Donald Alexander MacKinnon
Encyclopedia
Donald Alexander MacKinnon (22 February 1863 – 20 April 1928) was a Canadian
teacher, lawyer, politician, author, and the eighth Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
from 1904 to 1910.
Born in Uigg
, Prince Edward Island
, the son of William and Catherine Nicholson Mackinnon, MacKinnon attended Uigg grammar school and started teaching when he was 14. He later received a first-class teaching licence from the Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown. In 1882, he started articling with the Charlottetown
barrister Malcolm McLeod. From 1885 to 1887, he attended Dalhousie Law School
where he received a Bachelor of Laws
degree. He was called to the Bar an attorney in 1887 and a barrister in 1888. He was created a Queen's Counsel
in 1899. He opened a practice in Georgetown, Prince Edward Island
in 1887 where he remained until moving to Charlottetown in 1897. In 1900, he became president of the Law Society of Prince Edward Island.
From 1893 to 1900, he was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
for the electoral district of 4th Kings
. In 1899, he was chosen as attorney general in the cabinet of Donald Farquharson; however, as a result of the appointment, he was required to run for reelection and he was defeated.
He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons
as the Liberal
candidate for the electoral district of East Queen's
in the 1900 federal election
. In 1901, the election was declared void and MacKinnon was re-elected in the resulting 1901 by-election. In 1904, he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island and served until 1910. He returned to federal politics when he was elected to the House of Commons for electoral district of Queen's
in the 1921 federal election
. MacKinnon died in Charlottetown in 1928.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
teacher, lawyer, politician, author, and the eighth Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
The Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island is the viceregal representative in Prince Edward Island of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her...
from 1904 to 1910.
Born in Uigg
Uigg, Prince Edward Island
Uigg is a settlement in Prince Edward Island. is also the name of a well known metal band which is from Prince Edward Island....
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, the son of William and Catherine Nicholson Mackinnon, MacKinnon attended Uigg grammar school and started teaching when he was 14. He later received a first-class teaching licence from the Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown. In 1882, he started articling with the Charlottetown
Charlottetown
Charlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...
barrister Malcolm McLeod. From 1885 to 1887, he attended Dalhousie Law School
Dalhousie Law School
The Schulich School of Law is part of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Formerly called Dalhousie Law School, it was established in 1883, making it the oldest university-affiliated common law school in the Commonwealth. It is the primary law school in Atlantic Canada and...
where he received a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degree. He was called to the Bar an attorney in 1887 and a barrister in 1888. He was created a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1899. He opened a practice in Georgetown, Prince Edward Island
Georgetown, Prince Edward Island
Georgetown is a Canadian town and the county seat of Kings County, Prince Edward Island. As of 2011, the population was 693.-Geography:Georgetown, Capital of Kings County, sits on an 8 kilometre long peninsula formed by the Cardigan and Brudenell Rivers, Along with Georgetown Harbour...
in 1887 where he remained until moving to Charlottetown in 1897. In 1900, he became president of the Law Society of Prince Edward Island.
From 1893 to 1900, he was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, along with the Lieutenant-Governor, forms the parliament of the province. The General Assembly meets at Province House, which is located at the intersection of Richmond and Great George Streets in Charlottetown....
for the electoral district of 4th Kings
4th Kings
4th Kings was an electoral district in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, which elected two members to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1873 to 1993.The district comprised the southernmost portion of Kings County....
. In 1899, he was chosen as attorney general in the cabinet of Donald Farquharson; however, as a result of the appointment, he was required to run for reelection and he was defeated.
He was elected to 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...
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 electoral district of East Queen's
East Queen's
East Queen's was a federal electoral district in Prince Edward Island, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1896 to 1904.This riding was created in 1892 from parts of King's County and Queen's County ridings....
in the 1900 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1900
The Canadian federal election of 1900 was held on November 7 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 9th Parliament of Canada. As a result of the election, the Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier, was re-elected to a second majority government, defeating the...
. In 1901, the election was declared void and MacKinnon was re-elected in the resulting 1901 by-election. In 1904, he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island and served until 1910. He returned to federal politics when he was elected to the House of Commons for electoral district of Queen's
Queen's (Prince Edward Island electoral district)
Queen's was a federal electoral district in Prince Edward Island, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1968.This riding was created in 1903 from parts of East Prince, East Queen's and West Queen's ridings....
in the 1921 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1921
The Canadian federal election of 1921 was held on December 6, 1921 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 14th Parliament of Canada. The Union government that had governed Canada through the First World War was defeated, and replaced by a Liberal government under the young leader...
. MacKinnon died in Charlottetown in 1928.