Dictionary of National Biography, 1927 supplement/Hughes, Sam
HUGHES, Sir SAM (1853–1921), Canadian soldier and politician, was born in Darlington township, Durham county, Ontario, 8 January 1853, the third son of John Hughes, a native of Tyrone, Ireland, by his wife, Caroline Laughlin. He was educated at the local schools, the Toronto normal and model schools, and at the university of Toronto, where he took honour standing in modern languages in 1880. From 1875 to 1885 he taught English literature and history in the Toronto Collegiate Institute; but he turned more and more to political life, and in 1885 removed to Lindsay, Ontario, where he became owner and editor of the Lindsay Warder, the chief conservative newspaper of the district, continuing to hold this position till 1897. In 1891 he stood unsuccessfully as conservative candidate for the federal house in Victoria county, Ontario; but in 1892 he was successful at a by-election, and continuously represented the constituency till his death.
From very early days Hughes took a deep interest in military matters, especially in shooting. In 1870 he was a volunteer in the defence forces raised against a Fenian raid from the United States; in 1873 he was gazetted a lieutenant in the 45th militia regiment, and steadily rose till in 1897 he became its lieutenant-colonel. Meanwhile he had offered to raise battalions for the Egyptian and Sudanese campaigns. In 1899, on the outbreak of the Boer War, he went to South Africa with the Canadian contingent as an ‘attached’ officer, but quarrelled with his commanding officer and joined the British forces, in which he held several positions, ending as a dashing leader of irregulars. In 1911 he attended the coronation of King George V; in October of the same year he became minister of militia and defence in the Cabinet of (Sir) Robert Borden, and did much to promote the building of drill halls and the training of cadet corps in the schools. He was promoted major-general in 1912. At the opening of the European War he showed fine energy, and it was largely owing to his efforts that the first Canadian contingent was organized with such promptitude at Valcartier camp, and sent overseas. He was responsible for the arming of the Canadian forces with the Ross rifle, which, after his retirement, was replaced by the Lee-Enfield. His turbulence, however, brought him into frequent controversy with his colleagues, and in November 1916 the Canadian premier demanded his resignation. Hughes continued to give an independent support to the conservative administration, and afterwards to the union government, but hard work had sapped his strength, and he died of pernicious anæmia at Lindsay, Ontario, 24 August 1921.
Hughes was created K.C.B. in August 1915, while in England; in 1916 he was promoted lieutenant-general. He married twice: first, in 1872 Caroline (died 1874), daughter of Major Isaac Preston, of Vancouver, British Columbia; secondly, in 1875 Mary, second daughter of Harvey William Burk, M.P., of Bowmanville, Ontario. He was survived by her and by two daughters and one son, Major-General Garnet Hughes.
Hughes was well made and handsome; in his youth he had been a famous runner and lacrosse player. He was of splendid energy, and had much personal charm, but was too undisciplined and impetuous to be an easy colleague, either in political or military life.
[The Times, 25 August 1921; Toronto Mail and Globe, 24 August 1921; H. J. Morgan, Canadian Men and Women of the Time (second edition), 1912; Canadian Hansard.]