Biographies of Members of the Legislative Assembly
Pages
-
- Clarence F. Morrissey
- MORRISSEY, CLARENCE FERDINAND, farmer and business person; b. 27 August 1876 in Tignish, son of Patrick Morrissey; m. 4 September 1910 Zita Catherine Kinch, and they had seven children, of whom three names are known, Claude, Annette, and Frances; Roman Catholic; d. 25 December 1960 in Charlottetown. Morrissey, a Conservative, was elected to the Legislative Assembly in a by-election held 19 December 1945 for 1st Prince. He was defeated in the general election of 1947. In 1952 he served as one of the first Village Commissioners of Tignish. Morrissey lived in Tignish his entire life. At 18, due to the death of his father, he helped provide for his mother and younger brothers and sisters. For many years, Morrissey owned and operated a large lobster packing plant in Black Marsh, just north of Tignish. He was also a successful fox farmer. Clarence Morrissey died 25 December 1960.Zita Morrissey, the daughter of James Kinch, was born 14 February 1886 and died 20 January 1968., C.F 's Diary pp. 5, 9, 18a, 75a, 79a, 255a, 255b, 372a, 372b, 402a, 425a. 425b, 485b; CPG 1947. 1948; Guardian 27 December 1960. 10 March 1976; PARO Saint Simon and Saint Jude Church Cemetery Records.
-
- Cornelius Howatt
- HOWATT, CORNELIUS, farmer, constable, justice of the peace, bank director, and teacher; b. 4 February ca. 1810 in Tryon, son of James Howatt, and Ellen Miller; m. 19 March 1840 Jane Bell, and they had nine or ten children, of whom seven are known, including Nelson, Arthur, Theodore, Pope, Montague, Helen, and Cornelius; Presbyterian; d. 7 May 1895 in North St. Eleanors. Howatt, a Conservative, was first elected to the House of Assembly in 1859 for 4lh Prince. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1863, 1867, 1870, 1872, and 1873. He was defeated in the general election of 1876. From 1874 to 1876, Howatt was Speaker of the House. Howatt was best-known as a staunch opponent of Confederation. In April 1873 Howatt moved a resolution that read, in part, “that it is the opinion of the House that the best interests and future prosperity of Prince Edward Island would be secured by refusing terms of admission into Union with the Dominion of Canada.” His resolution was seconded by his running mate Augustus Holland’1’. The resolution was defeated by a vote of 24 to 2. Howatt foresaw the role the railway debt would play in changing Islanders’ opinion on the benefits of Confederation. His strong principles on issues such as Confederation, the building of the railway, and honest government often caused him to act independently of the Conservative party. He championed the interests of the farmer and the poor, and Howatt felt that government should be fiscally responsible, believing strongly in the Island’s tradition of independence. Howatt’s historical significance became more profound almost 80 years after his death. Leading up to and during the Prince Edward Island Centennial Celebrations in 1973, the Brothers and Sisters of Cornelius Howatt was formed to provide satirical comment on the self-congratulatory tone of the celebrations. It also sought to publicize the province’s past, and especially its tradition of self-reliance embodied in the life of the organization’s namesake. As a result of the group’s antics and the publicity generated, Howatt was rescued from relative obscurity, and became an Island political legend long after his time. For a good portion of his life, Howatt lived in Tryon on his farm, where he was prosperous, perhaps due to the advanced methods he employed. In the 1860s he moved to North St. Eleanors, to a larger farm on the banks of Malpeque Bay. After leaving politics, at the age of 66, he continued farming for a few years. He then relocated to Summerside, where he resided for 10 years, until 1890. At that time, he suffered a partial paralysis, which forced him to move back to the North St. Eleanors farm until his death. Besides being a farmer, Howatt served as a constable, a Justice of the Peace, Commissioner for Affidavits in the Supreme Court, and as a director of the Summerside Bank. In an unusual turn, at the age of 83, he became a teacher for a few months at Springbrook School near French River. Cornelius Howatt died 7 May 1895. Jane Howatt, born ca. 1818, was the daughter of John Bell of Cape Traverse and Elizabeth Little. Helen Howatt, daughter of Cornelius Howatt, married John Howatt Bell*, premier of the province from 1919 to 1923. William Hubert Howatt*, son of Nelson Howatt and grandson of Cornelius Howatt, also served in the Legislative Assembly., The Hell History p. 31; Challenged to Be; Cornelius Howatt Superstar p. 30; DCB XII 1891-1900 pp. 452-53; MacDonald It You’re Stronghearted pp. 318-19; Royal Gazette 1836; Daily Examiner 8 May 189S; Island Farmer 9 May 1895 p. 3; Patriot 7 May 1895; PARC) MNI-Census 1881; MNI-Hutchinson's pp. 238, 250.
-
- Creelman MacArthur
- MACARTHUR, HONOURABLE CREELMAN, merchant and business person; b. 12 June 1874 in Summerside, son of Jeremiah MacArthur and Ellen Donald; m. first 5 July 1899 Hannah Lois Beattie, and they had tour children, Katherine Adele, Dorothy Grace, Constance Creelman, and Marion Beattie; m. secondly 10 February 1937 Muriel Mabel Lee, and they had one son, Creelman Lee; Presbyterian; d. 27 December 1943 in Summerside. MacArthur, a Liberal, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1919 for 5th Prince. He was re-elected in the general election of 1923. He resigned his seat to accept an appointment to the Senate on 5 September 1925, where he served until his death. MacArthur was educated at the local school in Summerside and at Summerside High School. Fie worked in Summerside with R T. Holman Limited and later as president of Brace MacKay and Company and of Harding Motors Limited. MacArthur was vice-president of the Mount Sherman Company and a director of Central Trust Company of Canada. He served on the Summerside Town Council from 1912 to 1913. Creelman MacArthur died 27 December 1943. Hannah MacArthur died 11 May 1932. Constance MacArthur married John David Stewart* who represented 5lh Queens from 1959 to 1970. He was the son of Premier James D. Stewart*., CDP pp. 385-86; CPG 1921, 1924, 1929; Maple Leaf Magazine January-February 1944. Patriot 27 December 1943, 29 December 1943.
-
- Cyrus Shaw
- SHAW, CYRUS, farmer; b. 25 January 1850 in New Perth, son of Robert Shaw and Jane Williams; m. 27 December 1883 Penelope Partridge, and they had one child, Jenny; Presbyterian; d. 27 September 1900. Shaw, a Conservative, was first elected to the House of Assembly in the general election of 1886 for 3rd Kings. He was re-elected in the general election of 1890. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1893 for 3',: Kings. Shaw was re-elected in the general election of 1897. He was a leader of the Conservative Party. Shaw’s brother Robert Shaw* was a Member of the House of Assembly. Shaw attended Prince of Wales College, and his academic ability was recognized when he won a provincial scholarship in 1866. Despite this success, he concluded his education after two years, and began operating the family farm of 200 acres. In 1868 he was a member of the Lily Lodge in 1868. Cyrus Shaw died 27 September 1900. Penelope Shaw, the daughter of Richard Partridge, was born in England in 1847 or 1848 and died 31 August 1925. Shaw’s father was a native of Colonsay, Scotland. The elder Shaw first emigrated to Nova Scotia and later to the Island., CPG 1889 p. 219; Currie p. 121; Elections PEI; Past and Present p. 493; Examiner 31 December 1883; PARO: MNI-Census 1891; Montague Funeral Home Records.
-
- Cyrus W. Crosby
- CROSBY, CYRUS WILLIAM, farmer; b. 13 January 1855 in Bonshaw, son of Andrew C. Crosby and Sarah McNeill; m. 16 November 1882 Grace McNeill, and they had three children, Ernest L, Ruth H., and Lawson E.; Baptist; d. 20 January 1936 in Souris. Crosby, a Liberal, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in a by-election held for 1st Queens in 1909. He was re-elected in the general election of 1919. He was defeated in the general elections of 1912 and 1915. Following the election, on 8 September 1919 he was appointed to Executive Council as Commissioner of Public Works. Having been appointed to this office, a by-election was held, and Crosby again won the election. He was defeated in the 1923 general election. While he was Commissioner, the province took advantage of the Federal Highways Act. Under the act, the federal government contributed 40 per cent of the cost of highway construction done by provincial governments. During Crosby’s time in office, a significant number of roads were rebuilt and a large number of permanent bridges erected. He became known in political circles as “Good Roads Crosby.” Crosby was educated at the Cavendish Grammar School. He was a farmer and lived in Bonshaw on land known locally as “Alps.” He also owned a successful mill in the community. Deeply committed to the Baptist Church in Bonshaw, Crosby served as a deacon and as a clerk. He was a member of the group that worked to build a new church that was eventually completed in November 1893. In 1887 Crosby was a member of the Mutual Improvement Society in the Bonshaw area, whose objective was to raise money for a concert hall. A dairying company was formed in the Bonshaw area in 1898, with Crosby serving as one of the original directors. In 1904 a severe illness caused him to be inactive for a considerable period of time. He sold his farm in 1921, leaving Bonshaw for Charlottetown. The community held a farewell party and presented Crosby and his wife with a token of respect and friendship. It is likely that near the end of their lives, Crosby and his wife moved to the Souris area to live with their daughter, Ruth Matthew. Cyrus Crosby died 20 January 1936. Grace Crosby, the daughter of James McNeill of Cavendish, was born 9 September 1856 and died in 1934., CPG 1912, 1916, 1921, 1924; Glen pp. 31, 32, 61, 62, 85, 93, 101, 106; Examiner 2 March 1904; Maple Leaf Magazine February 1936; Patriot 3 May 1921. 20 January 1936; PARO: Crosby Family File; MNI-Frederick’s PEI Directory pp. 257-58; MNI-Census 1891; Souris West United Church Records.
-
- Daniel Alexander MacRae
- MACRAE, DANIEL ALEXANDER, business person; b. in 1876 in Heatherdale; son of Angus MacRae and Annie Campbell; m. 1916 Alice May Gordon, and they had three children, Gordon, Jean, and Earl; d. 30 July 1964 in Charlottetown. MacRae, a Liberal, was elected to the Legislative Assembly in a by-election held 4 July 1949 for 4th Kings. MacRae was a businessperson who owned and operated a grist mill in Heatherdale. In the early 1940s, he operated an animal feed service in association with Shur Gain. The mills are no longer in service but his son, Gordon, continues to operate the family farm. Daniel MacRae died 30 July 1964 at the Prince Edward Island Hospital., CPG 1950; Patriot 1 August 1964.
-
- Daniel C. MacDonald
- MACDONALD, DANIEL CHARLES, farmer and teacher; born ca. 1882 in Greenvale, son of Ronald MacDonald; m. Sara MacDonald and had three children, one of whom was named Bernard; Roman Catholic; d. in Boston, Massachusetts. MacDonald, a Liberal, was elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1919 for 1st Kings. He was defeated in the general election of 1923. He resided in Greenvale and lived there until after he was defeated in 1923. While living in Prince Edward Island, he was the president of the local chapter of the St. Andrew’s Society. It is known that he resided in Massachusetts after leaving Prince Edward Island prior to 1927. He died in Boston in old age and is buried in Massachusetts. Sara MacDonald was born in Rockbarra. She was the daughter of Angus B. MacDonald of Rockbarra and Ellen MacPhee of Bayfield., CPG 1921, 1923; Arrival of the First Scottish Catholic Emigrants: Guardian 12 January 1929; PARO: 1840 Roman Catholic Census, MNI-Census 1891; Leard Files.
-
- Daniel Francis MacNeill
- MACNEILL, DANIEL FRANCIS, business person; b. 30 August 1885 in Summerside, son of James A. MacNeill* and Sarah Eliza MacNeill; m. Pearl Tamlyn, and they had 14 children, Francis*, John, Tanton, Hubert*, Gerald, Edward, Ronald, Gertrude, Margaret, Pearl, Dorothy, Anita, Kathleen (died in infancy), and Joseph (died in infancy); Roman Catholic; d. 24 September 1946 in Summerside. MacNeill, a Conservative, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1943 for 5th Prince. He was defeated in the general elections of 1935 and 1939. He died while sitting as a Member. MacNeill was also a long-time member of the Summerside Town Council, having served 14 years at the time of his death. He came from a family with a long political history in the province. His father, and his brother Leonard Malcolm*, served as Members of the Legislative Assembly, and two of MacNeill’s sons, Francis* and Hubert’1, also served in the Legislature. All represented 5th Prince. MacNeill became the proprietor of his family’s farm machinery firm, James A. MacNeill and Sons, founded by his father. He also served as the deputy chief of the Summerside Fire Department. MacNeill spent a great deal of time promoting the welfare of the department and increasing its status in equipment and efficiency. Daniel MacNeill died 24 September 1946 in the Prince County Hospital. Pearl MacNeill was from Summerside., CPG 1946; Patriot 25 September 1946; Summerside Journal 26 September 1946; PARO: St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church Summerside Records Book.
-
- Daniel Gordon
- GORDON, DANIEL teacher, merchant, ship owner, shipbuilder, and officeholder; b. 2 June 1821 in Brudenell, son of Henry Gordon of Brudenell and Margaret McDonald of East Point; m. first 27 June 1854 Bridget E. Kearney, and they had three children, Ada, Fanny, and Henry; ni. secondly 1893, Matilda Smith (nee McGougan) of Prince Tow'n, and there were no children; Presbyterian; d. 26 September 1907 in Georgetown. Gordon, a Conservative, was first elected to the House of Assembly in 1876 for Georgetown Royalty. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1879, 1882, 1886, and 1890. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1893 for 5,h Kings. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1897 and 1900. Gordon was elected to the Legislative Council in 1866 and 1870 for 2nd Kings. He resigned his seat in Legislative Council in 1873. Gordon was a member of Executive Council from 1876 to 1878 in the L. H. Davies* Administration. Gordon joined the Free School Coalition organized by Davies for the 1876 election. Following the passing of the Public Schools Act, Gordon returned to the Conservative Party in the fall of 1878, after he and three other Conservative Free Schoolers resigned because they felt the coalition could not last. The resignations left the remaining Free-Schoolers in a minority. In early 1879, the Davies government tell on a vote of non-confidence. After the defeat of the William W. Sullivan"' government in 1889, Gordon served as Leader of the Opposition until the election of John Mathieson* as Leader of the Conservatives. Gordon was a learned person, and many of his public addresses contained quotations from great writers and thinkers, often taken from the works in his large library. Gordon, who had been educated in the local grammar school in Georgetown, taught from 1839 to 1840, before starting a business career in 1841. In Georgetown he operated a general retail business. Gordon was an importer-exporter, as well as a shipbuilder and ship owner. He was the sole owner of at least 15 vessels, most of which were built in Georgetown. Herbert Acorn* worked for him for some time starting in 1884. At his death on 26 September 1907, he was the oldest merchant in business in the province. Gordon was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1851, served as the Commissioner under the Insolvent Debtors’ Act, and was the Sheriff of Kings County beginning in 1863. He also served as chair of the Kings County Board of Agricultural and Exhibition Commissioners, as well as chair of the Georgetown Board of School Trustees. Bridget Gordon was the daughter of John Kearney of Georgetown. She died 19 June 1884 at the age of 55. Matilda Gordon of Prince Town was born 8 October 1855. Gordon’s father came originally from Perthshire, Scotland., CPG 1879, 1901; Centenary Celebration pp. 30-31; DCB XIII pp. 7576; Elections PEI; MacKinnon Life of the Party p. 61; Meacham’s Atlas. Examiner 20 June 1884, 27 September 1907; Islander 30 June 1854; Guardian 28 September 1907; PARC): MNI-Hutchinson's pp 123. 238, 248; MNI-Census 1881.
-
- Daniel James Compton
- COMPTON, DANIEL JAMES, general merchant, exporter, and forester; b. 28 January 1915 in Belle River, son of Benjamin Compton and Sarah Elizabeth Compton; m. 24 November 1947 Mary Agnes Compton, and they had five children, Patricia, Daniel James, Susan Jean, George, and Richard Paisley; Church of Scotland; d. 18 April 1990. Compton, a Conservative, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1970 for 4th Queens. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1974, 1978, 1979, and 1982. He was defeated in the general election of 1966. Compton was elected Speaker on 29 June 1979, and served in this position until 1983. He had a particular interest in the province’s forestry policy, in part due to many years working as a forester. Compton was educated in Belle River from 1921 to 1932, and resided there most of his life, living in the house in which he was born. He left Belle River during the Second World War. Compton was the Leading Supply Assistant on the HMCS Swansea and a member of the EG 9 Striking Force Group. Compton was awarded the 1939 to 1945 Star, the France and Germany Medal with Atlantic Bar, the Voluntary Service Medal, the George VI Medal, and the Queen Elizabeth Medal. Following the war, he went into the business of cutting pulpwood and lumber, and did so for much of his adult life. He also ran a general store in Belle River and did some exporting. In 1988 Compton was named Citizen of the Year in Belfast at the Winter Carnival. The recognition was due in part to his many years of assistance with the area’s Alcoholics Anonymous organization. Compton also involved himself in a number of other community activities, including serving as vice-president of the Belfast Historic Society, and he was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion. Eldon Branch. He was known for his rich knowledge of local history and his enjoyment of storytelling. Daniel Compton died 18 April 1990. Compton’s mother was a native of Brandon, Manitoba. He had one stepdaughter, Patricia (Kunz) Nicholson, and two stepsons, George and Richard Paisley of Florida. Mary Compton was the daughter of James E. Compton of Cambridge, Massachusetts., COR 1990 pp. 49-50; CPG 1967, 1986; CPR vol. 2 no. 4 1979 p. 53; WWPEI p. 31; Guardian 11 April 1978, 19 April 1979, 8 February 1988, 19 April 1990; Interview: James E. Compton.