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Harvey, Sir John (1778-1852)
Governor, 1841-1846
Harvey was born in England on April 23, 1778. He entered the British army in 1794 and rose
slowly through the ranks because he did not have the private wealth which would have enabled
him to purchase promotions. Her served in the Netherlands, France, Ceylon, and Egypt. From
1803 to 1807 he was in India. In 1813, Harvey, now a lieutenant-colonel, came to Upper Canada
and saw action in the War of 1812.
His future became uncertain after 1815, but in 1828 he managed to obtain the appointment of
inspector-general of police in the Irish province of Leinster. In 1836 he became lieutenant-governor of Prince Edward Island, moving on to New Brunswick the following year. He was
recalled from New Brunswick because of his handling of the Maine boundary dispute, but was
appointed governor of Newfoundland in 1841.
The political situation in Newfoundland was troubled and volatile. Harvey was in part responsible
for the revised constitution introduced in 1842, which amalgamated the two houses of the
legislature, and he deliberately implemented a policy of conciliation and fairness. He ensured that
Roman Catholics received government patronage and were represented on the council, and
persuaded Bishop Fleming to withdraw from politics. At the same time he managed to maintain
the support of conservatives, helping the Chamber of Commerce in its efforts to obtain better
postal and steamship services, reforming the police force, and actively promoting the development
of agriculture. In short, Harvey gave the colony a political respite between the storms of the
1830s and the bitter divisions surrounding the campaign for responsible government that was just
beginning as he left.
In August 1846 Harvey became lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia. He died in Halifax on March
22, 1852.
August, 2000.
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