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Thomas McQuesten
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Thomas McQuesten
Thomas Baker McQuesten QC (June 30, 1882 – January 13, 1948) was a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1934 to 1943 who represented the riding of Hamilton—Wentworth. He served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Mitchell Hepburn and Gordon Conant.
McQuesten was born in Hespeler (now Cambridge, Ontario) in nearby Waterloo County, the youngest son of the five children of Isaac McQuesten and Mary Baker McQuesten. His father died from overdosing on sleeping pills leaving the family almost bankrupt when Thomas was six years old, and the family homestead narrowly avoided being sold to cover these debts. His family remained staunch Presbyterians, except one (Rev. Calvin, Chaplain of the Hamilton Sanitarium) and rejected joining the United Church of Canada in 1925.
Thomas received his primary and secondary education in Hamilton at Central School, and the Hamilton Collegiate Institute. In his graduating year of 1900, the HCI football team won the Ontario Championship.
Since there was no university in Hamilton at the time, McQuesten had to leave the city for his post-secondary education. He earned a B.A. in English, history, and classics at the University of Toronto. Extracurricular activity included rowing for the Toronto Argonauts (which was also a football team), president of Zeta Psi fraternity and editor of The Varsity newspaper.
McQuesten's older sister, Ruby Baker McQuesten, played a vital role in Thomas' life and success, however there is no record of him acknowledging her sacrifices. Ruby took a job as a teacher and sent almost her entire salary home to pay for Thomas' education. In her time away, Ruby wrote home of her loneliness. She eventually contracted a cough and died of tuberculosis.
Although a fellow U of T student beat his application for a Rhodes scholarship, McQuesten continued his education at Osgoode Hall, also in Toronto. He received his LL.B. law degree and was admitted to the bar in 1907. He began practicing law as a prelude to a planned political career, serving in firms in Toronto, Elk Lake and Hamilton.
During his early adulthood, McQuesten served part-time in the militia. In 1902, he was in the Royal Canadian Artillery and in 1904 he was a military surveyor. When the First World War began, he wanted to enlist but his family pressured him not to.
McQuesten served as an alderman between 1913 and 1920, and tirelessly promoted parks as chairman of the Works Committee. In 1917, he and others presented a well-written but ultimately unadopted report on town planning with emphasis on railway lands.
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Thomas McQuesten
Thomas Baker McQuesten QC (June 30, 1882 – January 13, 1948) was a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1934 to 1943 who represented the riding of Hamilton—Wentworth. He served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Mitchell Hepburn and Gordon Conant.
McQuesten was born in Hespeler (now Cambridge, Ontario) in nearby Waterloo County, the youngest son of the five children of Isaac McQuesten and Mary Baker McQuesten. His father died from overdosing on sleeping pills leaving the family almost bankrupt when Thomas was six years old, and the family homestead narrowly avoided being sold to cover these debts. His family remained staunch Presbyterians, except one (Rev. Calvin, Chaplain of the Hamilton Sanitarium) and rejected joining the United Church of Canada in 1925.
Thomas received his primary and secondary education in Hamilton at Central School, and the Hamilton Collegiate Institute. In his graduating year of 1900, the HCI football team won the Ontario Championship.
Since there was no university in Hamilton at the time, McQuesten had to leave the city for his post-secondary education. He earned a B.A. in English, history, and classics at the University of Toronto. Extracurricular activity included rowing for the Toronto Argonauts (which was also a football team), president of Zeta Psi fraternity and editor of The Varsity newspaper.
McQuesten's older sister, Ruby Baker McQuesten, played a vital role in Thomas' life and success, however there is no record of him acknowledging her sacrifices. Ruby took a job as a teacher and sent almost her entire salary home to pay for Thomas' education. In her time away, Ruby wrote home of her loneliness. She eventually contracted a cough and died of tuberculosis.
Although a fellow U of T student beat his application for a Rhodes scholarship, McQuesten continued his education at Osgoode Hall, also in Toronto. He received his LL.B. law degree and was admitted to the bar in 1907. He began practicing law as a prelude to a planned political career, serving in firms in Toronto, Elk Lake and Hamilton.
During his early adulthood, McQuesten served part-time in the militia. In 1902, he was in the Royal Canadian Artillery and in 1904 he was a military surveyor. When the First World War began, he wanted to enlist but his family pressured him not to.
McQuesten served as an alderman between 1913 and 1920, and tirelessly promoted parks as chairman of the Works Committee. In 1917, he and others presented a well-written but ultimately unadopted report on town planning with emphasis on railway lands.
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