Samuel Lawrence

Samuel Lawrence (August 16, 1879 – October 25, 1959) was a Canadian politician and trade unionist. He was the first member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and subsequently served as Mayor of Hamilton, Ontario. Lawrence was born in Somerset, England and went to work in a quarry at the age of 12. He became a shop steward in the Operative Stonemasons' Union at the age of 18. He entered politics, running for election in Battersea in London. Known as "Mr. Labour", Sam Lawrence was an alderman, controller, and the Mayor of Hamilton, Ontario from 1944 to 1949. He was also President of the Stone Cutters' Union, Vice-President of the Hamilton Trades and Labour Council, and leader of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) party in the Ontario legislature as well as Ontario CCF president in the early 1940s Early years Born in the Somerset village of Norton-sub-Hamdon to William Lawrence and Ann Geard on 16 August 1879, Sam was the fourth child in a family of 5 boys and 5 girls and he attended school from the age of 3 to 10. His father, who Sam described as a 'radical liberal', was a stonemason, and Sam gave him credit for the position he took in the Labour movement. At the age of 12, Lawrence was working twelve hours a day, from six to six, and was apprenticed to a stonemason at 13. He had served half his time when his father became the foreman at Arundel Castle, the principal seat of the Duke of Norfolk. Lawrence went to London at 17 and joined the Friendly Society of Operative Stonemasons of England, Ireland and Wales in Battersea and was shop steward at the age of 18.