Lemuel John Tweedie (November 30, 1849 – July 15, 1917) was a Canadian politician.

Lemuel John Tweedie
Tweedie in 1909
10th Premier of New Brunswick
In office
August 31, 1900 – March 6, 1907
MonarchsVictoria
Edward VII
Lieutenant GovernorAbner Reid McClelan
Jabez Bunting Snowball
Himself
Preceded byHenry Robert Emmerson
Succeeded byWilliam Pugsley
12th Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick
In office
March 6, 1907 – March 6, 1912
MonarchsEdward VII
George V
Governors GeneralThe Earl Grey
The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
PremierWilliam Pugsley
Clifford W. Robinson
J. Douglas Hazen
James K. Flemming
Preceded byJabez Bunting Snowball
Succeeded byJosiah Wood
MLA for Northumberland
In office
June 13, 1874 – June 8, 1878
Preceded byMichael Adams
Succeeded byThomas F. Gillespie
In office
April 26, 1886 – March 6, 1907
Preceded byThomas F. Gillespie
Succeeded byDaniel P. McLachlan
Personal details
Born(1849-11-30)November 30, 1849
Chatham, New Brunswick, Canada
DiedJuly 15, 1917(1917-07-15) (aged 67)
Chatham, New Brunswick, Canada
Political partyLiberal
Spouse
Agnes Loudoun
(m. 1876)
Children4 sons and 2 daughters
Alma materPresbyterian Academy
OccupationLawyer
ProfessionPolitician

His law partner in Chatham, New Brunswick for a time was Richard Bedford Bennett, later Prime Minister of Canada; and for a time Max Aitken was his office boy.

A former supporter of the federal Conservatives, he joined the Liberal Cabinet of New Brunswick Premier Andrew George Blair serving as Surveyor-General and Provincial Secretary in successive Liberal governments. Tweedie became the tenth premier of New Brunswick in 1900 and led the party to a large majority government in the 1903 election.

Tweedie's government allowed women to be admitted to the practice of law in 1906 and supported the development of hydroelectric power at Grand Falls. He also created a Workers' Compensation board and successfully lobbied the federal government to increase subsidies to the province including payment for railway expansion. He led the government for seven years before becoming the 12th Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, holding that position until 1912.

A supporter of educational institutions, Tweedie personally donated academic prizes for students. He served on the Board of Governors of the University of New Brunswick, Mount Allison University, plus the Halifax School for the Blind.

Lemuel Tweedie died in 1917 at age sixty-seven in his home town of Chatham[1] and was buried in the Riverside Cemetery. His son Frederick served as a member of the provincial assembly.

References

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  1. ^ "Ex-Lieutenant Governor New Brunswick Dead". The Ottawa Journal. 16 Jul 1917. p. 1. Retrieved 24 December 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
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