Francis Stillman Barnard

Who was Francis Stillman Barnard?

Sir Francis Stillman Barnard, KCMG was a Canadian parliamentarian and the tenth Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. Barnard is often referred to as Frank Barnard, as was his father Francis Jones Barnard, who as the founder of Barnard's Express, was one of BC's more notable pioneer entrepreneurs.

Stillman was born on May 16, 1856, in Toronto, Ontario, and in 1860 was moved with his mother to Victoria, BC, where his father had preceded them by a year. He attended the Collegiate School in Victoria from 1866 to 1870 and was sent to Hellmuth College in London, Ontario, to continue his education. In 1873 he returned to British Columbia and assisted his father in the operation of the family business, the B.C. Express Company a.k.a. Barnard's Express. In 1880 he was appointed him manager of the company when his father's health turned for the worse. He continued in this position he continued until 1888, when he resigned to successfully run for the Cariboo seat in the House of Commons. Politically he was labelled a "liberal conservative" and was an ardent supporter of John A. Macdonald, and campaigned and worked actively for the rapid settlement and development of the province.