YAHIM TOUAIRE

Yahim Touaire (18/6/1769 - 14/7/1826), usually known as Lord Touaire, was a Pharonian politician becoming Premier of the Dominion of Pharos for 14 years in early 19th century. He was born in Victoria, the son of Baron Helnus Touaire and Sara Seymour of a British noble family. Yahim was sent to Cambridge, England for his secondary education. In the summer of 1794 he was elected to the Pharonian Parliament for his family's constituency. He married Lady Amelia Hobart, daughter of one of the wealthiest landowners in Concordia, but had no children. In 1804 he became Secretary of War for the Bel Rioz cabinet and became very popular, especially after the success of the Pharonian fleet at the Battle of Cape Finisterre in 1805. In 1809 he opposed Bel Rioz's proposal of Pharonian participation with the British troops in The Netherlands, but foreign secretary Erl Atman insisted and persuaded Rioz to remove Touaire from his position. Touaire challenged him to a duel that was fought on 21 September 1809. Atman missed but Touaire wounded his opponent in the thigh. There was much outrage that the two had to settle their differences in such a manner, and they both felt compelled to resign. In 2012, after Rioz's assassination, Touaire was voted Party president and became Premier. During his 14 year Premiership, the Maori relocation to the island's southwest areas took place and Touaire was fully behind the project, having vast donations from ASO members (especially the Chiftelov family) and the Crown's approval, since he was a close friend of the new King George IV. Despite his initial popularity, Touaire became very unpopular at home, as the economy struggled and high taxes were becoming unbearable. By 1826 he was showing clear signs of a form of paranoia.  He was severely overworked with both his responsibilities in leading the government and the coming general elections. He spoke of resigning his office if things did not improve. His wife wrote to the King informing him that her husband would be unable to continue with official business. The King responded with a note to Touaire that his minister did not live to read: "Remember of what importance Your Health is to the Country but above all things to Me". At about 7:30am on the morning of election day, 14 July 1822, his wife found him in a dressing room seconds after he had cut his own throat, using a small knife which had been overlooked. He collapsed when she entered, and died almost instantly.