1889 Newfoundland general election

1889 Newfoundland general election
← 1885
November 6, 1889
1893 →
36 seats of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
19 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader William Whiteway Robert Thorburn
Party Liberal Reform
Leader since 1885 1885
Leader's seat Trinity Bay[a] Trinity Bay
(lost re-election)
Last election 13 seats, 39.03% 21 seats, 39.78%
Seats won 28 7
Seat change Increase 15 Decrease 14
Popular vote 37,123 22,292
Percentage 60.86% 36.54%
Swing Increase 21.83% Decrease 3.24%
Premier before election

Robert Thorburn
Reform

Premier after election

William Whiteway
Liberal

The 1889 Newfoundland general election was held on 6 November 1889 to elect members of the 16th General Assembly of Newfoundland in Newfoundland Colony. The Reform Party administration of Robert Thorburn was defeated in favour of the Liberal Party led by William Whiteway formed the government. Reform soon disappeared and was replaced by the Orange Order based Tory Party. This was the first general election held in Newfoundland using the secret ballot.

Results

  Party Leader 1885 Candidates Seats won Seat change % of seats
(% change) 		Popular vote % of vote
(% change)
  Liberal William Whiteway 13 32 28 Increase15 77.78%
(Increase41.67%) 		37,123 60.86%
(Increase21.83%)
  Reform Robert Thorburn 21 34 7 Decrease14 19.44%
(Decrease38.89%) 		22,292 36.54%
(Decrease3.24%)
  Other 2 6 1 Decrease 1 2.78%
(Decrease2.78%) 		1,586 2.60%
(Decrease18.59%)
Totals 36 72 36 Steady 100% 61,001 100%

Results by district

  • Names in boldface type represent party leaders.
  • † indicates that the incumbent did not run again.
  • ‡ indicates that the incumbent ran in a different district.

St. John's

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
Reform Liberal (historical) Other
St. John's East Michael O'Mara
854
11.47% 		Thomas Murphy
1,747
23.46% 		Robert Parsons Jr.(Independent)
233
3.13% 		Thomas Murphy
Lawrence Furlong
819
11.00% 		John Dearin
1,716
23.04% 		Robert Parsons Jr.
Francis St. John
609
8.18% 		Jeremiah Halleran
1,469
19.73% 		Michael O'Mara
St. John's West Patrick Scott
957
16.23% 		Edward Morris
1,566
26.55% 		John Shea[1] (Independent)
137
2.32% 		Edward Morris
James Callanan
741
12.56% 		James Day
1,326
22.48% 		Pierce Brien[2] (Independent)
117
1.98% 		James Day†
Lawrence Gearin
1,054
17.87% 		Lawrence Gearin†

Conception Bay

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
Reform Liberal (historical) Other
Bay de Verde Stephen March
476
19.29% 		Edward White
820
33.23% 		Stephen March
Aubrey Crocker[3]
399
16.17% 		Henry Woods
773
31.32% 		A. J. W. McNeilly†
Carbonear
72.28% turnout[4] 		Alfred Penney
284
33.93% 		William Duff
486
58.06% 		Robert Moore[5] (Independent)
67
8.00%
 Alfred Penney
Harbour Grace Robert Munn
1,259
23.95% 		William Whiteley
1,367
26.00% 		James Winter
Charles Dawe
685
13.03% 		Eli Dawe
1,342
25.53% 		Charles Dawe
James Winter
604
11.49% 		Joseph Godden†
Harbour Main Maurice Fenelon
180
6.02% 		Frank Morris
1,448
48.46% 		John Veitch†
William Woodford
1,360
45.52% 		Richard MacDonnell†
Port de Grave
71.80% turnout[4] 		William Horwood
564
46.92% 		James Clift
638
53.08% 		George Hutchings†

Avalon Peninsula

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
Reform Liberal (historical) Other
Ferryland George Shea[6][7]
727
36.06% 		Maurice Furlong[8]
425
21.08% 		Michael Condon (Independent)
373
18.50% 		Daniel Greene
Daniel Greene[6][7]
491
24.36% 		George Shea
Placentia and St. Mary's William Donnelly
897
17.74% 		George Emerson
1,077
21.30% 		James McGrath
William Siteman[9]
555
10.98% 		Richard O'Dwyer
1,018
20.13% 		William Donnelly
J. Tobin
515
10.19% 		James McGrath
994
19.66% 		George Emerson

Eastern Newfoundland

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
Reform Liberal (historical)
Bonavista Bay Donald Morison
1,429
18.32% 		Samuel Blandford
1,382
17.72% 		Alfred Morine
Alfred Morine
1,333
17.09% 		George Johnson[10]
1,283
16.45% 		Abram Kean†
Alfred Vincent[11]
1,228
15.75% 		William Davis[12]
1,144
14.67% 		Frederick White†
Trinity Bay Walter Grieve
789
9.87% 		William Whiteway
2,094
26.19% 		Robert Thorburn
Ellis Watson
746
9.33% 		Robert Bond
1,908
23.86% 		Walter Grieve
Robert Thorburn
698
8.73% 		David Webber
1,760
22.01% 		Ellis Watson

Central Newfoundland

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
Reform Liberal (historical)
Fogo
64.56% turnout[4] 		James Rolls
554
63.90% 		George Skelton
313
36.10% 		James Rolls
Twillingate Michael Knight
769
13.68% 		Edward Burgess
1,174
20.88% 		Augustus Goodridge
Smith McKay
732
13.02% 		Jabez P. Thompson
1,140
20.27% 		Smith McKay
Augustus Goodridge
720
12.80% 		Thomas Peyton
1,088
19.35% 		Michael Knight

Southern and Western Newfoundland

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
Reform Liberal (historical) Other
Burgeo and LaPoile
68.01% turnout[4] 		Henry Mott
164
19.92% 		James Murray
659
80.07% 		Alexander Mackay†
Burin Henry LeMessurier
579
23.23% 		Edward Rothwell
684
27.44% 		John Peters†
Robert McNeily[13]
552
22.14% 		James Tait
678
27.20% 		Henry LeMessurier
Fortune Bay
62.07% turnout[4] 		James Fraser Jr.
261
27.36% 		John Studdy
693
72.64% 		Robert Bond‡
(ran in Trinity Bay)
St. Barbe
58.80% turnout[4] 		Albert Bradshaw
122
16.53% 		George Fearn
616
83.47% 		Albert Bradshaw
St. George's Michael Carty
Won by acclamation 		Michael Carty

Notes

  1. ^ Not the incumbent, but ran in this district and won.

References

  1. ^ "To the Free and Independent Electors of the District of St. John's West". The Colonist. November 5, 1889. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  2. ^ "Address of P. J. Brien to the Free and Independent Voters of St. John's West". The Colonist. November 5, 1889. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  3. ^ "Political Memoranda". Evening Mercury. September 4, 1889. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Year Book and Almanac of Newfoundland 1890 (PDF). St. John's, NL: J. W. Withers. 1890. pp. 19–20. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
  5. ^ "The Political Fight in Carbonear District: Few Interesting Facts About the Nominations of Candidates". Evening Telegram. November 4, 1889. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  6. ^ a b "The Government's One and Only Success". Evening Telegram. November 8, 1889. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Political Campaign". The Colonist. November 15, 1889. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  8. ^ "The Young Patriot, Furlong, at Ferryland". Evening Telegram. October 9, 1889. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  9. ^ "Card: To the Free and Independent Electors of Placentia and St. Mary's". The Colonist. September 20, 1889. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  10. ^ "A Contrast". Evening Mercury. September 27, 1889. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  11. ^ "Political Memoranda". Evening Mercury. October 1, 1889. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  12. ^ "James Ryan Diary, 1889" (9 November 1889). James Ryan Ltd. Diaries. St. John's: Maritime History Archive.
  13. ^ "Very Much Exercised: The Rev. Editor of the "Mercury" on the Bait Act". Evening Mercury. September 2, 1889. Retrieved May 29, 2025.

Further reading

allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1889_Newfoundland_general_election