Memorable Manitobans: William Alexander Macdonald (1860-1946)

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William Alexander Macdonald
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Lawyer, MLA (1892-1893), judge.

Born at St. Catharines, Ontario on 7 June 1860, son of Frederick William and Eliza Clara Macdonald, he was educated at the St. Catharines College Institute. He opened a law practice at Brandon, Manitoba in 1882, serving as a Bencher for the Law Society of Manitoba from 1895 to 1898. Defeated in the 1888 provincial general election, he was elected in 1892 as the representative for Brandon City, serving as leader of the Opposition until his seat was declared void in September 1893 and he was defeated in a September 1893 by-election by Charles Adams. He moved to Nelson, British Columbia in 1898, staying there until 1909 when he went to Vancouver, joining the law firm of Cowan, Macdonald and Parkes. In 1913, he was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, serving until retirement in 1933. In 1884, he married Mary Elizabeth Gamble (?-?). They had one son and three daughters. He was a member of the Vancouver Club and AF & AM. He died at Vancouver on 1 October 1946.

Sources:

Who's Who in Western Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women of Western Canada, Volume 1, 1911. C. W. Parker, editor. Canadian Press Association, Vancouver.

“Former M.L.A. of Manitoba, dies in B.C.,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 October 1946. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B9]

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 20 December 2018

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

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