1909 Newfoundland general election

1909 Newfoundland general election

← 1908
May 8, 1909
1913 →

36 seats of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
19 seats needed for a majority
Turnout77.81%[1] (Increase4.03pp)
  First party Second party
 
Leader Edward Morris Robert Bond
Party People's Liberal
Leader since 1908 1897
Leader's seat St. John's West Twillingate
Last election 18 18
Seats won 26 10
Seat change Increase 8 Decrease 8
Popular vote 54,111 48,200
Percentage 52.89% 47.11%
Swing Increase3.55% Decrease3.11%

Prime Minister before election

Edward Morris
People's

Prime Minister after election

Edward Morris
People's

The 1909 Newfoundland general election was held on 8 May 1909 to elect members of the 22nd General Assembly of Newfoundland in the Dominion of Newfoundland. The Newfoundland People's Party led by Edward P. Morris, having secured a majority, formed the government.

Results

  Party Leader 1908 Candidates Seats won Seat change % of seats
(% change)
Popular vote % of vote
(% change)
  People's Edward Morris 18 36 26 Increase8 72.22%
(Increase22.22%)
54,111 52.89%
(Increase3.55%)
  Liberal Robert Bond 18 36 10 Decrease8 27.78%
(Decrease22.22%)
48,200 47.11%
(Decrease3.11%)
Totals 36 72 36 Steady 100% 102,311[a] 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
Liberal (historical) People's
St. John's East
84.46% turnout
James Kent
2,595
20.05%
Michael Gibbs
1,979
15.29%
James Kent
George Shea
2,471
19.09%
Frank McNamara[2]
1,741
13.45%
George Shea
John Dwyer
2,457
18.98%
Maurice Devine
1,702
13.15%
John Dwyer
St. John's West
83.92% turnout
William Ellis
1,858
16.05%
Edward Morris
2,205
19.05%
Edward Morris
Henry Cowan
1,762
15.22%
John R. Bennett
2,094
18.09%
John R. Bennett
John Scott
1,663
14.36%
Michael Kennedy
1,995
17.23%
Michael Kennedy

Conception Bay

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
Liberal (historical) People's
Bay de Verde
85.96% turnout
Robert Duff
1,044
24.00%
John Crosbie
1,145
26.32%
John Crosbie
Charles Steer
1,035
23.79%
Jesse Whiteway
1,126
25.89%
Jesse Whiteway
Carbonear
82.65% turnout
Joseph Maddock
559
48.11%
John Goodison
603
51.89%
Joseph Maddock
Harbour Grace
86.24% turnout
John Parsons[3]
1,223
15.52%
Archibald Piccott
1,444
18.33%
Archibald Piccott
Arthur Barnes
1,210
15.36%
Alfred Seymour
1,404
17.82%
Edward Parsons
Eli Dawe
1,195
15.17%
Edward Parsons
1,403
17.81%
Eli Dawe
Harbour Main
80.55% turnout
John Lewis
949
23.49%
William Woodford
1,118
27.67%
William Woodford
John J. St. John
908
22.48%
John J. Murphy
1,065
26.36%
John J. Murphy
Port de Grave
80.94% turnout
Samuel Bartlett
765
49.48%
William Warren
781
50.52%
William Warren

Avalon Peninsula

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
Liberal (historical) People's
Ferryland
92.85% turnout
George Power[4]
617
21.75%
Michael Cashin
881
31.05%
Michael Cashin
Michael Condon
537
18.93%
Philip Moore
802
28.27%
William Ellis
(ran in St. John's West)
Placentia and St. Mary's
83.50% turnout
Edward Jackman
1,593
16.12%
Richard Devereaux
1,791
18.12%
Edward Jackman
Michael Sullivan
1,528
15.46%
William Howley
1,767
17.88%
Michael Sullivan
James Davis
1,461
14.78%
Frank Morris
1,743
17.64%
James Davis

Eastern Newfoundland

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
Liberal (historical) People's
Bonavista Bay
65.73% turnout
John Giles[5]
652
5.79%
Sydney Blandford
3,158
28.02%
Sydney Blandford
Ambrose Janes[5]
636
5.64%
William C. Winsor
3,133
27.80%
William C. Winsor
Arthur Herder[5]
615
5.46%
Donald Morison
3,076
27.29%
Donald Morison
Trinity Bay
83.20% turnout
George Gushue
2,082
16.71%
Richard Squires
2,182
17.51%
George Gushue
Arthur Miller
2,014
16.16%
Robert Watson
2,176
17.46%
Arthur Miller
George Ayre
1,905
15.29%
Edwin Grant
2,104
16.88%
Robert Watson

Central Newfoundland

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
Liberal (historical) People's
Fogo
81.67% turnout
Henry Earle
861
50.45%
Henry Fitzgerald
845
49.53%
Henry Earle
Twillingate
74.94% turnout
Robert Bond
2,621
23.19%
Alan Goodridge
1,297
11.48%
Robert Bond
James A. Clift
2,592
22.93%
Jordan Milley
1,204
10.65%
James Clift
George Roberts
2,498
22.10%
Sydney Woods[6]
1,090
9.64%
George Roberts

Southern and Western Newfoundland

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
Liberal (historical) People's
Burgeo and LaPoile
69.40% turnout
A. J. W. McNeilly
467
36.26%
Robert Moulton
821
63.74%
Robert Moulton
Burin
64.82% turnout
Henry Gear
795
25.38%
John A. Robinson
781
24.94%
Edward Davey
Edward Davey
782
24.97%
Thomas LeFeuvre
774
24.71%
Henry Gear
Fortune Bay
56.43% turnout
William Lloyd
608
45.41%
Charles Emerson
731
54.59%
Charles Emerson
St. Barbe
72.35% turnout
William Clapp
911
53.56%
Henry Mott
790
46.44%
William Clapp
St. George's
72.47% turnout
George Carty
731
38.66%
Joseph Downey
1,160
61.34%
Joseph Downey

Notes

  1. ^ This figure includes votes cast for more than one candidate in multi-member districts. A total of 44,384 individual votes were cast in this election.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Year Book and Almanac of Newfoundland 1911. St. John's, NL: J. W. Withers. 1911. pp. 18–19.
  2. ^ "Representative of the People's Party". Evening Chronicle. October 7, 1908. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
  3. ^ "The Liberal Tidal Wave: Greatest Political Meeting Ever Held at Harbor Grace Last Night". Evening Telegram. April 22, 1909. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
  4. ^ "To Our Country". Harbour Grace Standard. April 30, 1909. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c "Ha! Ha!! Ha!!!". Daily News. April 22, 1909. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
  6. ^ "Woods for Twillingate". Daily News. September 25, 1908. Retrieved May 17, 2025.

Further reading