The University of Manitoba campuses are located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. More
Stubbs fonds
Title: Lewis St. George Stubbs fonds.
Dates: 1890-1982.
Extent: 4 m of textual records. -- 13 photographs.
Biographical sketch: Lewis St. George Stubbs was born on June 14, 1878 in the Turks & Caicos Islands, British West Indies. He left Cambridge University, where he was studying to become a medical missionary, to fight in the Boer War between 1900 and 1901. He immigrated to Winnipeg in 1902 and was called to the Manitoba Bar Association in 1906. In 1904, he married Mary Wilcock. In 1908, they moved to Birtle, Manitoba where he practiced law for fourteen years. In 1921, he ran unsuccessfully for the Liberal Party against T.A. Crerar, the leader of the Progressive Party in the federal riding of Marquette. In April 1922, he became the first judicial appointment of the newly appointed Mackenzie King government and moved back to Winnipeg. The MacDonald Will Case in 1929 brought Stubbs notoriety and conflict with his fellow judges and the legal establishment. In the following three years, several complaints of judicial misbehavior were lodged by the Attorney-General of Manitoba with the Department of Justice. In January 1933, a Federal Commission led by Justice Frank Ford staged an inquiry into Stubbs judicial conduct. He was removed from the bench by order-in-council June 1, 1933. A month later, he won the nomination to become the newly-formed Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (C.C.F.) party’s first candidate in a by-election in the riding of Mackenzie in Saskatchewan. He lost the election and returned to the practice of law in Winnipeg. In 1936, Stubbs ran as an independent candidate in the provincial election. On a platform of human rights and social justice and a campaign budget of $200, he swept the polls with the greatest electoral majority ever recorded in the Manitoba legislature. He won re-election in 1941 and 1945. Stubbs was active in many left leaning/united front political organizations. He was the President of the Winnipeg Committee to Aid Spanish Democracy from 1936 to 1939 and President of the local arm of the National Committee for Peace and Democracy from 1938 to 1939. In 1956, Stubbs appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada representing John Tunney in a suit against the Teamsters’ Union. He died in May 1958.
Custodial history: The fonds was donated to University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections by Lewis St. George Stubbs (grandson) and his wife, Lesley E. Sisle,r in the fall of 1996 and in 1997.
Scope and content: The fonds consists of eight series. The first series is biographical information followed by correspondence, the MacDonald Will Case, Ford Commission, Mackenzie by-election, Winnipeg Committee to Aid Spanish Democracy, John Tunney appeal to Supreme Court, and speeches. The second accession (A. 97-69) consists of five series including correspondence, speeches, evidence and briefs, E.J. McMurray material, topics of interest, and materials from other people.
Restrictions: There are no restrictions on this material.
Accruals: Further accruals are expected.
Finding aid: A printed finding aid is available in the Archives reading room and an on-line finding aid is available at the link below:
MSS 188, PC 180 (A.96-94, A.97-69).
Digitized Material