John William Pratt (1894-1973)

Lawyer, MLA (1927-1932), MLA (1933-1936).

Born at Hempton, Oxfordshire on 22 October 1894, son of John W. Pratt and Julia A. Dixon, he was educated at Merchant Taylors School and Hitchin Grammar School. He came to Canada in 1912 and articled in law at Birtle, Manitoba with Louis Stubbs, was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1919, and practiced law at Birtle until his death. He received an LLB degree from the University of Manitoba. On 15 July 1920, he married Kathleen A. Barnes, daughter of William T. Barnes, of Winnipeg. They had five children: Eileen A. Pratt, Brian Pratt, Dennis Pratt, David Pratt, and Edward Pratt.

He served as a Director of the Birtle Agricultural Society, and a member of the Advisory Board for the Birtle Co-operative Seed Barley Growers' Association. He enlisted in the R.F.C. in 1918. He was Mayor of the Town of Birtle in 1926 and 1927. Member of the AF & AM and IOOF. He was first elected to the Manitoba Legislature at the 1927 general election. Progressive. Anglican.

He died at Birtle on 29 November 1973.

Source:

The Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1929.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 1 December 1973, page 45.

We thank David Pratt for providing additional information used in this profile.

Profile revised: 19 November 2009

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