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William Anderson Black

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The Hon.
William Anderson Black
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Halifax
In office
December 5, 1923 – September 1, 1934
Personal details
Born(1847-10-09)October 9, 1847
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
DiedSeptember 1, 1934(1934-09-01) (aged 86)
Political partyConservative

William Anderson Black, PC (October 9, 1847 – September 1, 1934) was a Canadian politician. He is the oldest person ever elected to the House of Commons of Canada, 76 years, 1 month, 26 days when he was first elected.[1] He was 83 when he last won election and he died in office.

He was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia, the son of Samuel Gay Black and Sophia Wright.[2] In 1875, with Robert Pickford, Black founded Pickford and Black, a company that supplied ship's provisions. The company expanded into shipping passengers and freight as well as trading in the West Indies. He represented Halifax County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1894 to 1897. In 1922, he was a co-founder of the Maritime Life Assurance Company.[3] Black was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada for the riding of Halifax in a 1923 by-election. A Conservative, he was re-elected in 1925, 1926, and 1930. In 1926, he was the Minister of Marine and Fisheries (Acting) and Minister of Railways and Canals in the short lived cabinet of Arthur Meighen.

Black also served as president of Eastern Canada Savings and Loan and was a director for the Royal Bank. He married Annie Bell and had five children. In 1924, he established a chair of commerce at Dalhousie University.[3]

Electoral record

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1930 Canadian federal election: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Elected
Conservative William Anderson Black 21,611 26.51 -1.82 Green tickY
Conservative Felix Patrick Quinn 21,280 26.11 -1.05 Green tickY
Liberal Peter R. Jack 19,439 23.85    
Liberal Edward Joseph Cragg 19,185 23.54    
Total valid votes 81,515 100.00
Turnout ≥76.68
Eligible voters 53,154
Conservative notional hold Swing -2.87
Source: Sayers, Anthony (2017). "1930 Federal Election". Canadian Elections Database. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
1926 Canadian federal election: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Elected
Conservative William Anderson Black 17,911 28.33 -3.96 Green tickY
Conservative Felix Patrick Quinn 17,171 27.16 -3.76 Green tickY
Liberal James Layton Ralston 14,139 22.36    
Liberal John Murphy 14,007 22.15    
Total valid votes 63,228 100.00
Conservative notional hold Swing -7.71
1925 Canadian federal election: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Elected
Conservative William Anderson Black 18,796 32.29   Green tickY
Conservative Felix Patrick Quinn 17,996 30.91   Green tickY
Liberal Gordon Ross Marshall 10,815 18.58    
Liberal Robert Emmett Finn 10,609 18.22    
Total valid votes 58,216 100.00
Conservative notional hold Swing +9.30

References

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  1. ^ Eldest at Time of Appointment or First Election
  2. ^ Eaton, Arthur WH The History of King's County (1910) Archived 2020-03-25 at the Wayback Machine p. 489
  3. ^ a b ""Honourable William A. Black to be Inducted Posthumously, Junior Achievement Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame"" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
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