Thomas Wilson Paterson (6 December 1850 – 28 August 1921) was a Canadian railway contractor, politician, and the ninth Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.
Railway career
After moving to British Columbia in 1885, he helped to build the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway line on Vancouver Island. In 1895, he became general manager of the Victoria and Sidney Railway. In 1897, Paterson filed for and was granted a patent for a spark catcher and smoke burner for locomotives.Canadian Intellectual Property Office: Patent 56793 Summary The following year, he filed for a patent in the United States as well.Google Patents: Thomas wilson paterson: US 601355 A
Political career
In 1902, Paterson ran as an independent candidate in a byelection for the provincial riding of North Victoria prompted by the death of the incumbent, John Paton Booth. He defeated a government-aligned candidate by 43 votes (12% of the votes cast). For the 1903 election, the North Victoria riding was abolished during redistribution, and Thomas ran as a Liberal candidate in the newly created riding of The Islands. He defeated a Conservative candidate by 67 votes (19% of the votes cast). In the 1907 election, a new Conservative candidate won by 6 votes (2% of votes cast), and Thomas was unseated.Electoral History of British Columbia 1871-1986. Victoria, BC: Elections British Columbia (1988), pages 91, 93, 102, 405.
In 1907, he was defeated when running for mayor of Victoria.
From 1909 to 1914, he was the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. In 1912, he presented a cup to the Pacific Coast Hockey Association.The Paterson Cup presented to the Pacific Coast Hockey Association champions The New Westminster Hockey Team The cup was first won by the New Westminster Royals, who were PCHA champions in the PCHA's first season.Thomas Wilson Paterson - Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
Family and personal life
Born in Darvel, Scotland, he immigrated to Canada with his parents. He was raised in Ontario.
Paterson married Emma Elizabeth Riley, the daughter of George Riley in Victoria on November 25, 1886. Paterson retired in 1914. He died in Victoria on August 28, 1921,"British Columbia Death Registrations, 1872-1986; 1992-1993", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLG9-82K : 30 September 2015), Thomas Wilson Paterson, 1921. and was buried in Ross Bay Cemetery.
References