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Canadian politician, soldier, educator, journalist and statesman. He was Minister of Militia and Defense (1911–16) and was responsible for moving Canadian troops to Europe at the beginning of World War I (1914–18).

Sir Samuel Hughes was born in Darlington township on the 8th of January in 1853. In 1866 he joined the 45th Regiment and would soon advance to become a Lieutenant in 1873 and eventually a Major-General. After leaving high school at the age of only 16 to pursue becoming a primary school teacher, he later married one of his students, Caroline Preston, in 1872. After Preston's death in 1873 Hughes resumed teaching, eventually marrying again to Mary Emily. The two had a son and two daughters.

In 1885 – 97 he was proprietor and editor of the Warder,  a newspaper in Lindsay. After one unsuccessful attempt, Hughes was elected to the Canadian House of Commons for North Victoria in 1892, sitting until 1921, except during the South African War (1899–1902).

In 1897 he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the 45th Regiment. When the Boer War broke out he had planned to raise troops for duty in South Africa. The plan was thwarted by Army Headquarters in Ottawa. He still managed to get to South Africa and join the British Army fighting the Boers. He proved to be a competent front-line soldier, but his disdain for “inept” British officers and lack of discipline resulted in his dismissal.

He returned to a life of politics. When Borden suffered personal defeat in 1904 Hughes offered him a seat in the House of Commons. This was a favour Borden would never forget.

In 1911 Borden returned to power and Hughes was promoted to Minister of Militia and Defense. Once in power, Hughes strongly opposed Borden's attempts to reform inside civil service and resisted having the Ministry of Finance control the departments spending. His interest in the militia only grew and he worked tirelessly to build it in size and strength, also improving the equipment and weaponry that were all made in Canada.

Hughes became Minister of Militia and Defense in 1911, and, with the outbreak of war in 1914, he proceeded to organize, train, and equip the Canadian Expeditionary Force for service in Europe. He championed Canadian views in the face of critics at home and in Great Britain. He was knighted in 1915. Hughes resigned from office in 1916 after a disagreement with the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Laird Borden.

He also founded the Shell Committee in 1914 to manufacture the incredibly large amount of ammunition needed. Hughes' Shell Committee was creating poorly manufactured ammunition, sometimes painting over cracks in the shells, and was soon replaced by the Imperial Munitions board headed by Joseph Flavelle, a Toronto businessman and self-made billionaire from the exportation of bacon.

Borden was rapidly losing faith in Hughes and was soon trying to restrict his power. Hughes counteracted by going against orders and creating a sub-militia council overseas under his direct control, which Borden found out about in the newspaper, and Hughes finally resigned as the minister of militia on November 11, 1916. His political career continued to decline afterward until his death.

Sam Hughes died from pernicious anaemia in Lindsay, Ontario on August 24th, 1921 with a legacy of controversies behind him.

Although Hughes legacy is mostly a series of controversial decisions his impact is still visible today, for assisting in the development of Canada's industrial revolution with the creation of the Shell Committee, bringing the country into the 20th century, and creating the incredibly large Valcartier camp which is now one of Canada's largest military bases in southern Quebec. His strong faith in Canada is one we should all look up to.

Sir Sam Hughes' Bank Book Union Bank of Canada, Ottawa His signature can be faintly made out on the cover. (Click images to enlarge)