William Hooey Spinks (1873-1949)

Farmer, municipal official, MLA (1921-1922), MLA (1923-1927), MLA (1927-1932).

Born at Blackstock, Ontario on 23 July 1873, son of William Spinks and Sussannah Hooey. His family came to Manitoba in 1894 and settled on a farm near Treherne. Spinks farmed in the area until 1921.

On 29 January 1902, he married Mary Eleanor Jackson (1873-1948) of Holmfield, Manitoba. They had two children: Olive Elizabeth Spinks (b 1903, wife of L. C. Stinson) and Dr. Gordon Spinks (b 1909). He served as Reeve of the Rural Municipality of South Norfolk (1908 to 1920), was a charter member of the Grain Growers’ Association, and was for eight years President of the Treherne Agricultural Society. He was elected to the Manitoba Legislature for the Cypress constituency in 1920, running as a Conservative. In 1922 he ran as an Independent and was re-elected until 1932, when he was defeated by J. L. Christie. He was a member of the Masons (Past Worshipful Master of Treherne Lodge No. 51), IOOF, the Orange Lodge (County Master), and the United Church.

He moved to Hamilton, Ontario in 1937 to be nearer to his son. He died while visiting Toronto on 25 May 1949 and was buried at Hamilton.

Sources:

Birth and marriage registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

1911 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

“Former MLA for Cypress, W. H. Spinks, dies” Winnipeg Free Press, 27 May 1949, page 4.

This profile was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Profile revised: 31 January 2010

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