Home > Samuel Leonard Tilley

Born in Gagetown, New Brunswick, Tilley was the son of Thomas Morgan Tilley, a storekeeper, and Susan Ann Peters. On May 6, 1843 he married Julia Ann Hanford in Saint John, New Brunswick. Together with her, they had eight children. Hanford died in 1862. On October 22, 1867, he married Alice Starr Chipman in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, and they had two children, including future New Brunswick permier Leonard P. D. Tilley.

Tilley was an activist in the temperance movement and this brought him to politics. He became an advocate for responsible government as a result of the 1848 recession which was caused, in part, by Britain's economic policies. Tilley joined the New-Brunswick Colonial Association which advocated that the colony have control over its public expenses, that a public school system be established, government control of public works and "honest government".

First elected to the New BrunswickNew Brunswick Nouveau-Brunswick ( In Detail) ( In Detail) Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope was restored CapitalLargest city Fredericton Saint John Area Total % fresh water 11th largest(8th lgst prov. 72 908 km² 2. 0% Population Total (2001) Density Ranked 8th 75 Assembly as a Liberal in 1850Events January 4 The first American ice-skating club is formed ( Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). January 29 Henry Clay introduces the Compromise of 1850 to the United States Congress February 28 University of Utah opens in Salt Lake City, Utah March 7 United he sat in oppositionThe Parliamentary Opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. In non-proportionally representative assemblies, where the tendency to gravitate into two major parties or until the 1854 election swept the reformers to power. Tilley became Provincial SecretaryThe Provincial Secretary was a senior position in the executive councils of British North America's colonial governments, and was retained by the Canadian provincial governments for at least a century after Canadian Confederation was proclaimed in 1867. in the government of Richard FisherThe astronomer J. Richard Fisher Richard Fisher of Fisher Brother Construction, New York.

He attended both the CharlottetownThe Charlottetown Conference was a conference in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island for representatives from the colonies of British North America to discuss Canadian Confederation. The conference took place between September 1- 7, 1864. The conference w an Quebec CitySeveral meetings held at Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, are called the Quebec Conference . The Quebec Conference of 1864 was the second conference to discuss Canada's confederation, which was finally accomplished three years later. The Quebec Conference of Conferences as a supporter of Canadian Confederation. He served as Premier of the colony of New Brunswick from 1861 until his government was defeated in the election of 1865. As Premier he supported the New Brunswick's entry into Confederation and the construction of an inter--colonial railway.

Tilley entered federal politics with Confederation in 1867 and served in the federal Macdonald Cabinet as Minister of Customs He became Minister of Finance in 1873 until the defeat of the government later that year. He was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick in 1873 and served until 1878 When Macdonald's Tories returned to power in 1878, Tilley again became minister of finance and served until his retirement from politics in 1885 to become Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick for a second term until 1893.

He is interred in the Fernhill Cemetery in Saint John, New Brunswick.