Joseph Read (Canadian politician)
Encyclopedia
Joseph Read was a merchant, ship owner and political figure on Prince Edward Island
. He represented 4th Prince
in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
from 1900 to 1909 and Prince
in the Canadian House of Commons
from 1917 to 1919 as a Liberal
.
He was born in Summerside, Prince Edward Island
, the son of Ephraim Read and Rosara Chappell, and was educated there. After high school, he attended Ion's Nautical School in Liverpool, England. He later became a master mariner, commanding a number of large ships owned by John Lefurgey
. In 1877, he married Sarah Carruthers. Read later served as shipping master and port warden at Summerside.
Read served in the province's Executive Council from 1904 to 1905. His election in 1908 was disputed due to questions about the eligibility of some votes. Depending on the source quoted, in 1909, either his election was overturned or he resigned to allow a by-election. Read was defeated by three votes in the by-election held later that year. In the House of Commons, Read spoke against the decrease in the number of federal seats allocated to Prince Edward Island from six at the time that it joined Canada to four when Read was elected to the House. He died in office in Ottawa
at the age of 69.
William Lyon Mackenzie King
, chosen as Liberal party leader but without a seat, was elected to the House of Commons in the 1919 by-election held for the Prince seat following Read's death.
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...
. He represented 4th Prince
4th Prince
4th Prince 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....
in 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....
from 1900 to 1909 and Prince
Prince (electoral district)
Prince 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 and West Prince ridings....
in 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...
from 1917 to 1919 as a 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...
.
He was born in Summerside, Prince Edward Island
Summerside, Prince Edward Island
Summerside is a Canadian city in Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is the second largest city in the province and the principal municipality for the western part of the island.- History :...
, the son of Ephraim Read and Rosara Chappell, and was educated there. After high school, he attended Ion's Nautical School in Liverpool, England. He later became a master mariner, commanding a number of large ships owned by John Lefurgey
John Lefurgey
John Lefurgey was a merchant, ship builder and political figure in Prince Edward Island. He represented 5th Prince in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1870 to 1890 as a Conservative member....
. In 1877, he married Sarah Carruthers. Read later served as shipping master and port warden at Summerside.
Read served in the province's Executive Council from 1904 to 1905. His election in 1908 was disputed due to questions about the eligibility of some votes. Depending on the source quoted, in 1909, either his election was overturned or he resigned to allow a by-election. Read was defeated by three votes in the by-election held later that year. In the House of Commons, Read spoke against the decrease in the number of federal seats allocated to Prince Edward Island from six at the time that it joined Canada to four when Read was elected to the House. He died in office in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
at the age of 69.
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
, chosen as Liberal party leader but without a seat, was elected to the House of Commons in the 1919 by-election held for the Prince seat following Read's death.