William Henry Ladner was an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

-born miner, farmer and political figure in British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. He represented New Westminster from 1886 to 1890 in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....

.

He was born in Cornwall

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

, the son of Edward Ladner and Sarah Ellis. In 1848, he went to Mineral Point, Wisconsin

Mineral Point, Wisconsin

Mineral Point is a city in Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,617 at the 2000 census. In 2008 the city's population had taken a decline and is currently only 2,462, but still the second most populous community in Iowa County...

 where his father had arrived earlier with other Cornish miners. After his father died in 1851, Ladner and his brother Thomas Ellis travelled to the California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 to mine for gold. In 1858, they joined the rush to the newly-discovered gold fields in the Fraser River

Fraser River

The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...

 canyon. Ladner was named a constable for the region. In 1865, with partner Robert Thompson Smith, he was involved in transporting goods to the Big Bend

Big Bend Country

Big Bend Country is a term used in the Canadian province of British Columbia to refer to the region around the northernmost bend of the Columbia River, where the river leaves its initial northwestward course along the Rocky Mountain Trench to curve around the northern end of the Selkirk Mountains...

 region on the Columbia River

Columbia River

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

. After mining in the area was found to be unproductive, Ladner's business collapsed and he began farming in the delta of the Fraser River. In 1879, he lobbied for the creation of a new rural municipality, Delta

Delta, British Columbia

Delta is a district municipality in British Columbia, and forms part of Metro Vancouver. Located south of Richmond, it is bordered by the Fraser River to the north, the United States to the south and the city of Surrey to the east...

. Ladner served as reeve and local police constable.

He ran unsuccessfully for a seat in New Westminster District before being elected in 1886. He was defeated when he ran for reelection in 1890. He later took part in the formation of the provincial Conservative party

British Columbia Conservative Party

The British Columbia Conservative Party is a political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected as the government in 1903, the party went into decline after 1933...

. He ran unsuccessfully as a Conservative for the assembly seat representing Delta

Delta (provincial electoral district)

Delta was the name of a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia based on the municipality of Delta at the mouth of the Fraser River between the city of Vancouver and the US border...

 in 1903.

Ladner was married twice: first to Mary Ann Booth in 1866 and then to Mrs. Ella B. McLellan in 1897. Ladner died in Ladner

Ladner, British Columbia

Ladner was created as a fishing village on the banks of the Fraser River. It is a part of the Municipality of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, and a suburb of Vancouver....

, named after the two brothers, at the age of 80.