After New Brunswick had three premiers in the space of its first decade, including one person twice, it was time for a bit more stability in the top office with the arrival of John James Fraser.
Fraser was born on Aug. 1, 1829 in New Brunswick to John and Margaret Fraser. His family was generally well-off, with his father being a prominent shipbuilder in New Brunswick.
His father had arrived in New Brunswick in 1812 and quickly made a name for himself in the colony.
After his time at the Newcastle Grammar School, Fraser studied law and was called to the New Brunswick Bar in 1852. He established his own law practice in 1854, which expanded with partners Edward Byron Winslow in 1866 and Edward Ludlow Wetmore in 1877.
In 1865, as an Anti-Confederation Party MLA, he entered the legislature for the first time. That was short lived as the next year he lost his seat when an election was called after the government of Albert James Smith fell.
After Canadian Confederation, Fraser decided to re-enter politics. Rejoining government, he was appointed to the Legislative Council and served as the president of the council from 1871 to 1872.
During this time, he dealt with tragedy when his first wife, Martha, died in 1871, only four years into their marriage. He would remarry in 1884 to his second wife Jane.
In 1872, he won a seat in the Legislature by acclamation in York County, shortly after he was appointed as provincial secretary in the government of George Edwin King. He remained as provincial secretary until 1878.
Generally in the legislature, Fraser was well liked by even his opponents, and was called a mild-mannered but popular man.
In February 1878, in one of his final acts in the position of provincial secretary, Fraser went to Ottawa to get a payment of $150,000 from the federal government that the provincial government believed it was owed. The money was in relation to a railroad between Moncton and the Nova Scotia border, which was taken over by the federal government. Fraser was unsuccessful in getting the money during his time in government.
On May 3, 1878, Fraser succeeded George King as premier of the province and attorney general.
The Montreal Gazette wrote,
“The local government of New Brunswick is to be reconstructed with Mr. Fraser, at present Provincial Secretary, as Attorney General.”
He was the first premier to give both Acadians and Irish sections of the Roman Catholic community representation in cabinet when he made Pierre-Amand Landry the Commissioner of Public Works and Michael Adams the Surveyor-General.
One month after he became premier, Fraser went into a provincial election. In that election, Fraser remained in power after winning 31 seats, while the opposition won only 10.
Two years later in February 1880, the parliament building in Fredericton was destroyed in a fire. At the time, there was a general movement to move the capital of the province to Fredericton, and the destruction of the parliament building only increased that. Fraser opposed moving the capital but he put it to the legislature on an open question. With the Leader of the Opposition, Andrew George Blair, who was also from Fredericton, Fraser led a campaign to convince the members not to move the capital. In a narrow vote of 20 to 18, Fredericton remained the capital.
With the capital not moving, work began on a new parliament building. That was completed on Feb. 16, 1882.
Despite Blair and Fraser working together briefly on the capital issue, Blair was a major opponent of the government and called those in the government incapables, while also accusing them of corruption.
Throughout his time as premier, he attempted to abolish the Legislative Council, but he failed in this regard. In fact, it would be Blair during his time as premier in 1892 that the abolishment was finally accomplished.
To bring in money for the province, and he was far from the only premier to do this, Fraser accepted generous subsidies from railroad promoters who then brought in low-quality lines, far too many for the population, that eventually left New Brunswick deeply in debt.
In order to run for a seat in the House of Commons, Fraser resigned as premier on May 25, 1882. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful in his campaign to sit in Parliament.
Throughout his time as premier, it was generally felt that his colleagues ran most of the government.
Fraser served in the Supreme Court of New Brunswick from 1893 to 1896.
Upon his appointment to the Supreme Court, the Daily Gleaner wrote,
“The appoint of Judge Fraser to the governorship is heartily endorsed by the people of this country, of which His Honor is a native. John James Fraser has always stood high in the estimation of the people here. He will do honor the highest and most honored position in this province.”
In 1893, he was appointed by Premier Blair to be a special commissioner and asked to look at the Bathurst Schools Question. This arose over complaints from Protestants that public schools in Gloucester were being operated in a manner that was against what the Common Schools Act of 1871 had set out. This had started out as a local issue and grew to be a provincial issue. It was alleged that the two formerly Roman Catholic Schools, that had been brought under the Common Schools Act in 1890, had Roman Catholic teachers that were teaching it as if it was a Catholic school.
The entire issue was a hot button affair and Blair had turned it over the Fraser to help himself escape any blame for a decision. In 1894, Fraser delivered his report and dismissed any charges of interference in the schools. The one thing he found to be a problem was religious education during noon hours, but he did not say it was a wilful infringement.
On Dec. 20, 1893, he was appointed as the Lt. Governor of New Brunswick. He didn’t take office until a few months later but in August of 1894 he travelled with the Governor General on a tour of the province.
The Halifax Herald wrote,
“The intimation that Judge Fraser is to be our next Lt. Governor will be well received here. Mr. Fraser has been highly esteemed and respected as a judge and as a politician he was one of the most popular the province ever had.”
In early November 1896, Fraser left the New Brunswick for Europe due to his poor health. It was hoped a change of scenery would help him. He had taken a six month leave of absence from his post as Lt. Governor in order to regain his health.
The Montreal Gazette wrote,
“Lt. Governor and Mrs. Fraser left for New York this afternoon.”
Fraser never returned to New Brunswick.
As the ship voyaged from New York to Europe, Fraser fell ill and never seemed to recover. Upon reaching his hotel in Italy, he was stricken with pneumonia.
On Nov. 24, 1896, while traveling in Italy, he died in Italy at the age of only 67.
The Ottawa Journal wrote of him,
“He was a man of fine personal qualities and much respected.”
Very few in New Brunswick’s capital were surprised by the death of Fraser, even if they were sad at the loss. His poor health was commonly known by many.
On Dec. 10, the remains of Fraser arrived in New Brunswick, accompanied by his widow.
