Amor de Cosmos
1825-1897
Journalist, politician and social reformer.
Born William Alexander Smith in Nova Scotia, he travelled to California where in 1852 he changed his name to "Amor de Cosmos." The name meant, he said, "lover of the universe."
He arrived in Victoria, British Columbia in 1858. He founded a newspaper, the British Colonist, and was elected to the colonial legislature. He was strong advocate of free non-denominational schools and was instrumental in framing the 1865 Common Schools Act.
He served as premier of British Columbia from 1872-1874 and represented Victoria in the federal House of Commons from 1871 to 1882.