John Stevenson (Ontario politician)

John Stevenson (August 12, 1812 – April 1, 1884) was the first Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1867 to 1871[1] and served as Conservative MPP for Lennox from 1867 to 1871.[2]

John Stevenson
Ontario MPP
In office
1867–1871
Preceded byRiding established
Succeeded byJohn Thomas Grange
ConstituencyLennox
1st Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
In office
1867–1871
Succeeded byRichard William Scott
Personal details
Born(1812-08-12)August 12, 1812
Hunterdon County, New Jersey
DiedApril 1, 1884(1884-04-01) (aged 71)
Napanee, Ontario
Political partyConservative
SpousePhoebe Eliza Hall (m. 1842)
OccupationMerchant

Born in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Stevenson's family moved to New York State (likely to the Albany, New York area and finally to Upper Canada. He was educated in Brockville and taught school briefly. Stevenson worked in various trades before entering politics:

  • flour mill operator
  • foundry owner
  • axe shopkeeper
  • brush factory owner
  • lumberman
  • shipping company owner

In 1842, he married Phoebe Eliza Hall.[1]

Stevenson also served as a justice of the peace and as reeve for Napanee. From 1863 to 1865, he was warden for Lennox and Addington County.[3]

After his defeat in 1871 by John Thomas Grange, he ran for the Lennox seat in the Canadian House of Commons in 1872 as an independent, losing to Richard John Cartwright, formerly a Conservative, now a Liberal. In 1878, he campaigned on behalf of Cartwright.[1] Stevenson died in Napanee, Ontario in 1884.[3]

Electoral history

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1867 Ontario general election: Lennox
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative John Stevenson 1,222 53.29
Liberal T.W. Casey 826 36.02
Independent B.C. Davy 245 10.68
Total valid votes 2,293 66.35
Eligible voters 3,456
Conservative pickup new district.
Source: Elections Ontario[4]
1871 Ontario general election: Lennox
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Thomas Grange 1,183 56.41 +3.12
Conservative John Stevenson 914 43.59 −9.71
Turnout 2,097 62.95 −3.40
Eligible voters 3,331
Conservative hold Swing +6.41
Source: Elections Ontario[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Eadie, James A (1982). "Stevenson, John". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. XI (1881–1890) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. Retrieved December 13, 2005.
  2. ^ "John Stevenson, MPP". ontla.on.ca. Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Archived from the original on November 29, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  3. ^ a b Dale, Clare A (1992). Whose servant I am" : speakers of the assemblies of the province of Upper Canada, Canada and Ontario, 1792-1992. Toronto: Ontario Legislative Library. pp. 136–41. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  4. ^ "Data Explorer". Elections Ontario. 1867. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  5. ^ "Data Explorer". Elections Ontario. 1871. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
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