliable in the field, further eroded his position. The climax came when, contrary to the wishes of the Prime Minister, he set up an overseas military council. Hughes was compelled to resign as Minister in November 1916, to sit the remainder of his days in the back benches of the House of Commons. On his death, in August 1921, Sir Sam was given a state funeral.
