William Morton (1884-1958)

Farmer, MLA (1927-1932), MLA (1933-1936), MLA (1937-1940), MLA (1941-1945), MLA (1946-1949), MLA (1950-1953), MLA (1954-1957).

Born at Gladstone, Manitoba on 3 July 1884, son of Thomas Lewis Morton and Honora Mary Morton, he was educated at St. John’s College where he was a champion athlete. He served 14 years on the Westbourne council, four as councillor and ten as Reeve of Westbourne, before his election as MLA in 1927. In 1939 he succeeded W. J. Major as minister of Municipal Affairs, then of telephones (1944), then public works (1950). He declined to succeed Premier Garson in 1948.

On 7 December 1907, he married Mary Mathilda Manwaring of Birtle, Manitoba. They had six children: William Lewis Morton, Margaret Morton (wife of Brock Fahrni), Dorothy Morton (wife of Kartjan Johnson), Francis Lionel Morton, Henry Morton, and Honora Morton (wife of George Phillips).

He died at Winnipeg on 28 January 1958. He is commemorated by William Morton Collegiate in Gladstone.

There are papers at the Archives of Manitoba.

Sources:

The Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1929.

“Hon. William L. Morton, cabinet minister, dies”, Winnipeg Free Press, 28 January 1958, page 4.

Western Municipal News, March 1958, page 89.

We thank William Morton for providing additional information used in this profile.

Profile revised: 22 January 2010

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