John Hume Agnew

Who was John Hume Agnew?

John Hume Agnew was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1903 until his death as a member of the Conservative Party, and was a prominent cabinet minister in the government of Rodmond Palen Roblin.

Agnew was born in Prince Albert, Ontario County, Canada West, the son of Dr. Niven Agnew and Jane Somerville Ross, and was educated at Upper Canada College. Agnew moved to Winnipeg with his family in 1879; he studied law, articling with James Albert Manning Aikins, and was called to the Manitoba bar in 1884. He practised law in Virden, Manitoba. In 1888, he married Anna M. Dickson. Agnew was a school trustee in Virden for over ten years, and was a town councillor for two. In religion, he was a member of the Church of England.

He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1903 provincial election, defeating Liberal candidate F.W. Clinigan by 25 votes in the Virden constituency. He was appointed to Roblin's cabinet on March 2, 1904 as Provincial Treasurer.