Biographies of Members of the Legislative Assembly
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- Arthur Joseph MacDonald
- MACDONALD, ARTHUR JOSEPH. farmer; b. 24 August 1931 in Little Pond, son of Vincent A. Mac Donald and Jessie Anne Nickerson; m. 15 January 1958 Mary Ellen Walker, and they had seven children, Wendy Anne, Mary Delores, Paul Angus, Joan Marie, Verna Claire, Kimberley Ellen, and Janine Teresa; Roman Catholic. MacDonald, a Liberal, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1962 for 5th Kings. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1970, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1982, and 1986. He was defeated in the general election of 1966. Appointed Deputy Speaker on 24 January 1973, he served in this capacity until 18 September 1978. On 9 June 1986, MacDonald was again appointed Deputy Speaker. He held the positions of Minister of Tourism, Parks and Conservation, and Minister of Environment from 18 September 1978 to 3 May 1979. During his lengthy political career, MacDonald served as Provincial Secretary and acting Minister of Highways. He resigned on 7 January 1988 to become Chair of the Workers Compensation Board where he remained for approximately 10 years. MacDonald resides in Little Pond where he farmed for a living. He attended school in Little Pond and St. Peters. From 1947 to 1951, MacDonald studied at St. Dunstan’s University. He was a volunteer within his community, and was a member of the Dundas Lions Club, where he served as King Lion, and the Knights of Columbus, where he served as Grand Knight from 1972 to 1974, and again from 1984 to 1985. Arthur Macdonald is currently retired and lives with his wife in Little Pond. “Ellie” MacDonald was the daughter of Peter Walker and Margaret Morrison of St. Georges., CPG 1967, 1988, 1989; WWPEI p. 78; Questionnaire to Former MLAs.
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- Arthur Peters
- PETERS, Q.C., ARTHUR, lawyer; b. 29 August 1854 in Charlottetown, son of James Horsfield Peters of New Brunswick and Mary Cunard of Halifax; m. 25 September 1884 Amelia Jane Stewart, and they had four children, Catherine, James, Arthur Gordon, and Margaret Allison; Anglican; d. 29 January 1908 in Charlottetown. Peters, a Liberal, was first elected to the House of Assembly in the 1890 general election for 2nd Kings. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1893. He was reelected in the general elections of 1897, 1900, and 1904. In the 1904 general election, Peters and his opponent, Harry D. McEwen, received an equal number of votes. A by-election was called in 1905 to resolve the impasse and Peters was elected by acclamation. He was appointed Attorney-General in 1900 and held that post until 1901. Chosen as party leader in 1901, Peters became premier in December 1901 and served until 1908. He led the Liberals to victory in the 1904 general election. As was the case for many of the premiers who preceded him, Peters’ term was marked by the dominant themes of post-Confederation Prince Edward Island: representation in the House of Commons, the inadequate subsidy from the federal government, and the quality of winter communication between the Island and the mainland. On the representation question, he argued that the province, because of its smallness, should be entitled to more seats than provided for in the British North America Act. At this time, the province had four seats in the House of Commons, while at the time of Confederation it had six. A resolution to the question eluded Premier Peters, but he continuously and forcefully made the Island’s case to Ottawa. The level of subsidy from Ottawa was a nagging concern for Peters. Since entering Confederation in 1873, the province had struggled to raise sufficient revenue to provide government services to Islanders. Continually the federal government had been urged to increase its subsidy to ensure the province stayed solvent. In 1906, at the federal-provincial conference, Peters and the other premiers made some progress in this area, but it was not until February 1908, shortly after his death, that an increase in the subsidy to the province was officially announced. Peters also took on the challenge of improving travel to the mainland. Although the Island population was increasingly in favour of building a tunnel below the Northumberland Strait, his attention focused on urging the federal government to improve the ferry service. On 30 April 1903, following another bad winter, Peters’ Administration demanded a third and more efficient steamer, as the Min to and the Stanley were frequently stuck in ice. After his death, the federal government responded to the province’s demand and Premier Peters’ urging. In 1909 the Earl Grey, a much more powerful steamer than the Stanley and the Minto, was put in service and helped to defuse the campaign for the construction of the tunnel. Peters’ brother Frederick* served as premier from 1891 until 1897. He won two electoral victories as leader, including the 1897 general election. Peters was born in Charlottetown and lived at Elmwood, a house which still stands within the older section of Brighton. During his childhood, he was educated in Charlottetown by private tutors. Later he attended Prince of Wales College, and King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he obtained an Arts degree. After a period in the law office of Edward Jarvis Hodgson in Charlottetown, Peters read law in England, working with the esteemed instructor G. Brough Allen, and later Richard Everard Webster. He returned to the Island and was called to the Bar in 1878. A year later, he was admitted to the Bar in England. Following his return from Great Britain, ca. 1887, he joined his brother Frederick in law practice in Charlottetown. He became a partner in Peters, Peters and Ings. At some point, Albert Saunders*, another future premier, articled with this firm. Peters was designated Queen’s Counsel in 1898. Arthur Peters died 29 January 1908. Amelia Peters was the daughter of Charles Stewart, a former Member of the House of Assembly for 2nd Kings. She was born 11 June 1857 and died 12 May 1913. Peters’ father was a provincial Supreme Court Judge. Peters’ mother was the daughter of Sir Samuel Cunard, founder of the Cunard Steamship Line., CPG 1908. DCBX 111 pp. 834-36; Elections PEI; MacDonald If You're Stronghearted pp. 40-41; Premier’s Gallery; Daily Examiner 25 September 1884; Daily Patriot 30 January 1908; PARO: MNI-Census 1891; Peter’s Anglican Cathedral Cemetery Records.
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- Aubin Edmond Arsenault
- ARSENAULT, LL.D., M.A., HONOURABLE AUBIN EDMOND. teacher, lawyer, and judge; b. 28 July 1870 in Abrams Village, son of Joseph Octave Arsenault* and Gertrude Gaudet; m. firstly Anita, native of Ireland, marriage annulled; m. second 5 November 1907 Bertha Rose Gallant and they had 11 children, Iphigenie, Cyril, Catherine, Regis, Valerie, Marie, Laure-Jeanne, Patricia, Felice, Paula, and Lois; Roman Catholic; d. 27 April 1968 in Charlottetown. Arsenault, a Conservative, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1908 for 3,d Prince. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1912, 1915, and 1919. In January 1912 he was appointed to Executive Council as a Minister without Portfolio. Upon the resignation of Premier John A. Mathieson* in 1917, Arsenault became Premier and Attorney-General. In the 1919 general election, the Conservatives were defeated, yet Arsenault remained Leader of the Opposition until his appointment to the Prince Edward Island Supreme Court in 1921. In 1906 Arsenault was elected to the Summerside town council, and, while councillor, helped launch a campaign for the advocacy of sewage and water systems. In September 1919, Premier Arsenault pas ed an Order-in-Council which enabled motor vehicles to use Island roads on all days ot the week, subject only to the restrictions of the Motor Vehicle Act. Earlier in his political career, in 1909, Arsenault was one of only three Members to vote against a bill to prohibit automobiles from running on 'he streets and public highways. Prohibition had begun in the province more than 20 years previous to Arsenault becoming premier. Though privately opposed to Prohibition, rather than advocate his own view regarding the consumption of alcohol, Arsenault amended Prohibition legislation to provide for a plebiscite to ascertain the will of Islanders in regard to the continuance of the Prohibition Act. He was defeated before the plebiscite could be held. The Conservative loss in the 1919 general election came about partly due, according to the Canadian Annual Review, to Arsenault's supposed favouritism toward fellow' Roman Catholics and the negative feelings this generated in Protestants. In his memoirs, Arsenault indicated that the defeat was more likely due to his advocacy of a uniform education tax. According to Edward MacDonald’s It You're Stronghearted, there was general discontent in the Island populace at the time, in part due to high inflation, and the Arsenault Administration became a victim of this popular dissatisfaction. Arsenault’s father, initially a Liberal and later a Conservative, was a Member of the House of Assembly from 1867 to 1895 for 3rd Prince, served on Executive Council, and was the first Island Acadian to be appointed to the Senate. One of Arsenault’s brothers, Joseph Felix*, represented 3,d Prince from 1897 to 1904, when he was defeated by Joseph F. H. Arsenault*. Arsenault received his education in Abrams Village. In 1885 he entered St. Dunstan’s College and obtained a second class teaching license, going on to teach for two years at a country school and one year at St. Joseph’s College. Subsequently Arsenault returned to St. Dunstan’s College for one year, following which he articled at the law firm of McLeod, Morson and McQuarrie — Neil McLeod* and Walter Morson were also politicians — for four years, and was admitted to the Bar as an attorney. The next year he went to London, England, to article with the Honourable Charles Russell. When these studies were completed, Arsenault returned to Charlottetown and started a law firm there in association with H. R MacKenzie. After some months he moved to Summerside and continued in private practice tor one year. He then entered into a partnership with Neil McQuarrie. He served as a director of the Canadian Bar Association. On 1 May 1921, Arsenault was named the successor to Justice Fitzgerald, Associate Judge of the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island, and he served on the bench for 25 years. Outside of his legal and political careers, Arsenault had numerous interests. He was the first director of the Prince Edward Island Travel Bureau, a director of the Good Roads Association, a director and executive member of the Canadian Geographical Society, president of the Canadian Association of Tourist and Publicity Bureau, and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts in England. In the early 1920s, he accepted the position of president of the Prince Edward Island Tourist Association. On 16 February 1929, Arsenault prepared and presented a brief to Sir Henry Thorton of Canadian National Railway. He was part of a delegation sent by the Island Tourist Bureau and the Charlottetown Board of Trade. The brief urged Canadian National Railway to build a first-class hotel in Charlottetown. The company voted to assign Si million to the project. Additionally, Arsenault was president of the Acadian National Society of the Maritime Provinces, and one of the founders of the Societe Saint- Thomas-d Aquin. He was awarded a Doctor of Laws degree from Laval University and St. Dunstan’s University, and a Master of Arts degree from St. Joseph's University. Arsenault was a trustee of the Lady Wood Fund, a trust fund to be used for the benefit of aboriginal peoples, for over 20 years, beginning in 1931. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and achieved the rank of 4,h degree Knight. Aubin Arsenault died 27 April 1968. On 15 March 2001, the provincial government named Charlottetown’s refurbished Nurses Residence, home of the Public Education Branch of the Department of Education, the Aubin Arsenault Building. , Acadiens pp. 84-85; Arsenault. Aubin; CPG 1910 p. 43b; DCB XII 1891-1900 p. 39; MacDonald Stronghearted pp. 112, 138-39; PPMP p. 13; WWC 1943-1944 pp. 16. 916; Guardian 29 April |9b8. 28 July 1973, 15 March 2001; Journal-Pioneer 23 and 27 September 2000; Patriot 30 June 1941; PARO: RG 6.1 Series 19. Bar Admittances 31.
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- Augustine Adolphus MacDonald
- MACDONALD, O.C., M.D., (C.M.), LLD., AUGUSTINE A., physician; b. 7 February 1876 in St. Andrew’s, son of Joseph MacDonald and Catherine MacDonald; m. first 3 February 1904 Estelle Lachance of Ganonoque, Quebec, and there were no children; m. secondly Laura Adeline Curly, and there were no children; Roman Catholic; d. 14 January 1970 in Souris. MacDonald, a Conservative, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1915 for 1st Kings. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1923, 1927, and 1931. He was defeated in the general election of 1919. MacDonald served as Speaker from 1931 to 1935. In 1939 he was defeated in the federal election for the riding of King’s. As a boy, “Gus” MacDonald lived with his uncle. Father Donald MacDonald, the local parish priest in Souris. He attended Agriculture Hall, a school attached to St. Mary’s Convent. MacDonald graduated from St. Dunstan’s College in 1895 and worked as a school teacher for several years before entering medical school. He received his medical degree from McGill in 1902. After spending a year in Boston and another year in Mount Stewart, he returned to Souris where he set up a medical practice in 1904. Dr. “Gus”, as he was affectionately known to his patients, is sometimes credited with the introduction of sulfa drugs to the province in 1939. He delivered most of the babies in his district and performed kitchen table surgery. His pay would often be a bag of potatoes or a chicken. In the Legislature he spoke out against the ban on automobiles and in favour of voting rights for women. MacDonald served as president of the Souris St. Andrew’s Society. In 1968 Governor General Roland Michener made a special trip to Souris to invest him into the Order of Canada, the first Islander given this honour. MacDonald loved music and singing, and for many years directed the St. Mary’s Church choir. He was made an honourary member of the Canadian College of General Practitioners the year it was created. Augustine MacDonald died 14 January 1970 at the Souris Hospital. Estelle MacDonald, the daughter of F. X. Lachance, died of rheumatic fever a few years into the marriage. Laura MacDonald, the daughter of Selvanus Campbell and Jessie Steel, was born 29 December 1878 and died in 1955 in Souris., Arrival of the first Scottish Catholic Emigrants; CPG 1916, 1921, 1928, 1932; Past and Present p. 604; Island Magazine, Fall/Winter 1997; PARO: Baptism. St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church book I. p. 281; Census 1901; MNI-Cemetery Transcripts.
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- Augustine Colin MacDonald
- MACDONALD, HONOURABLE AUGUSTINE COLIN, merchant; b. 30 June 1837 at Panmure, son of Hugh Macdonald and Catherine Macdonald; m. 27 June 1865 Mary Elizabeth MacDonald, and they had six children, M. Josephine, W. Jane, S. Francis, C. Helena, A. Florence, and A. J. Louis; Roman Catholic; d. 16 July 1919 in Charlottetown. Macdonald, a Conservative, was first elected to the House of Assembly in the 1870 general election for 3rd Kings. He was re-elected in the general election of 1873. In September of that year he resigned from the Assembly to run successfully in the special federal election in the riding of King’s. He was re-elected in the federal elections of 1878, 1882, 1891, and 1896, and defeated in the federal elections of 1874, 1887, and 1900. On 2 June 1915, Macdonald was appointed Lieutenant-Governor for the province. His nephew, Aeneas MacDonald”, served as his Private Secretary. Macdonald came from a family of merchants and politicians. They were considered to be a Prince Edward Island Scots Catholic aristocracy due to their relative affluence, political involvement, and ancestry. Their status was due to their dominance of the political and economic life of central Kings County for over a century. In 1830 Macdonald’s father Hugh Macdonald and uncle Angus Macdonald were elected to the House of Assembly. The brothers were among the first Catholic members of the Island Legislature. Macdonald’s brother Andrew Archibald was a Father of Confederation, a member of Executive Council, and Lieutenant-Governor, as well as a member of the Legislative Council and a Member of the Flouse of Assembly. Another brother, Archibald John”, was also a Member of the House of Assembly, later of the Legislative Assembly, and a member of Executive Council. Macdonald’s early education was at Georgetown Grammar School and Central Academy, following which he became a merchant at Montague Bridge, and a partner in the firm of A. A. Macdonald and Brothers shortly after its founding in 1851. The firm, originally owned by his brother Andrew, shipped grain, potatoes, and lumber to New England, Newfoundland, and Great Britain, and imported manufactured goods for sale in their Georgetown and Montague Bridge stores.A. A. Macdonald and Brothers was also involved in the shipbuilding industry. In the 1860s and 1870s, the firm became involved in the Gulf of St. Lawrence mackerel fishery. Beyond his political and professional life, Macdonald served as a local commissioner of the Exhibition of Local Industry for Prince Edward Island, and was a captain in a local militia. For a large part of his life Macdonald lived in Panmure Island and Montague Bridge before moving to Charlottetown in 1915 to serve as Lieutenant-Governor. He died 16 July 1919 while still in office. Mary Macdonald was born ca. 1844 to John Small MacDonald and Isabella MacDonald. Her father served in the provincial Legislature and on Executive Council., CCB p. 354; CDP p. 396; CPG 1878, 1916; DCB XIV 1911-1920 pp. 682-85; Daily Examiner 17 December 1902; Examiner 22 January 1849; Islander 8 January 1847; PARO: RG 19 Vital Statistics series 3 subseries 1. Marriage Records, vol. 2 1855-1865; RG 19 Vital Statistics series 3 subseries 3, Marriage Register, vol. 6 1862-1867; Accession 3043; MNI-Census 1861, 1891; MNI-Hutchinson’s p. 102.
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- Augustus Edward Crevier Holland
- HOLLAND, AUGUSTUS EDWARD CREVIER, justice of the peace and farmer; b. 1824, in Tryon, son of Frederick B. Holland and Elizabeth Grathay; m. first 9 June 1858 Mary Conroy, and there were no children; m. secondly 1 October 1879 Emma Parker, and there were no children; m. thirdly 2 July 1898 Annie Page of Bedford, Nova Scotia, and there were no children; Presbyterian; d. 1919. Holland, a Conservative, was first elected to the House of Assembly in the 1873 general election for 4th Prince. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1879 and 1883. He was defeated in the general election of 1879. In 1873 Holland was appointed a member of the Board of Works. Fie was best-known in the House of Assembly for supporting Cornelius Howatt* in April 1873 by seconding a motion to refuse the terms of admission into Union with the Dominion of Canada. The motion was defeated by a margin of 24 to 2. He testified as a landlord before the Land Commission in 1860, believing that under the landlord system in existence at the time, Islanders lived a life of plenty and prosperity, and that the landlords were benevolent. A. E. C. Holland received his education in Tryon. For a time he lived in Searletown with his first wife, Mary, on a property called Holland Grove, named for the famous estate of the same name in Charlottetown where Holland’s uncle, Carl John Frederick Holland, had lived. A. E. C. Holland died in 1919. Holland’s grandfather, the Major Honourable Samuel Holland, RA., was for many years Surveyor General of the province, and he established the system of lots on Prince Edward Island. He also served as a member of the Legislative Council and the Executive Council. Major Holland was present with General Wolfe at the battles of Louisbourg and Quebec., CPG 1876; Leard pp. 66. 68, 99; Past and Present pp. 689-92; Examiner 4 October 1879 p. 2; Islander 18 June 1858; PARO: RG 19 series 3 subseries 4 Marriage Licenses; MNI-Hutchinson’s p. 251.
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- Austin L. Fraser
- FRASER AUSTIN LEVI, teacher, lawyer, and judge; b. 17 March 1868 in Vernon River, son of Edward Fraser and Flora Fraser; m. 25 June 1901 Maud A. Moar, and they had five children, George E., Henry Irving, Vernon, Mildred F., and one other son; Roman Catholic; d. 22 April 1946 in Souris. Fraser, a Conservative, was elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1904 for 1,! Kings. He resigned his seat in September 1908 to successfully run in the federal election of that year for the riding of King’s. He was defeated in the 1911 federal election. Fraser attended Prince ofWales College and later St. Dunstan’s College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts. After graduation he taught school for several years. Following his time in the classroom, Fraser studied law with the partnership of Gaudet and Haszard; Francis L. Haszard* was premier from 1908 to 1911. He was admitted to the Bar on 6 November 1900. Fraser and his wife resided in Souris immediately following their marriage, where he worked as a lawyer. Following his political career, he was appointed Judge of the Kings County Court. Austin Fraser died 22 April 1946, about four years after retiring from the Bench. Maud Fraser, the daughter of George Moar of Georgetown, died 30 May 1949., CDP p. 215; CPG 1908, 1910; Elections PEI; Charlottetown Patriot 23 April 194b; Guardian 26 June 1901; PARO: 1901 Census; Souris Si. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church Records.
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- Barry Roy Clark
- CLARK, M.Th., BARRY ROY, college instructor, youth director, teacher, minister, and counsellor; b. 5 July 1948 in Charlottetown, son of Roy Leard Clark and Irene Blanche MacPherson; m. 20 August 1973 Judith Ann Kerrick, and they have three children, Amie Charissa, Jeremy Roy “Jay,” and Ashley; Church of Christ. Clark, a Conservative, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1978 for 6th Queens. He was re-elected in the general election of 1979. He was defeated in the general election of 1982. On 3 May 1979, Clark was appointed as a Minister without Portfolio and Minister Responsible for the Housing Corporation. On 1 April 1980, he was named Minister of Tourism, Industry and Energy. Clark was the first ordained person appointed to the provincial Cabinet, and one of the first two members of the clergy elected to the Legislature. He made two unsuccessful bids for the leadership of the Conservative party, the first in 1981 and the second in 1990. Clark received his primary education at Sherwood School. At the age of 14, he worked in the sports department of Canadian Tire. The following year he travelled to Banff, Alberta, to obtain employment. The next summer he fished lobster in Murray Harbour. Clark attended Prince of Wiles College and Maritime Christian College, and from 1968 to 1969 Lincoln Christian College. In 1970 he graduated from the University of Prince Edward Island with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. That same year, Clark graduated from Maritime Christian College and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Theology. From 1971 to 1974, Clark ministered at the Metro Toronto Church. On 26 August 1973 he was ordained at the Sherwood Church of Christ. Following the ordination he moved to Toronto to minister at Keele Street Church, located in the city’s west end. Clark obtained a Master’s degree in counselling, and a diploma in practical theology from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. For one year he taught at Montague High School. His ministries have included a year as Youth Minister at the Tinley Park Church of Christ in Chicago, a year at the Montague Church of Christ, a summer at the Central Christian Church in Charlottetown, and supply preaching at the Fredericton and Glasgow churches. While in Edinburgh, Clark served as assistant minister at the Liberton Kirk of the Church of Scotland. In 1974 he was the Red Cross Youth Director for the province. Clark worked as a community development facilitator and business instructor at the Leadership Institute of Holland College. For a period of time he operated the Shining Waters Lodge in Cavendish. Clark was the minister at New Glasgow Church of Christ. For five years he did missionary work in Thailand, returning to Prince Edward Island in the middle of 2001. Clark now' resides in New Glasgow and is working as a counsellor. Judith Clark is the daughter of Merrit Kerrick of Elizabethtown, Kentucky., CPG 1981. 1982-1983; PEI Cabinet Biographic Summary 1980. Guardian 23 August 1973, 8 April 1978, 16 April 1979, 22 October I^Sl, 8 October 1985. 8 April 1989, 7 September 1990; 21 October 2002; Journal-Pioneer 5 November 1981; UPEI: Robertson Library: PEI Collection.
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- Barry W. Hicken
- HICKEN, BARRY W„ farmer and mechanic; b. 8 August 1946 in Pembroke, son of Harold M. Hicken and Reta Irving; m. 25 November 1972 Louise Alice McHerron, and they had two children, Charlene Dawn and Jason Barry; Presbyterian. Hicken, a Liberal, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1986 for 5th Kings. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1989 and 1993. He was defeated in the general election of 1982. He was defeated in the general election of 1996, in the new electoral district of Murray River-Gaspereaux. On 22 February 1988, Hicken was appointed Deputy Speaker. He held the positions of Minister of Energy and Forestry and Minister Responsible for the Energy Corporation from 1989 to 1991. On 14 November 1991, Hicken was appointed Minister of Community and Cultural Af fairs and Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. In January 1993 he was appointed Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs. He served in these Ministries until April 1993. On 15 April 1993, he was named Minister of Environmental Resources. Hicken served on numerous legislative committees, including agriculture, energy and forestry, fisheries, industry, tourism, and labour. He also chaired several committees, including the Special Committee on Legislative Proposals, the Special Committee on the Meech Lake Accord, and the Special Committee on the Constitution of Canada. Flicken received his early education at the Pembroke School. Later he attended Montague Regional High School and Holland College. Hicken worked as a mechanic at Wendell Graham Limited from 1980 to 1986. He is a farmer in the Gaspereaux area. Hicken is a member of St. Andrew’s Masonic Lodge in Montague and the Murray Harbour North Presbyterian Church. Barry Hicken and his wife live in Gaspereaux. Louise Hicken is the daughter of Lawrence and Cephenia McHerron., CPG 1996. 1997; WWPEI p. 58; Guardian 18 October 1996; Questionnaire to Former MLAs.
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- Benjamin Davies
- DAVIES, BENJAMIN. merchant, postmaster-general, chairman of the Railway Board, and paymaster of the railway; b. 1813, in Charlottetown, son of Nathan Davies, who emigrated from southern Wales in 1812, and Amelia MacNutt; m. first 2 January 1843 Kezia Attwood Watts, and they had four children, Robert Watts, Louis Henry”, Benjamin, and Sarah Amelia; m. secondly 18 May 1854 Eliza Frances Townsend Cooke, previously married to Thomas Cooke, M.D., and they had two children, William Lord and Daniel; m, thirdly Mrs. Beal of Tenby, Wales, and there were no children; Anglican; d. September 1904, in Charlottetown. Davies, a Liberal, was first elected to the House of Assembly in 1850 for 4th Queens. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1867, 1870, 1872, and 1873. He was defeated in the general election of 1855. While in the House of Assembly, he served on Executive Council. During his time in the Assembly, Davies was particularly concerned with the Land Question, and was an advocate of enabling the tenantry to take ownership from the absentee proprietors. H is second son, Louis Henry, would later argue the tenants’ case successfully before the Royal Land Commission in 1875 and 1876. Davies and his son Louis served in the House concurrently from 1872 to 1875. Davies lived in Charlottetown. He was a merchant and for many years owned B. Davies and Company. He operated shipbuilding yards in Orwell and Rollo Bay and was a ship owner and exporter. Davies had a number of public responsibilities, including serving as a Fire Commissioner in 1843 and councillor for Ward 1 following the incorporation of Charlottetown in 1855. In 1858 Davies was appointed Postmaster-General and served as a justice of the Peace ca. 1864. In 1869 he became Colonial Secretary. From 1872 to 1873, Davies was chairman of the Railway Board, and later Paymaster of the Railway until 1889. Davies was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the 1st Queen’s Calvary Troop and a Militia Officer of the Old Brigade of Charlottetown. His agricultural interests included membership in the Royal Agricultural Society. In the winter of 1904, Davies became ill. Later that year, he died in Charlottetown. Kezia Davies, daughter of Samuel Watts of St. Andrew’s, New Brunswick, died in 1853 as a result of burns suffered in a kitchen accident. Eliza Davies was the daughter of Cecil Townsend and Eliza Lea of Charlottetown. Eliza Davies’ died on 29 September 1889., CPG 1874, 1876; Meacham's Atlas; Standard Dictionary pp. 143-46. Memories of Long Ago p. 7; Charlottetown Herald 21 September 1904; Colonial Herald 25 April 1840, 7 January 1843, 14 January 1843, 29 July 1843; Constitutionalist 16 May 1840; Islander 8 January 1847, 26 May 1854; Royal Gazette 25 June 1839. I November 1852; PARO: Davies Family File; MNl-Hutchinson’s; MNI-Ccnsus 1848; MNI-Charlottetown Manuscripts p. 34; MNI-St. Paul’s Anglican Church records; MNl-Sherwood Cemetery Records.
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- Benjamin Earle MacDonald
- MACDONALD, BENJAMIN EARLE, accountant and grocer; b. 27 January 1907 in Covehead, son of Peter J. MacDonald and Ethel Birt; m. 31 July 1928 Jean Bell MacLean, and they had one child, Jean Beryl; Presbyterian; d. 17 July 1965 in Charlottetown. MacDonald, a Liberal, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1951 for 5th Queens. He was re-elected in the general election of 1955. He was defeated in the general election of 1959. MacDonald was appointed Minister of Health and Welfare in the government of Alexander W. Matheson* in 1953. On 16 June 1955, he was appointed Provincial Secretary and Treasurer. Before entering provincial politics, MacDonald served on the Charlottetown City Council from 1940 to 1946, and during this time chaired both the tire and finance committees. In 1946, at the age of 33, MacDonald was elected Mayor. At that time, he was the second-youngest person to hold the office of Mayor of Charlottetown. MacDonald held the position of Mayor until 1951 when he offered himself as a candidate in that year’s provincial general election. B. Earle MacDonald moved with his family to Charlottetown at the age of 12. He attended city schools and also completed courses at the Charlottetown Business College. He then became employed in the accountant’s office of the Canadian National Railway. Later MacDonald was transferred to the superintendent’s office where he worked as the paymaster. After 16 years of service with the railway, he resigned to take over the family grocery business with his brother Elmer. Earle MacDonald died 17 July 1965 at the Prince Edward Island Hospital. Jean MacDonald was the daughter of Reverend Daniel MacLean., CPG 1959, 1960; Evening Patriot 19 July 1965; Guardian 19 July 1965; Maritime Advocate and Busy East February 1956.
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- Benjamin Gallant
- GALLANT, BENJAMIN, merchant, fish processor, and brick manufacturer; b. 11 June 1871 in Bloomfield, son of Ebenezer (Eusebe) Gallant and Martha Arsenault; m. 2 July 1901 Annie M. Gallant, and they had four children, Gertrude, Isadora, W. F., and Louis; Roman Catholic; d. 27 October 1921 in Summerside. Gallant, a Liberal, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1900 for I'1 Prince. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1904, 1908, 1915, and 1919. On 9 September 1919, Gallant was appointed to Executive Council, where he served until his death. Gallant received his education at the local school in Bloomfield and at Business and Commercial College in Charlottetown. Following the completion of his education, he returned to Bloomfield and operated a general store and a brick factory, serving as vice-president of Prince Edward Silver Block Company. He was also involved in fish packing, and processed a number of species, including lobster. Gallant’s other involvements included membership in the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association. Benjamin Gallant died 27 October 1921. Annie Gallant was the daughter of Dr. Isidore Gallant of Rustico and Margaret Campbell., CPG 191b; Guardian 31 December 1921 p. 4; Maple Leaf Magazine March 1940; Patriott 29 October 1921; PARO: MNI-Census 1891; Summerside St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church Records.