Background
He was born near Williamstown, Upper Canada, the son of John Drew and Margaret McKay, and was educated there and in Cornwall.
He was born near Williamstown, Upper Canada, the son of John Drew and Margaret McKay, and was educated there and in Cornwall.
Drew studied law with John Sandfield Macdonald in Cornwall, was called to the bar in 1854 and set up practice in Elora.
He represented Wellington North in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal-Conservative member from 1867 to 1872 and from 1878 to 1882. Drew was named Queen"s Counsel in 1872. Drew ran unsuccessfully against Nathaniel Higinbotham for the federal seat in 1872, 1874 and 1875 before defeating him in 1878.
In 1882, he was named judge for Wellington County.
Later that same year, he was named judge in the High Court of Justice for Ontario. Drew died while still a judge at the age of 65.
The community of Drew in Minto Township was named after him.