City of Regina Archives Photograph Collection, CORA-RPL-A-134

Title: Commissioner Herchmer
Date: ca. 1890
Retrieval Number: CORA-RPL-A-134
Extent: 1 B&W Print; 10 cm x 13 cm
Scope and Content Note: Commissioner Herchmer of the NWMP
Access Restrictions: None
Photographer: Unknown
Parent fonds/collection: RPL Photograph Collection
Historical Note: Lawrence Herchmer, the commissioner of the NWMP starting in 1886, was not the obvious choice for the job. His wife was the daughter of the former Attorney General of Upper Canada, Henry Sherwood, a prominent member of the Conservative Party of Canada, and her political connections had more to do with his appointment than Herchmer's own qualifications. Herchmer was 46 when he became the commissioner, and he started the job with many political enemies due to the patronage that got him the job in the first place. Herchmer was a strict commissioner who was prone to flares of temper and unreasonable outbursts, unpopular with his men and with members of the general public. He made an instant enemy of Nicholas Flood Davin, publisher of the Regina Leader and local Member of Parliament. Davin used his paper and political position to lambaste Herchmer, declaring him unfit for the job. (Local wags said Davin's grudge was due to a charge Herchmer laid on him for illegal possession of alcohol. Davin had a drinking problem and did not take kindly to the charge.) An inquiry was conducted in 1891- initially at Davin's request but in the end pushed forward by Herchmer's desire to clear his name. Conducted by Justice Wetmore, the inquiry heard 137 charges against Lawrence Herchmer and William Herchmer (Lawrence Herchmer's brother, whom he had appointed as Assistant Commissioner upon his own appointment as commissioner). William Herchmer died before the inquiry could be completed, and all charges against him were dropped. In his report of 1893, Wetmore found that 14 of the charges were justified, 23 others were justified in part, and the rest were dismissed for lack of evidence. Herchmer was not removed from his position, but Wetmore did note that relations between the Commissioner and his men were strained - although he did not place blame for the strain on any specific individual. Herchmer continued to rule the NWMP until the Boer War broke out in 1899. He had asked for leave in order to volunteer for service. Once there he became ill with dysentery. He was removed from his command, officially due to illness, and never got back his former position. He lived for another fifteen years after that incident, but was bitter and angry at the circumstances of his dismissal until he died.