Edward Gawler Prior

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Edward Gawler Prior

Edward Gawler Prior , PC (born May 21, 1853 in Dallowgill near Ripon , England , † December 12, 1920 in Victoria ) was a Canadian politician and mining engineer . From November 21, 1902 to June 1, 1903 he was Prime Minister of the Province of British Columbia , and from December 18, 1919 to his death, Lieutenant Governor .

biography

Prior worked as an engineer in English mines until 1873, then emigrated to British Columbia and settled in Nanaimo . There he worked as the deputy manager of the Vancouver Coal Mining & Land Company . In 1878 he became a mine inspector in the service of the provincial government. In 1880 he founded a trading company for machines and tools with Alfred Fellows, from 1883 he was the sole owner.

Prior was elected as an independent candidate to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in July 1886 (there were no parties in the province at the time). In January 1888, he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons . In 1891 Prior joined the Freemasons . He was a member of the Cabinets of Conservative Prime Ministers Mackenzie Bowell and Charles Tupper from December 1895 to July 1896 and was the auditor of the national tax authority.

Due to disregard of the electoral law, Prior lost his lower house in 1900. He returned to provincial politics, was re-elected to the Legislative Assembly in a by-election in 1901 and was appointed Minister of Mines by James Dunsmuir . On November 21, 1902, Lieutenant Governor Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière appointed him Prime Minister of the Province. This last independent provincial government lasted only half a year. Joly discontinued it on June 1, 1903, as Prior was suspected of having awarded a government construction contract to his own company.

In the elections in October 1903, Prior lost his seat. In the same year, his attempt to be re-elected to the Canadian House of Commons failed. He returned to his business and was also President of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce. From December 18, 1919, he was Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, but died less than a year later in office.

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personal data
SURNAME Prior, Edward Gawler
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian politician
DATE OF BIRTH May 21, 1853
PLACE OF BIRTH Dallowgill at Ripon
DATE OF DEATH December 12, 1920
Place of death Victoria (British Columbia)