Owen Hughes

Background

Owen Hughes was born in London, England in 1848. Hughes and his brother were sent to school in France following the death of his father around 1852.

Career

After finishing school in France, he moved to Germany to attend university at either Heidelberg or Hannover. According to Hughes, he joined the German Army sometime between 1864 and 1866 and was still enlisted in 1870 at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian war. Hughes then moved to the Northwest Territories as an employee of Kew Stobart and Company and worked in Nelson River from 1873-1874 and in The Pas in 1875.

In 1876, Stobard retired from Duck Lake and Hughes was appointed head of their fur trade business.

In 1879, four militia companies were organized in the Prince Albert area and he was appointed the captain of the Duck Lake company that consisted mainly of Metis from the Duck Lake, Batoche and Saint Laurent. Gabriel Dumont was one of his two lieutenants.

The militia units were disbanded in 1884 only sightly prior to the North-West Resistance. After Dumont"s victory at Duck Lake, Hughes is reported to have said to Middleton, "Gabriel Dumont, my lieutenant, and my half-breeds who have just driven your army back.

Great Scot, had I been there to lead them, we"d have driven you out of the country." Despite the fact that many of his friends fought with Riel, Hughes fought on the Federal Government side, was present at the Battle of Battoche and accompanied Middleton"s men aboard the Northcoate.

Hughes is listed as a witness to the signing of Treaty 5 at Norway House in 1875. In 1876, Hughes was appointed as a Senior Magistrate of the District of Keewatin and of the Northwest Territories in 1878. He also served as Sheriff of the District of Saskatchewan from 1887 to 1899.

Hughes was first elected to the Northwest Territories Legislature in the 1885 Northwest Territories election.

Hughes ran for re-election in the Prince Albert electoral district in the 1888 Northwest Territories general election. The electoral district was mandated to return two members to the assembly in that election.

He was defeated by William Plaxton and John Felton Betts finishing third place in a field of three candidates. They had two sons.

Achievements

• He defeated candidate Andrew Porter by eight votes to win the Lorne electoral district and his first term in office.

Membership

He served as a Member of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly from 1885 until 1888. In 1881, Hughes married Isabella Inkster, a member of a prominent Anglo-Metis family in Winnipeg.