William Bannerman was a Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

-born Canadian politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

.

The son of Thomas Bannerman and Barbara McCoy, he was educated in Scotland, went to sea as a boy and came to Canada West in 1857. Bannerman worked as a clerk in his uncle's store in McNab Township for seven years. In 1865, he established a lumber company in Renfrew

Renfrew, Ontario

Renfrew, Ontario, Canada, is a town on the Bonnechere River in Renfrew County. Located one hour west of Ottawa in Eastern Ontario, Renfrew is the third largest town in the county after Petawawa and Pembroke. The town is a small transportation hub connecting Ontario Highway 60 and Highway 132 with...

. Bannerman married Isabella Campbell in 1867. He served as reeve of McNab Township for three years.

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...

 in 1878 as a Member of the historical 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...

 to represent the riding

Electoral district (Canada)

An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...

 of Renfrew South

Renfrew South

Renfrew South was a federal and provincial electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1968, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. It was located in the province of Ontario...

 and defeated in 1882

Canadian federal election, 1882

The Canadian federal election of 1882 was held on June 20, 1882 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 5th Parliament of Canada.Prime Minister Sir John A...

. He was also defeated in elections in 1874

Canadian federal election, 1874

The Canadian federal election of 1874 was held on January 22, 1874, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 3rd Parliament of Canada. Sir John A...

and 1875.