Born:
December 27, 1838 – August 21, 1910

Call Year:
1867

Distinguished as:
Mayor of Hamilton from 1877-1878

Biography:

Frances Edwin Kilvert was the son of Richard Kilvert. After attending Cobourg Grammar School, he studied law for several years in the office of Chief Justice Armour. Moving to Hamilton in 1865, he entered a partnership with Richard Thomson; he was called to the bar two years later. Later partners were R. Duggan and Sanford Dennis Biggar (DHB II). After becoming district manager of Canadian Bank of Commerce, he entered Hamilton politics and served as an alderman 1874-6 and mayor in 1877 and 1878.

When Sir John A. Macdonald swept back into power in 1878, Kilvert was elected as Conservative member for Hamilton. He was re-elected in 1882 and sat until 1887 election, when he was not a candidate. He received a position as a collector of customs for Hamilton. The Toronto Globe railed against this patronage appointment and accused him of obtaining, for two prominent Hamilton Tories, fifty square miles of prime timber land at Keewatin.

From his home, at 116 Aberdeen Avenue, Kilvert continued his interest in community activities. He served for many years as church warden of the Anglican Church and later was a member of St. Luke’s Church, Burlington. He was a member of the Scottish rite and for summer recreation took delight in his Hamilton Bay sailboat, ‘psyche.’ His daughter was Mrs. F.K. Baldwin; his sons were B.C., Francis Edwin, Jr, H.B., and R.Y.

Source: "Kilvert, Francis Edwin.," Dictionary of Hamilton Biography, Volume II (1876-1924) pg 84.