Robert Bond: The Greatest Newfoundlander

by Ted Rowe

The foremost political figure from the years of responsible government in Newfoundland, Robert Bond led a spectacularly successful but often tortured life. Cultured and well-to-do, he tried to play the game of politics like a gentleman, and over a period of 30 years never suffered a defeat at the polls. During his remarkable career, he built a reputation as a statesman, negotiating two trade agreements with the United States and reclaiming Newfoundland's rights to the French Shore. In the dark days following the bank crash of 1894, he personally intervened to save the country from bankruptcy. As prime minister he led a scrupulous and scandal-free administration. In private life, he was a recluse. He idolized his mother, never married, agonized over his health, and suffered a tortured relationship with his mentor William Whiteway. His place of solace was Whitbourne, where he built a magnificent country estate, complete with an elegant manor house, beautiful gardens and a working farm. This carefully researched and engaging biography delves into Bond's life and times, following him from his school days in St. John's and England to his rapid rise in politics in the 1880s and '90s and his time as prime minister in the first decade of the twentieth century. Along the way it reveals Bond's relationship with the unforgettable characters in this formative and turbulent time in Newfoundland politics.

250 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2017

Reviews

[Jim Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not that engaged with politics, but when it comes to history and politics, then my interest is piqued. Ted Rowe writes in a style that makes what could be a dry subject come alive so that the reader is guided through the turmoils of colonial politics in the Gilded Age in Newfoundland. Robert Bond is a man who devoted his life (at the risk of his health) to making Newfoundland great. A must read for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who have an interest in its political history.