William McKay Wright (November 12, 1840 – December 17, 1882) was a lawyer and political figure in Quebec, Canada. He represented Pontiac in the House of Commons of Canada as a Liberal-Conservative member from 1872 to 1878.[1]

William McKay Wright
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Pontiac
In office
1872–1878
Preceded byEdmund Heath
Succeeded byJohn Poupore
Personal details
Born(1840-11-12)November 12, 1840
Hull, Lower Canada
DiedDecember 17, 1882(1882-12-17) (aged 42)
Ottawa
Political partyConservative
Parent(s)Ruggles Wright
Rosina McDouall

He was born in Hull, Lower Canada,[1] the son of Ruggles Wright and grandson of Philemon Wright, and educated at McGill University. He was called to the Lower Canada bar in 1863 and the Ontario bar in 1868. In 1864, he married Mary, the daughter of senator James Skead. He was a lieutenant in the local militia and served during the Fenian raids.[2] He also served as the first mayor of the township of South Hull, later known as Lucerne, from 1879 to 1881.[3] Wright practised law in Aylmer, Hull and Ottawa. He died in New Edinburgh at the age of 42.[4] Wright's daughter, Ethel, married Bernard Thomson, the son of writer Edward William Thomson.

Electoral record

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1874 Canadian federal election: Pontiac
Party Candidate Votes
Liberal–Conservative William McKay Wright acclaimed
Source: Canadian Elections Database[5]
1872 Canadian federal election: Pontiac
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal–Conservative William McKay Wright 1,604 54.80
Unknown Thomas Murray 1,323 45.20
Total valid votes 2,927 100.00
Source: Canadian Elections Database[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b William McKay Wright – Parliament of Canada biography
  2. ^ The Canadian parliamentary companion, HJ Morgan (1873)
  3. ^ "Maison MacKay-Wright". Canada's Historic Places. Parks Canada.
  4. ^ Johnson, J.K. (1968). The Canadian Directory of Parliament 1867-1967. Public Archives of Canada.
  5. ^ "Elections | Canadian Elections Database". canadianelectionsdatabase.ca. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  6. ^ Sayers, Anthony M. "1872 Federal Election". Canadian Elections Database. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024.