Nathaniel Currie (Ontario politician)
Encyclopedia
Nathaniel Currie was elected MPP in the 1st Legislative Assembly of Ontario during the Confederation elections of 1867. Born of Irish immigrants in Chinguacousy
, Upper Canada
, the family farmed in the Glencoe area. His father, Nathaniel Currie Sn. petitioned for land in Mosa County
, from York
where he had originally petitioned for land in Upper Canada. Currie married Elizabeth Weeks in Mosa in 1845 having ten children together. He was buried in the Oakland Cemetery, Mosa, Row 11, no. 17 at age 74.
As an early settler of Mosa Township
, he became a Conservative provincial political figure and later Reeve of Glencoe village for many years. Reeve Currie, the unofficial founder of the village, is reputed to have upheld the Black Donnellys
right to walk freely in the streets of Glencoe. He did not run in the election 1871
but did run again for the Provincial Legislature in 1882, losing to George William Ross
by a vote of 1651-1597.
After much discussion the Farmers' Sons Franchise Act was pass in 1877, providing the vote to sons of land owners on the basis of property according to value, but not women.
Chinguacousy Township, Ontario
Chinguacousy Township is a former municipality and geographic township in Peel County, Ontario. In 1973, when Peel County became the Regional Municipality of Peel, it was split in half, with the northern half becoming part of the town of Caledon, and the southern half, along with the township of...
, 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...
, the family farmed in the Glencoe area. His father, Nathaniel Currie Sn. petitioned for land in Mosa County
Southwest Middlesex, Ontario
Southwest Middlesex is a municipality in Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada.The restructured municipality of Southwest Middlesex was incorporated on January 1, 2001. This amalgamation joined the Villages of Glencoe and Wardsville with the Townships of Ekfrid and Mosa. Southwest Middlesex had a...
, from York
York, Upper Canada
York was the name of Old Toronto between 1793 and 1834. It was the second capital of Upper Canada.- History :The town was established in 1793 by Governor John Graves Simcoe, with a new 'Fort York' on the site of the last French 'Fort Toronto'...
where he had originally petitioned for land in Upper Canada. Currie married Elizabeth Weeks in Mosa in 1845 having ten children together. He was buried in the Oakland Cemetery, Mosa, Row 11, no. 17 at age 74.
As an early settler of Mosa Township
Southwest Middlesex, Ontario
Southwest Middlesex is a municipality in Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada.The restructured municipality of Southwest Middlesex was incorporated on January 1, 2001. This amalgamation joined the Villages of Glencoe and Wardsville with the Townships of Ekfrid and Mosa. Southwest Middlesex had a...
, he became a Conservative provincial political figure and later Reeve of Glencoe village for many years. Reeve Currie, the unofficial founder of the village, is reputed to have upheld the Black Donnellys
Black Donnellys
The Black Donnellys is the common nickname of the Donnelly family who emigrated from County Tipperary, Ireland, to Canada in about 1845–1846, and who participated in a notorious feud in Biddulph Township in Middlesex County, Ontario, which culminated in a massacre in which five family members were...
right to walk freely in the streets of Glencoe. He did not run in the election 1871
but did run again for the Provincial Legislature in 1882, losing to George William Ross
George William Ross
Sir George William Ross was an educator and politician in Ontario, Canada. He was the fifth Premier of Ontario from 1899 to 1905....
by a vote of 1651-1597.
Committees
As an MPP, he worked on the following Committees:- Standing Committee on Railways
- Select Committee to consider Bill 46 (To Prevent the Setting of Fires at certain seasons of the year)
- Select Committee to consider Bill 91 (To Prevent the spreading of Canada Thistle in Upper Canada--Chapter 40
- Select Committee to consider Bill 58 (An Act regulating Line fences and Watercourses)
- Select Committee to consider Bill 37 (To Amend the Jury law)
- Select Committee to consider the expediency of altering and amending the existing municipal and assessment laws of Ontario
- Select Committee to consider Bill 30, An Act for the Encouragement of Agriculture, Horticulture, Arts and Manufactures
- Select Committee to consider Bill 68, An Act amend the Act respecting joint Stock Companies for the construction of Roads and other works in Upper Canada
- Special Committee to consider the Municipal and Assessments Act
Bills Introduced
Currie introduced a bill in March 1874 to provide for female suffrage and the political representation of real property according to value. The bill stated that real property should be the basis of the vote and dual or plural votes per property should be allowed. Women of age holding property should be included in this vote.After much discussion the Farmers' Sons Franchise Act was pass in 1877, providing the vote to sons of land owners on the basis of property according to value, but not women.
Community Work
- Municipal Council (Glencoe)
- County Council (Mosa)
- Director of the Agricultural Society 1879
- President of the Agricultural Society 1883-6
- Committee to erect a local high school
- Committee to acquire land for a local cemetery
- Local Justice for Glencoe, Ontario.