1897 Newfoundland general election

Election in the Colony of Newfoundland September 2023 1897 Newfoundland general election Colony of Newfoundland Flag of Newfoundland (1870–1904).svg parliamentary no no 1893 Newfoundland general election 1893 Outgoing members October 28, 1897 Elected members 1900 Newfoundland general election 1900 36 seats of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly 19 75.30%A Year Book and Almanac of Newfoundland for 1898 1897 J. W. Withers St. John's, NL 18A–18B https://dai.mun.ca/pdfs/cns_almanac/YearBook1898.pdf 3 January 2026 ( 0.94pp) James Spearman Winter.png 200 125 160 5 40 center 006699 James Winter 1897 Conservative BurinNot the incumbent, but ran in this district and won. 12 seats, 45.59% 23 11 47,581 55.89% 10.30% x160px E62020 William Whiteway 1885 Liberal Harbour GraceRan in Trinity Bay (lost) 23 seats, 50.68% 13 10 36,062 42.36% 8.32% Premier William Whiteway Liberal James Winter Premier after election Conservative No The 1897 Newfoundland general election was held on October 28, 1897 to elect members of the 18th General Assembly of Newfoundland. The Conservative Party led by James Spearman Winter formed the government. On February 15, 1900, the government was defeated following a vote on a motion of no confidence which was supported by the Liberals and several Tories. Results  Party Leader 1893CandidatesSeats wonSeat change% of seats(% change)Popular vote % of vote(% change) NL Conservative (historical) rowConservativeJames Winter1236231163.89%(30.56%)47,58155.89%(10.30%) NL Liberal (historical) rowLiberalWilliam Whiteway2336131036.11%(27.78%)36,06242.36%(8.32%) NL Independent rowOther14010.00%( 2.78%)1,4901.75%( 1.97%)Totals367636100%85,133This figure includes votes cast for more than one candidate in multi-member districts. A total of 49,386 individual votes were cast in this election.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 NL Liberal (historical) Conservative (historical) Other |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|St. John's East78.79% turnout |NL Liberal (historical) background| |John P. Fox1,97319.06% | |Edward Shea1,53114.79% |rowspan=3| |rowspan=3|Thomas Keating (Independent)Note from Mr. Keating https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/telegram18/id/49323/rec/1 26 May 2025 Evening Telegram 27 September 18976696.46% |NL Liberal (historical) background| |John P. Fox |- |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Thomas Murphy1,72016.62% | |Robert Parsons Jr.1,47814.28% |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Charles Hutton† |- |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Lawrence Furlong1,57715.24% | |Patrick O'NeilNomination https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/telegram18/id/49413/rec/2 26 May 2025 Evening Telegram 18 October 18971,40113.54% |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Lawrence Furlong |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|St. John's West81.99% turnout |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Edward Morris1,75219.04% | |Thomas White1,46115.88% | | |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Edward Morris |- |NL Liberal (historical) background| |James Tessier1,61017.50% | |Charles Ryan1,41815.41% | | |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Patrick Scott‡(ran in Placentia and St. Mary's) |- |NL Liberal (historical) background| |James Callanan1,58817.26% | |Jacob Chafe1,37114.90% | | |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Thomas Jackman† |} Conception Bay NL Liberal (historical) Conservative (historical) Other |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=2|Bay de Verde80.98% turnout | |Henry J. B. Woods82922.64% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Abram Kean1,03528.27% | | |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Henry Woods |- | |Michael Knight78421.41% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |William Rogerson1,01327.67% | | |NL Liberal (historical) background| |John Ayre† |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|Carbonear71.75% turnout |NL Liberal (historical) background| |William Duff53751.68% | |Alfred Penney50248.32% | | |NL Liberal (historical) background| |William Duff |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|Harbour Grace76.00% turnout |NL Liberal (historical) background| |William Horwood1,07317.57% | |William WardNomination Day https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/hgstandard/id/12122/rec/1 26 May 2025 Harbour Grace Standard 22 October 189791514.98% |rowspan=3| |rowspan=3|D. J. Green (Independent)2474.04% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Henry Dawe |- |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Eli Dawe1,06017.35% | |Henry Dawe90214.77% |NL Liberal (historical) background| |William Whiteway‡(ran in Trinity Bay) |- |NL Liberal (historical) background| |William Oke1,05017.19% | |Graham Munn86114.10% |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Eli Dawe |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=2|Harbour Main74.80% turnout | |Frank Morris68720.56% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |John St. John1,03831.06% | | |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Frank Morris |- | |Richard MacDonnell59917.92% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |William Woodford1,01830.46% | | |NL Conservative (historical) background| |William Woodford |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|Port de Grave69.18% turnout | |James Clift39030.12% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Charles Dawe90569.88% | | |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Charles Dawe |} Avalon Peninsula NL Liberal (historical) Conservative (historical) Other |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=2|Ferryland86.88% turnout |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Michael Cashin80932.03% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |George Shea67726.80% |rowspan=2| |rowspan=2|Michael Condon (Independent)2459.70% |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Michael Cashin |- | |Martin W. FurlongMartin Furlong's Failure https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/dailynews/id/281535/rec/2 26 May 2025 Daily News 28 October 189751220.27% | |J. E. White28311.20% |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Daniel Greene† |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|Placentia and St. Mary's78.32% turnout | |Richard McGrath1,00512.55% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |William J. S. Donnelly1,76922.09% | | |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Richard McGrath |- | |Patrick Scott93011.61% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Rhodie Callahan1,70721.31% | | |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Michael Tobin† |- | |William O'ReillyThe Deadly Parallel! Electors, Read This! https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/telegram18/id/49358/rec/3 26 May 2025 Evening Telegram 5 October 189789411.16% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Michael Carty1,70421.28% | | |NL Liberal (historical) background| |John Dunphy† |} Eastern Newfoundland NL Liberal (historical) Conservative (historical) |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|Bonavista Bay69.56% turnout | |James Tait8298.45% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Darius Blandford2,52425.73% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Donald Morison† |- | |Albert H. MartinPolitical Notes https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/hgstandard/id/12177/rec/2 26 May 2025 Harbour Grace Standard 1 October 18977888.03% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |John Cowan2,51925.68% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Alfred Morine‡(ran in Twillingate) |- | |James Blandford7677.81% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |John A. Robinson2,38424.30% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Darius Blandford |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|Trinity Bay78.89% turnout | |William Whiteway1,31712.19% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Robert Bremner2,50723.20% |NL Liberal (historical) background| |William Horwood‡(ran in Harbour Grace) |- | |George Gushue1,25011.57% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Robert Watson2,31721.44% |NL Liberal (historical) background| |George Gushue |- | |George Johnson1,22911.37% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Levi March2,18620.23% |NL Liberal (historical) background| |George Johnson |- |} Central Newfoundland NL Liberal (historical) Conservative (historical) |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|Fogo67.10% turnout | |Charles Earle46439.22% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Thomas Duder71960.78% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Thomas Duder |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|Twillingate78.94% turnout |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Robert Bond1,86518.85% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Alan Goodridge1,67416.92% |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Giles Foote† |- |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Donald Browning1,68817.06% | |Alfred Morine1,60616.23% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Augustus Goodridge† |- | |George Roberts1,61516.32% | |Joshua Taverner1,44714.62% |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Robert Bond |} Southern and Western Newfoundland NL Liberal (historical) Conservative (historical) Other |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|Burgeo and LaPoile69.94% turnout | |James MurrayEditorial Notes https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/telegram18/id/49263/rec/1 26 May 2025 Evening Telegram 13 September 1897Political Pars https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/telegram18/id/49263/rec/1 26 May 2025 The Daily News 14 September 189744040.93% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Henry Mott63559.07% | | |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Henry Mott |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=2|Burin75.39% turnout | |Henry Gear57817.85% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |James Winter1,07233.10% | | |NL Liberal (historical) background| |James Pitman‡(ran in Fortune Bay) |- | |William B. Payne57717.81% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |John Lake1,01231.24% | | |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Henry Gear |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|Fortune Bay64.21% turnout | |James Pitman47437.80% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Henry Hayward78062.20% | | |NL Vacant background| |VacantJames Fraser Jr. had been elected in 1893, but he had died while in office on April 22, 1896. |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|St. Barbe58.40% turnout | |Alexander A. Parsons35536.75% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Albert Bradshaw61163.25% | | |NL Liberal (historical) background| |Alexander Parsons |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|St. George's74.57% turnout | |Maurice Devine44732.51% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Michael Gibbs59943.56% | |James HayseDevine vs. Gibbs: For Whom Shall You Vote https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/telegram18/id/49422/rec/7 26 May 2025 Evening Telegram 20 October 1897 (Independent)32923.93% |NL Conservative (historical) background| |Michael Carty‡(ran in Placentia and St. Mary's) |- |} Notes References Further reading Riggs Bert 1981 General Election #18: October 28, 1897 https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/cns_enl/id/94 Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, volume 1 St. John's Harry Cuff Publications Ltd. 26 May 2025 1897 Category:1897 elections in North America Category:1897 elections in Canada Category:Pre-Confederation Newfoundland Category:1890s in Newfoundland Category:1897 in North America Category:1897 in the British Empire Category:October 1897 in North America