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Peter Gow (politician)

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For the Ontario MPP in the 20th century, see Peter Gow Cameron.Canadian businessman and politician

Peter Gow
Ontario MPP
In office
1867–1876
Preceded byRiding established
Succeeded byJames Massie
ConstituencyWellington South
10th Mayor of Guelph
In office
1866–1867
Preceded byWilliam Clarke
Succeeded byNathaniel Higinbotham
Personal details
Born(1818-11-20)November 20, 1818
Johnstone, Scotland
DiedFebruary 24, 1886(1886-02-24) (aged 67)
Guelph, Ontario
Political partyLiberal
Spouse Mary Maxwell Smith ​(m. 1857)​
Children6
OccupationBusinessman

Peter Gow (November 20, 1818 – February 24, 1886) was an Ontario businessman and political figure. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1867 to 1876.

Background

He was born in Johnstone, Scotland in 1818, the son of a shoemaker, and came to Brockville in Canada West in 1842. He later moved to Guelph, where he built mills on the Speed River, operated a tannery and produced shoes. He served on the school board and the town council in Guelph; he became reeve in 1857 and served as mayor in 1866 and 1867. He married Mary Maxwell Smith, in 1857 and they had six children.

In 1874, he was elected as the first president of the Ontario Branch of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club.

Politics

In 1867, he was elected to represent Wellington South in the 1st Parliament of Ontario as a Liberal member; he was re-elected in 1871 and 1875. In both those elections, the Conservative Party chose not to run a candidate and Gow was acclaimed. He served as Provincial Secretary and Registrar of Ontario from December 1871 to October 1872. During that time, the Mowat government made the decision to locate the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph.

Electoral history

1867 Ontario general election: Wellington South
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Peter Gow 940 58.42
Conservative Mr. Leslie 669 41.58
Total valid votes 1,609 74.56
Eligible voters 2,158
Liberal pickup new district.
Source: Elections Ontario
1871 Ontario general election: Wellington South
Party Candidate Votes
Liberal Peter Gow Acclaimed
Source: Elections Ontario
Ontario provincial by-election, January 1872: Wellington South
Ministerial by-election
Party Candidate Votes
Liberal Peter Gow Acclaimed
Source: History of the Electoral Districts, Legislatures and Ministries of the Province of Ontario
1875 Ontario general election: Wellington South
Party Candidate Votes
Liberal Peter Gow Acclaimed
Source: Elections Ontario

Cabinet positions

Ontario provincial government of Oliver Mowat
Cabinet post (1)
Predecessor Office Successor
Alexander Mackenzie Provincial Secretary and Registrar
1871-1872 		Timothy Blair Pardee

Later life

In 1876, he resigned for health reasons and was appointed sheriff for Wellington County, continuing to serve until his death in Guelph in 1886.

References

  1. https://www.curling.ca/hof/people/gow-hon-peter/
  2. | People in Politics
  3. "Data Explorer". Elections Ontario. 1867. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  4. "Data Explorer". Elections Ontario. 1871. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  5. Lewis, Roderick (1968). Centennial Edition of a History of the Electoral Districts, Legislatures and Ministries of the Province of Ontario, 1867–1968. OCLC 1052682.
  6. "Data Explorer". Elections Ontario. 1875. Retrieved April 6, 2024.

External links

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