Anthony Rosenroll
Encyclopedia
Anthony Sigwart de Rosenroll (December 4, 1857 - 1945) was a politician and businessman in the Canadian province of Alberta
. Born in Italy to a family of noble Swiss heritage, he spent his early adulthood in Australia and New Zealand before settling in Canada in 1895. He became a prominent resident of Wetaskiwin, and was acclaimed as its representative to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in 1898 and 1902. In Alberta's first provincial election
, he was elected as a Liberal
to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
, where he remained until 1909. He remained active in business until 1940, and died in 1945 of pneumonia
.
, Italy, to Rudolph and Margaret de Rosenroll. He was descended from Swiss nobility on his father's side, though his line had been absent from Switzerland since 1806. When Anthony was three years old, his father was killed at Palermo
while fighting for Giuseppe Garibaldi
during the Expedition of the Thousand
; his family took refuge in Malta for much of the rest of the rebellion.
Returning to Italy, de Rosenroll was taught by tutors in Naples
, and ultimately graduated from the University of Naples in civil engineering
. He spent several years working for the governments of Australia and New Zealand in this capacity, before voyaging to the United States to visit his sister. From there he came to Winnipeg in 1895, ultimately becoming one of the first residents of Wetaskiwin in 1896.. There he married Ida Eberhard, with whom he had three children: Arthur (1896- 1971 - born in Ollon
because of his father's distrust of the young Canadian medical profession), Edgar (1897-1968), and Richelda (1898-1944).
De Rosenroll involved himself in many business ventures. The first of these was a ranching enterprise, in which he initially partnered with Scandinavian settler Thomas R. Jevne and later founded the Rosenroll Ranch near Hay Lakes
. Other ventures included the Rosenroll Lumber Co. Ltd., Rosenroll Dairy/Wetaskiwin Creamery, a coal mine, and Rosenroll Ltd., which dealt in real estate and insurance.
De Rosenroll was a prominent citizen of his young and growing town. In 1896, he was made a Justice of the Peace
and a notary public
. Wetaskiwin's Rosenroll Street and Rosenroll, Alberta were named in his honour (though the former was eventually re-designated with a number, and the latter was renamed to Bittern Lake in 1910). He was an active Presbyterian and a Mason
.
, he was acclaimed to it. He was re-elected by acclamation during the 1902 election
. When Alberta became a province in 1905, de Rosenroll ran in its first election
in Wetaskiwin
as the Liberal
candidate. He defeated Conservative
R.W. Angus handily. When the government introduced a bill increasing the size of the legislature from sixteen seats to 41, de Rosenroll argued that not enough of the new seats were going to rural regions. He did not seek re-election in the 1909 election
.
In 1909 he was endorsed by the German-speaking population of Strathcona
as the Liberal
candidate for the Canadian House of Commons
in an upcoming by-election. Whether he declined their entreaties or was defeated is unclear, but the nominated Liberal candidate was James McCrie Douglas
, who was elected by acclamation.
In his later life, de Rosenroll devoted himself to writing a family history, completed in 1936. He retired from his business activities in 1940, leaving them to his son Edgar. He subsequently moved to Moose Jaw, where his son Arthur lived. In 1944 he contracted pneumonia, and in 1945 he died in Moose Jaw at the age of 87. He is buried in a Wetaskiwin cemetery.
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. Born in Italy to a family of noble Swiss heritage, he spent his early adulthood in Australia and New Zealand before settling in Canada in 1895. He became a prominent resident of Wetaskiwin, and was acclaimed as its representative to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in 1898 and 1902. In Alberta's first provincial election
Alberta general election, 1905
The Alberta general election of 1905 was the first general election held in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on 9 November 1905, to elect members of the Alberta legislature to the 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly, shortly after the province was created out of the Northwest Territories...
, he was elected as a Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
, where he remained until 1909. He remained active in business until 1940, and died in 1945 of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
.
Early life
De Rosenroll was born December 4, 1857 in CastellamareCastellammare di Stabia
Castellammare di Stabia is a comune in the province of Naples, Campania region, southern Italy. It is situated on the Bay of Naples about 30 kilometers southeast of Naples, on the route to Sorrento.-History:...
, Italy, to Rudolph and Margaret de Rosenroll. He was descended from Swiss nobility on his father's side, though his line had been absent from Switzerland since 1806. When Anthony was three years old, his father was killed at Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
while fighting for Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
during the Expedition of the Thousand
Expedition of the Thousand
The Expedition of the Thousand was a military campaign led by the revolutionary general Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1860. A force of volunteers defeated the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, leading to its dissolution and annexation by the Kingdom of Sardinia, an important step in the creation of a newly...
; his family took refuge in Malta for much of the rest of the rebellion.
Returning to Italy, de Rosenroll was taught by tutors in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, and ultimately graduated from the University of Naples in civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
. He spent several years working for the governments of Australia and New Zealand in this capacity, before voyaging to the United States to visit his sister. From there he came to Winnipeg in 1895, ultimately becoming one of the first residents of Wetaskiwin in 1896.. There he married Ida Eberhard, with whom he had three children: Arthur (1896- 1971 - born in Ollon
Ollon
Ollon is a municipality in the district of Aigle in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, sited in the foothills of the mountains to the south-east of the Lake of Geneva. The old German language name Olun is no longer used.-History:...
because of his father's distrust of the young Canadian medical profession), Edgar (1897-1968), and Richelda (1898-1944).
De Rosenroll involved himself in many business ventures. The first of these was a ranching enterprise, in which he initially partnered with Scandinavian settler Thomas R. Jevne and later founded the Rosenroll Ranch near Hay Lakes
Hay Lakes, Alberta
Hay Lakes is a village in central Alberta, Canada. It is located along Highway 21, north of Camrose and south-east of Edmonton.-Demographics:The population of the Village of Hay Lakes according to its 2008 municipal census is 429....
. Other ventures included the Rosenroll Lumber Co. Ltd., Rosenroll Dairy/Wetaskiwin Creamery, a coal mine, and Rosenroll Ltd., which dealt in real estate and insurance.
De Rosenroll was a prominent citizen of his young and growing town. In 1896, he was made a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
and a notary public
Notary public
A notary public in the common law world is a public officer constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters usually concerned with estates, deeds, powers-of-attorney, and foreign and international business...
. Wetaskiwin's Rosenroll Street and Rosenroll, Alberta were named in his honour (though the former was eventually re-designated with a number, and the latter was renamed to Bittern Lake in 1910). He was an active Presbyterian and a Mason
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
.
Political career and later life
De Rosenroll's prominence was such that, when Wetaskiwin received a seat in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories beginning with the 1898 electionNorthwest Territories general election, 1898
The Northwest Territories general election of 1898 took place on 4 November 1898. This was the fourth general election in the history of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories....
, he was acclaimed to it. He was re-elected by acclamation during the 1902 election
Northwest Territories general election, 1902
The Northwest Territories general election of 1902, occurred on 21 May 1902 and was the fifth general election in the history of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. This was the last election held until 1951,...
. When Alberta became a province in 1905, de Rosenroll ran in its first election
Alberta general election, 1905
The Alberta general election of 1905 was the first general election held in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on 9 November 1905, to elect members of the Alberta legislature to the 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly, shortly after the province was created out of the Northwest Territories...
in Wetaskiwin
Wetaskiwin (provincial electoral district)
Wetaskiwin is a former provincial electoral district in Alberta that existed from 1905 to 1971.-1905 general election:-1957 liquor plebiscite:...
as the Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
candidate. He defeated Conservative
Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta
The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...
R.W. Angus handily. When the government introduced a bill increasing the size of the legislature from sixteen seats to 41, de Rosenroll argued that not enough of the new seats were going to rural regions. He did not seek re-election in the 1909 election
Alberta general election, 1909
The Alberta general election was 1909 was the second general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on 22 March 1909 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
.
In 1909 he was endorsed by the German-speaking population of Strathcona
Strathcona (electoral district)
Strathcona was a federal electoral district in the Northwest Territories and Alberta, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1925. When it was created, it was part of the Northwest Territories. In 1905, when Saskatchewan and Alberta became provinces, it was split...
as the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
candidate for the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in an upcoming by-election. Whether he declined their entreaties or was defeated is unclear, but the nominated Liberal candidate was James McCrie Douglas
James McCrie Douglas
James McCrie Douglas was a politician in Alberta, Canada, a mayor of Edmonton, and a member of the Canadian House of Commons.-Early life:...
, who was elected by acclamation.
In his later life, de Rosenroll devoted himself to writing a family history, completed in 1936. He retired from his business activities in 1940, leaving them to his son Edgar. He subsequently moved to Moose Jaw, where his son Arthur lived. In 1944 he contracted pneumonia, and in 1945 he died in Moose Jaw at the age of 87. He is buried in a Wetaskiwin cemetery.
Electoral record
| 1905 Alberta general election Alberta general election, 1905 The Alberta general election of 1905 was the first general election held in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on 9 November 1905, to elect members of the Alberta legislature to the 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly, shortly after the province was created out of the Northwest Territories... results (Wetaskiwin Wetaskiwin (provincial electoral district) Wetaskiwin is a former provincial electoral district in Alberta that existed from 1905 to 1971.-1905 general election:-1957 liquor plebiscite:... ) |
Turnout N.A. | |||
| Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time... |
A.L. Rosenroll | 552 | 66.51% |
Conservative | R.W. Angus | 547 | 33.49% |
| 1902 Northwest Territories general election Northwest Territories general election, 1902 The Northwest Territories general election of 1902, occurred on 21 May 1902 and was the fifth general election in the history of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. This was the last election held until 1951,... results (Wetaskiwin Wetaskiwin (N.W.T. electoral district) Wetaskiwin was a territorial electoral district in the Northwest Territories from 1898 - 1905,At the time of its creation it included the city of Wetaskiwin, Alberta and surrounding rural region... ) |
font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout N/A | |||
| Anthony Sigwart de Rosenroll | Acclaimed | |||
| 1898 Northwest Territories general election Northwest Territories general election, 1898 The Northwest Territories general election of 1898 took place on 4 November 1898. This was the fourth general election in the history of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.... results (Wetaskiwin Wetaskiwin (N.W.T. electoral district) Wetaskiwin was a territorial electoral district in the Northwest Territories from 1898 - 1905,At the time of its creation it included the city of Wetaskiwin, Alberta and surrounding rural region... ) |
font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout N/A | |||
| Anthony Sigwart de Rosenroll | Acclaimed | |||