Serving with John Foster McCreight, Simeon Duck, James Trimble, James W. Douglas, Andrew Charles Elliott, James Smith Drummond, John W. Williams, William Wilson, Theodore Davie, Montague Tyrwhitt-Drake, Edward Gawler Prior, John Herbert Turner, John Grant, George Lawson Milne
Preceded by
first member
Succeeded by
John Braden
Personal details
Born
(1836-01-20)January 20, 1836 England
Died
September 18, 1920(1920-09-18) (aged 84) Victoria, British Columbia
Political party
None
Spouse
Susan Sibbald Ritchie
(m. 1866)
Robert Beaven (January 20, 1836 – September 18, 1920), son of James Beaven, was a British Columbia politician and businessman. Beaven moved to British Columbia from Toronto, where he had been educated at Upper Canada College, because of the gold rush. He entered business in Victoria, which was then the capital of the Colony of Vancouver Island. After the colony's union with British Columbia, Beaven became involved with politics as secretary of Amor De Cosmos' Confederation League which advocated that the colony enter Canadian Confederation.
Beaven was elected to the provincial legislature in 1871, the year of union with Canada, and served in the cabinets of De Cosmos and his successor George Anthony Walkem as chief commissioner of land and works. He was accused by the opposition of corruption and was criticised for not opening up land for settlement quickly enough as well as running up the deficit. Beaven was in opposition during the government of Andrew Charles Elliott but rejoined the government when Walkem became premier for a second time in 1878 and became minister of finance and agriculture. Due to a shortage of revenues he instituted a poll tax in 1881. In 1882 Beaven became premier of the province but many of his supporters were defeated in the subsequent July election and Beaven ruled with a minority.
As Premier he hosted the three-month visit to British Columbia of the Governor General of Canada, the Marquess of Lorne, and his wife Princess Louise, offering to make the princess Queen of Vancouver Island. She declined.
In January 1883 Beaven attempted to introduce a legislative program but his government was brought down by a Motion of No Confidence and he resigned on January 29, 1883.
Beaven remained an MLA and leader of the opposition until 1894 when he lost his seat in an election after having served in the legislature for twenty-three years. He also served three terms as mayor of Victoria, British Columbia in the 1890s.
Following the 1898 election, no party had a majority and the lieutenant-governor Thomas Robert McInnes passed over the former premier John Herbert Turner and asked Beaven to form a government despite the fact that he had been out of the legislature for four years. Leading members of the legislature refused to support Beaven and he was unable to form a cabinet.
Robert Beaven died in 1920 and was interred in the Ross Bay Cemetery in Victoria.
RobertBeaven (January 20, 1836 – September 18, 1920), son of James Beaven, was a British Columbia politician and businessman. Beaven moved to British...
Beaven is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Bob Beaven (1941–2019), former Australian rules footballer Derek Beaven (born 1947), British...
Governor of Quebec – Théodore Robitaille Premier of British Columbia – RobertBeaven (until January 29) then William Smithe Premier of Manitoba – John Norquay...
Victoria City In office September 11, 1875 – May 22, 1878 Serving with RobertBeaven, James W. Douglas, James Trimble Preceded by John Foster McCreight Succeeded...
Lieutenant Governor Clement Francis Cornwall Hugh Nelson Preceded by RobertBeaven Succeeded by Alexander Edmund Batson Davie MLA for Cowichan In office...
Anthony Walkem RobertBeaven none none Frederick W. Williams 4th Parliament 4 sessions 4th general Jan. 25, 1883 June 3, 1886 none RobertBeaven William Smithe...
Victoria City In office October 16, 1871 – September 11, 1875 Serving with RobertBeaven, Simeon Duck, James Trimble Preceded by first member Succeeded by Andrew...
Premier George Anthony Boomer Walkem. The Premiership was taken over by RobertBeaven, who managed to retain the reins of government though not with as much...
spearheaded by three future premiers of the province — Amor De Cosmos, RobertBeaven, and John Robson — took a leading role in pushing the Colony of British...
frontiersman, prospector Sir Frank Stillman Barnard (1856–1936), statesman RobertBeaven (1836–1920), statesman, Premier of British Columbia Sir Matthew Begbie...
Victoria City In office 7 July 1886 – 23 January 1888 Serving with RobertBeaven, Theodore Davie, John Herbert Turner Preceded by Montague Tyrwhitt-Drake...
September 10 – Olive Thomas, American actress (b. 1894) September 18 – RobertBeaven, Canadian politician (b. 1836) September 24 – Peter Carl Fabergé, Russian...
from 1867 to 1868 and 1870 to 1871, and as the leading force (with RobertBeaven and John Robson) behind the colony's Confederation League. Through the...
Premier of British Columbia – George Anthony Walkem (until June 13) then RobertBeaven Premier of Manitoba – John Norquay Premier of New Brunswick – John James...
Clement Francis Cornwall Preceded by Andrew Charles Elliott Succeeded by RobertBeaven MLA for Cariboo In office October 16, 1871 – July 24, 1882 Serving with...
Columbia general election held in July 1882. RobertBeaven formed a minority government in 1882. The Beaven government fell on a Motion of no confidence...
Clement Francis Cornwall JP (1836–1910) 21 June 1881 8 February 1887 RobertBeaven (1882–1883) William Smithe (1883–1887) 4 Hugh Nelson (1830–1893) 8 February...
government's failure to produce a transcontinental rail link by 1881. RobertBeaven, the Premier of British Columbia was said to have suggested the province...
by the Yellowhead Pass to Bute Inlet and then to Victoria, Premier RobertBeaven asked Duke whether it would be possible for Vancouver Island to become...
Serving with RobertBeaven, Theodore Davie, Edward Gawler Prior, John Grant, George Lawson Milne, John Braden, Henry Dallas Helmcken, Robert Paterson Rithet...
Simon-Napoléon Parent, politician and Premier of Quebec (b. 1855) September 18 – RobertBeaven, businessman, politician and 6th Premier of British Columbia (b. 1836)...
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