Manning Doherty
Encyclopedia
Manning William Doherty was a farmer, businessman and politician serving as Ontario's Minister of Agriculture during the United Farmers of Ontario
-Labour government of 1919 to 1923 and as leader of the Progressives (as the UFO had become known) in Opposition before leaving provincial politics.
Doherty was the descendant of an old pioneer
family that immigrated to Upper Canada
from Ireland. His great-grandfather, Bernard Doherty, arrived in York (present-day Toronto) in 1812 and was offered a farm on the land now bordered by Queen Street
, Yonge Street
, University Avenue
, and College Street
- then on the outskirts of town but today the heart of Downtown Toronto
. He rejected the offer as too low and wet for agricultural purposes and instead accepted {500 ac [200 ha]) in what is now Peel County
. The property remained in the Doherty family and was 300 ac (120 ha} of the original homestead was inherited and farmed by Manning Doherty, Bernard Doherty's great-grandson.
Doherty graduated from Upper Canada College
and then earned a Bachelor of Scientific Agriculture from the University of Toronto
's Ontario Agricultural College
(became part of the University of Guelph
since 1964) in 1895. He then studied at Cornell University
where he received his Masters degree before returning to the Ontario Agricultural College to teach from 1898 to 1902 as an associate professor.
He was a supporter of the Conservative Party
initially before being attracted to the agrarian movement and the fledgling United Farmers
. He became vice-president of the United Farmers of Ontario and director of the United Farmers Co-operative Company. He was elected to the Ontario legislature as a United Farmers MLA in the 1919 provincial election
in which the UFO won an upset victory and became agriculture minister in the government of E.C. Drury. As Agriculture Minister, Doherty encouraged co-operative marketing
for agricultural products serving until the government's defeat in the 1923 provincial election
. Doherty was personally re-elected to the legislature in his riding of Kent East.
Doherty served as acting leader of the Progressives through the 1924 legislative session but announced at the beginning of this tenure that he would not be seeking the leadership permanently. Doherty remained leader until January 1925 when the Progressive caucus chose William Raney
as its leader after Doherty refused to reconsider his retirement.
Despite the fact that the UFO/Progressives were the second largest party in the Ontario legislature following the 1923 provincial election
, Doherty did not become Leader of the Opposition
since Conservative Premier Howard Ferguson
used an announcement from UFO general secretary James J. Morrison
was withdrawing from party party politics as a pretext to recognise the third place Liberals
as the official opposition, despite Doherty's protests. The parliamentary wing of the UFO and its non-parliamentary wing had been at loggerheads throughout the party's time in government and Morrison's statement was issued without consulting UFO members of the legislature, who subsequently became officially known as the Progressive group due in part to the dispute with Morrison's wing of the UFO.
Doherty resigned his seat in the provincial legislature in 1925 in order to campaign in support of the federal Conservatives led by Arthur Meighen
. He considered running as a federal Conservative
candidate against former Liberal Labour minister John Campbell Elliott
in Middlesex West
win the 1926 federal election
but, in the end, did not run.
Following his retirement from politics, Doherty focussed his efforts on his business interests, principally in the brockerage firm of Doherty, Roadhouse and Company which. He became treasurer of the Toronto Stock Exchange
in 1936 and was its vice-president when he died in 1938.
His son Brian Doherty was a playwright.
United Farmers of Ontario
The United Farmers of Ontario was a political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century.- Foundation and rise :...
-Labour government of 1919 to 1923 and as leader of the Progressives (as the UFO had become known) in Opposition before leaving provincial politics.
Doherty was the descendant of an old pioneer
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
family that immigrated to Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
from Ireland. His great-grandfather, Bernard Doherty, arrived in York (present-day Toronto) in 1812 and was offered a farm on the land now bordered by Queen Street
Queen Street
Queen Street is a popular street name in English-speaking countries . Examples include:-Asia:* Queen Street, Hong Kong in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong* Queen Street, Singapore in Singapore...
, Yonge Street
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
, University Avenue
University Avenue (Toronto)
University Avenue is a major north-south road in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. At its north end, University Avenue is the site of the Ontario Legislative Building. The eight-lane wide street is the location for several hospitals, numerous office buildings, Osgoode Hall and the Four Seasons...
, and College Street
College Street
College Street may refer to:*College Street *College Street *College Street *College Street -- A road in Dublin City Centre....
- then on the outskirts of town but today the heart of Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto is the central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately bounded by Bloor Street to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, the Don River to the east, and Bathurst Street to the west...
. He rejected the offer as too low and wet for agricultural purposes and instead accepted {500 ac [200 ha]) in what is now Peel County
Peel County, Ontario
Peel County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1851 from a portion of York County. In 1973, Peel County became the Regional Municipality of Peel, as a result of the Ontario provincial government's regionalization of the rapidly developing counties...
. The property remained in the Doherty family and was 300 ac (120 ha} of the original homestead was inherited and farmed by Manning Doherty, Bernard Doherty's great-grandson.
Doherty graduated from Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College , located in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is an independent elementary and secondary school for boys between Senior Kindergarten and Grade Twelve, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The secondary school segment is divided into ten houses; eight are...
and then earned a Bachelor of Scientific Agriculture from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
's Ontario Agricultural College
Ontario Agricultural College
The Ontario Agricultural College originated at the agricultural laboratories of the Toronto Normal School, and was officially founded in 1874 as an associate agricultural college of the University of Toronto...
(became part of the University of Guelph
University of Guelph
The University of Guelph, also known as U of G, is a comprehensive public research university in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1964 after the amalgamation of Ontario Agricultural College, the Macdonald Institute, and the Ontario Veterinary College...
since 1964) in 1895. He then studied at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
where he received his Masters degree before returning to the Ontario Agricultural College to teach from 1898 to 1902 as an associate professor.
He was a supporter of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
initially before being attracted to the agrarian movement and the fledgling United Farmers
United Farmers of Ontario
The United Farmers of Ontario was a political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century.- Foundation and rise :...
. He became vice-president of the United Farmers of Ontario and director of the United Farmers Co-operative Company. He was elected to the Ontario legislature as a United Farmers MLA in the 1919 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1919
The Ontario general election, 1919 was the 15th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on October 20, 1919, to elect the 111 Members of the 15th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
in which the UFO won an upset victory and became agriculture minister in the government of E.C. Drury. As Agriculture Minister, Doherty encouraged co-operative marketing
Retailers' cooperative
A retailers' cooperative is a type of cooperative which employs economies of scale on behalf of its retailer members. Retailers' cooperatives use their purchasing power to acquire discounts from manufacturers and often share marketing expenses. It is common for locally owned grocery stores,...
for agricultural products serving until the government's defeat in the 1923 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1923
The Ontario general election, 1923 was the 16th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 25, 1923, to elect the 111 Members of the 16th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
. Doherty was personally re-elected to the legislature in his riding of Kent East.
Doherty served as acting leader of the Progressives through the 1924 legislative session but announced at the beginning of this tenure that he would not be seeking the leadership permanently. Doherty remained leader until January 1925 when the Progressive caucus chose William Raney
William Raney
William Edgar Raney, K.C. was a lawyer, politician and judge in Ontario, Canada, in the early twentieth century.-Background and early career:...
as its leader after Doherty refused to reconsider his retirement.
Despite the fact that the UFO/Progressives were the second largest party in the Ontario legislature following the 1923 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1923
The Ontario general election, 1923 was the 16th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 25, 1923, to elect the 111 Members of the 16th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
, Doherty did not become Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Ontario)
The Leader of the Opposition in Ontario is usually leader of the largest party in the Ontario legislature which is not the government. The current official opposition is formed by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, and Tim Hudak is the current Leader of the Opposition.Ontario's first...
since Conservative Premier Howard Ferguson
Howard Ferguson
George Howard Ferguson, PC was a Conservative politician and the ninth Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1923 to 1930.-Background:He was the son of Charles Frederick Ferguson who served in the Canadian House of Commons...
used an announcement from UFO general secretary James J. Morrison
James J. Morrison
James J. Morrison was a farm leader in Ontario, Canada, a founder of the United Farmers of Ontario in 1914, and a leader of the co-operative movement...
was withdrawing from party party politics as a pretext to recognise the third place Liberals
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
as the official opposition, despite Doherty's protests. The parliamentary wing of the UFO and its non-parliamentary wing had been at loggerheads throughout the party's time in government and Morrison's statement was issued without consulting UFO members of the legislature, who subsequently became officially known as the Progressive group due in part to the dispute with Morrison's wing of the UFO.
Doherty resigned his seat in the provincial legislature in 1925 in order to campaign in support of the federal Conservatives led by Arthur Meighen
Arthur Meighen
Arthur Meighen, PC, QC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served two terms as the ninth Prime Minister of Canada: from July 10, 1920 to December 29, 1921; and from June 29 to September 25, 1926. He was the first Prime Minister born after Confederation, and the only one to represent a riding...
. He considered running as a federal Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
candidate against former Liberal Labour minister John Campbell Elliott
John Campbell Elliott
John Campbell Elliott, PC was a Canadian lawyer and politician.He was born in Ekfrid Township, Ontario, the son of George Campbell and Jane Elliott. He was educated at the University of Trinity College in the University of Toronto, studied law at Osgoode Hall and was called to the bar in 1896.J. C...
in Middlesex West
Middlesex West
Middlesex West was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1968. It was located in the province of Ontario...
win the 1926 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1926
The Canadian federal election of 1926 was held on September 14 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 16th Parliament of Canada. The election was called following an event known as the King-Byng Affair...
but, in the end, did not run.
Following his retirement from politics, Doherty focussed his efforts on his business interests, principally in the brockerage firm of Doherty, Roadhouse and Company which. He became treasurer of the Toronto Stock Exchange
Toronto Stock Exchange
Toronto Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange in Canada, the third largest in North America and the seventh largest in the world by market capitalisation. Based in Canada's largest city, Toronto, it is owned by and operated as a subsidiary of the TMX Group for the trading of senior equities...
in 1936 and was its vice-president when he died in 1938.
His son Brian Doherty was a playwright.