Frederick Peters

Frederick Peters (April 8, 1851-July 29, 1919) was a lawyer and Prince Edward Island politician.

He was born in Charlottetown and educated at King's College in Nova Scotia. Frederick's parents were Judge James Horsfield Peters (whose grandparents James Peters and Margaret Lester were United Empire Loyalists from New York) and Mary Cunard (eldest daughter of Sir Samuel Cunard). He went on to study law in England and was called to bar there in 1876. He was called to the bars of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia later that year and set up practice in Charlottetown. A Liberal, he won election to the House of Assembly in 1890. He was asked to form a government in 1891 after the Conservative government lost its majority in the house. Peters government abolished both the Legislative Council and the House of Assembly and brought in a new legislative assembly to create a unicameral form of government. Peters served as Premier until resigning in 1897 to move to British Columbia though he retained his seat in the legislature until 1899 despite no longer residing in the province. Frederick married Roberta Hamilton Susan Gray (daughter of P.E.I. Father of Confederation John Hamilton Gray) in Charlottetown in 1886. Their sons John Francklyn Peters and Gerald Hamilton Peters died in action in World War One. Another son, Frederick Thornton Peters, died in November 1942 five days after action in the Allied invasion of Oran for which he received the Victoria Cross and the U.S. Distinguished Service Cross. Frederick's brother, Arthur Peters was also active in politics, serving as premier from 1901 to 1908.

External links

* [http://www.gov.pe.ca/premiersgallery/peters.php3 Premiers Gallery, Prince Edward Island]
* [http://www.canadiana.org/ECO/mtq?doc=32961 "The Canadian parliamentary companion, 1891", JA Gemmill]