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1869 Newfoundland general election

Election in Canada


Election in Canada

FieldValue
election_name1869 Newfoundland general election
typeparliamentary
party_colourno
party_nameno
flag_imageFile:Flag of Newfoundland (1862–1870).svg
previous_election1865 Newfoundland general election
previous_year1865
previous_mps[outgoing members](9th-general-assembly-of-newfoundland-members-of-the-assembly)
election_dateNovember 13, 1869
elected_mps[members](10th-general-assembly-of-newfoundland-members-of-the-assembly)
next_election1873 Newfoundland general election
next_year1873
seats_for_election30 seats of the Newfoundland House of Assembly
majority_seats16
image1[[File:Charles Fox Bennett.jpg170x170px]]
colour1EABB94
leader1Charles Fox Bennett
leader_since11869
party1Anti-Confederation
leaders_seat1Placentia and St. Mary's
last_election18
seats1**21**
seat_change113
popular_vote1**11,289**
percentage1**80.77%**
swing136.19%
image2[[File:FrederickCarter (cropped).jpg170x170px]]
colour2006699
leader2Frederick Carter
leader_since21865
party2Conservative
leaders_seat2Burin
last_election222
seats29
seat_change213
popular_vote22,688
percentage219.23%
swing236.19%
map_size400px
titlePremier
before_electionFrederick Carter
before_partyConservative
after_electionCharles Fox Bennett
posttitlePremier after election
after_partyAnti-Confederation
ongoingno

The 1869 Newfoundland general election was held on November 13, 1869 to elect members of the 10th General Assembly of Newfoundland in the Newfoundland Colony. The Anti-Confederates led by Charles Fox Bennett formed the government.

The election was dominated by the issue of Newfoundland's potential union with the new Dominion of Canada. The incumbent Conservative coalition administration, led by Frederick Carter, supported Confederation. Terms of union were drafted by local confederates and they were passed after much debate within the Newfoundland House of Assembly. When the terms were ratified by the Canadian Parliament, Carter thought it best to put the decisive issue to a vote through a general election. Those opposed to Newfoundland's union with Canada coalesced under Bennett, a St. John's merchant who argued that Confederation would bring about increased taxation.

The Anti-Confederate campaign was vigorous and hard-fought. Bennett conducted a colony-wide tour across many outport communities, alleging that Newfoundlanders would be drafted into the Canadian Army if they voted for the incumbent government. By contrast, the Conservative opposition was unprepared to deal with the campaign, countering that Bennett was primarily concerned in protecting his personal interests rather than the well-being of the public. With the decisive Anti-Confederate victory, the Conservatives thereafter abandoned the issue of Confederation, and the debate was settled for the moment.

Henry Renouf ran in both St. John's West and Placentia and St. Mary's. After this election, no person ran in more than one seat until the 2025 Newfoundland and Labrador general election.

Results

PartyLeader[1865](1865-newfoundland-general-election)CandidatesSeats wonSeat change% of seats
(% change)Popular vote% of vote
(% change)Totals304830100%13,977100%
Anti-ConfederationCharles Fox Bennett828211370.00%
(43.33%)11,28980.77%
(36.19%)Conservative
(Confederation)Frederick Carter222091330.00%
(43.33%)2,688

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

|- || |William Walsh 1,327 30.42% 412 9.45% ||

John Kavanagh†
James Jordan
1,325
30.38%
John Kent†
-
Robert Parsons Sr.
1,298
29.76%
Robert Parsons Sr.
-
Peter Brennan
Won by acclamation

| | ||

Peter Brennan
Thomas Talbot
Won by acclamation

| | ||

Thomas Talbot
Henry Renouf
Won by acclamation

| | ||

Henry Renouf
}

Conception Bay

|- | |Robert Reader At least 29 votes || |John Bemister Majority of 400 votes ||

John Bemister

| |Francis Taylor || |John Rorke ||

John Rorke

| |James Prendergast || |John Munn ||

Vacant

| |Robert Dawe || |William Green ||

William Green
Joseph Little
Won by acclamation

| | ||

Joseph Little
John Kennedy
Won by acclamation

| | ||

Charles Furey†
James Woods
733
87.89%

| |Robert Pinsent 101 12.11% ||

Robert Pinsent
}

Avalon Peninsula

|- || |Thomas Glen Won by acclamation | | ||

Thomas Glen
Thomas Battcock
Won by acclamation

| | ||

Michael Kearney†
Charles Fox Bennett
882
30.34%

| |Thomas O'Reilly 103 3.54% ||

Ambrose Shea
Henry Renouf
872
30.00%

| |Ambrose Shea 100 3.44% ||

Pierce Barron
Robert Parsons Jr.
860
29.58%

| |Pierce Barron 90 3.10% || |Thomas O'Reilly |}

Eastern and Central Newfoundland

|- || |James Noonan 697 19.39% | |John Warren 539 14.99% ||

John Warren
Francis Winton
657
18.28%

| |John Burton 537 14.94% ||

John Burton
William Barnes
650
18.08%

| |Michael Carroll 515 14.33% ||

John Oakley†
Robert Alsop
Stephen Rendell
Stephen Rendell
-
Thomas H. Ridley
Robert Alsop
-

| |Ellis Watson ||

Frederick Wyatt†
Smith McKay
1,063
44.68%

| |William Whiteway 208 8.74% ||

William Whiteway
Charles Duder
1,025
43.09%

| |Thomas Knight 83 3.49% || |Thomas Knight |}

Southern Newfoundland

|- | | || |Prescott Emerson Won by acclamation ||

D. W. Prowse†

| |Henry LeMessurier || |Frederick Carter Majority of 2 or 3 votes ||

Frederick Carter

| |John Woods || |Edward Evans Majority of 2 or 3 votes ||

Edward Evans
Thomas Bennett
Won by acclamation

| | || |Thomas Bennett |}

Notes

References

References

  1. (23 September 2025). "Coffin Not First Candidate to Run in Two Separate Districts". [[Stingray Group]].
  2. (24 September 2025). "Why former NDP leader Alison Coffin is running for two seats as an independent in NL provincial election". [[Postmedia Network]].
  3. (30 November 1869). "Responding to the Courier". Newfoundland Express.
  4. (20 November 1869). "Responding to the Courier". Newfoundland Express.
  5. (10 November 1869). "Nomination Day". Morning Courier.
  6. (23 November 1869). "The Burin Election". Newfoundland Express.
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