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15 seats in the Newfoundland House of Assembly 8 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||
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 Results by riding | |||||||||||||
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The 1832 Newfoundland general election came after many years of agitation against the British Parliament. Newfoundland was the last British colony in North America to gain representative government.
| Leader | Seats won | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 10 | |
| Liberal | 5 | |
| Total | 15 | |
The first general election for Newfoundland was held in November, 1832. The island was divided into nine electoral districts:
None of the west coast of Newfoundland was represented during the 1832 general election because it fell within the jurisdiction of the French and American treaty shores. 15 seats in total, were up for election and representation to govern the affairs of the island.
The districts were determined by settlements and landmarks along the coast, with no consideration given to areas inland. It was determined that all residents lived on or near the coast.
Each candidate had to be male, twenty-one years or older, of sound understanding, either natural-born to the island or a lawfully naturalized British citizen, and a resident of two years standing who had occupied a dwelling as either tenant or owner. Also, no candidate could have a criminal record for any infamous or heinous crime. [1] Voters were held to much the same restrictions as candidates except the residency requirement was reduced from two years to one.
The election was conducted over a period of two months from the day of proclamation to the last polling date of December 8, 1832. There were forty-seven polling booths located at strategic locations and not all communities had one. Except for the districts of St. John's, Conception Bay, and Bonavista, the candidates were elected by acclamation.
The nomination for Conception Bay was held on October 31, 1832, with the following candidates nominated for the four available seats:
| Candidates | October 31 | November 1 | November 2 | November 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Pack | 380 | 197 | 228 | 131 | 936 |
| Charles Cozens | 376 | 195 | 223 | 129 | 923 |
| Peter Brown | 364 | 202 | 224 | 133 | 923 |
| James Power | 371 | 198 | 209 | 126 | 904 |
| Robert J. Pinsent | 31 | 56 | 36 | 20 | 143 |
After the election results of November 3, 1832, Robert Pinsent withdrew and the remaining four were declared representatives for the district.
Seven candidates offered themselves for election after the reading of the Proclamation and the Writ. Two more offered after the first polling day, which was met with some skepticism. Nominated were:
| Candidates | November 5 | November 6 | November 7 | November 8 | November 9 | November 10 | November 12(a) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Kent | 19 | 129 | 137 | 152 | 197 | 190 | 69 | 893 |
| William Thomas | 17 | 64 | 115 | 141 | 158 | 194 | 73 | 762 |
| Patrick Kough | 4 | 88 | 122 | 124 | 130 | 123 | 56 | 647 |
| William Carson | 15 | 63 | 115 | 119 | 137 | 142 | 41 | 632 |
| William Row(b) | 5 | 34 | nob(c) | nob | nob | nob | nob | 39 |
| Patrick Power(b) | 0 | 28 | nob | nob | nob | nob | nob | 28 |
| Patrick Mullowney(b) | 0 | 27 | nob | nob | nob | nob | nob | 27 |
| Walsh(b)(d) | nob | 18 | nob | nob | nob | nob | nob | 18 |
| Ryan(b)(d) | nob | 12 | nob | nob | nob | nob | nob | 12 |
(a) No voting took place on Sunday, November 11.
(b) dropped out of the race after results of November 6.
(c) nob - not on ballot.
(d) not one of the original nominees.
After the results of voting on November 12, 1832, Dr. William Carson withdrew and the remaining three were declared as representatives of the District of St. John's.
At the opening of the House of Assembly on January 2, 1833, Dr. Carson petitioned the House for Patrick Kough's removal, claiming he was a government employee and ineligible. The petition was denied.
There were two candidates for the district of Bonavista, Hugh Alexander Emerson and William Brown. After three polling stations had voted, William Brown withdrew. The returning officer, Peter LeMessurier, refused to recognize his withdrawal from the race and continued to the next polling station at Greenspond, a Brown stronghold. After those results, William Brown was declared the winner, and no voting took place at the remaining polling station at Cape Freels.
At the opening of the House of Assembly on January 2, 1833, Hugh Alexander Emerson petitioned the House for William Brown's removal due to Peter LeMessurier's actions. The petition was denied.
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative (historical) | Liberal (historical) | |||||
| 1. Bonavista Bay | William Brown | |||||
| 2. Burin | William Hooper | |||||
| 3. Conception Bay | Charles Cozens | Peter Brown James Power Robert Pack | ||||
| 4. Ferryland | Robert Carter | |||||
| 5. Fortune Bay | Newman Hoyles | |||||
| 6. Placentia and St. Mary's | John Martin | Roger Sweetman | ||||
| 7. St. John's | Patrick Kough William Thomas | John Kent | ||||
| 8. Trinity Bay | John Bingley Garland | |||||
| 9. Twillingate and Fogo | Thomas Bennett | |||||
John Bingley Garland was appointed the first Speaker of the House. Both John Bingley Garland and William Thomas were appointed to the Executive Council and resigned their seats in the House of Assembly. William Row, who ran for a seat in St. John’s, was given the seat for Trinity Bay and Dr. William Carson was given a seat for the District of St. John's.
Carbonear is a town on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It overlooks the west side of Conception Bay and had a history long tied to fishing and shipbuilding. Since the late 20th century, its economy has changed to emphasize education, health care, retail, and industry. As of 2021, there were 4,696 people in the community.
Cape Freels is one of the communities that comprise an area on the northeast coast of the Island of Newfoundland, called Bonavista North, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. These communities have a shared history in that they were settled by people from England, predominantly from the West Country - Dorset, Devon, Somerset and Hampshire.
The 1861 Newfoundland general election was held in 1861 to elect members of the 8th General Assembly of Newfoundland in Newfoundland Colony. 14 Conservatives and 12 Liberals were elected. The results in Harbour Grace and Harbour Main electoral districts were set aside following violence at the polls; members were elected in subsequent by-elections. The Liberal Party led by John Kent was defeated by the Conservatives led by Hugh Hoyles; Ambrose Shea replaced Kent as party leader.
The 1855 Newfoundland general election was held in 1855 to elect members of the 6th General Assembly of Newfoundland. This was the first election after responsible government was introduced to Newfoundland Colony. The Liberal Party led by Philip Francis Little formed the government.
The 1852 Newfoundland general election was held in 1852 to elect members of the 5th General Assembly of Newfoundland in Newfoundland Colony. There were 9 Liberals and 6 Conservatives elected.
The 1848 Newfoundland general election was held in 1848 to elect members of the 4th General Assembly of Newfoundland in Newfoundland Colony. The use of two separate bodies, an elected assembly and an appointed Legislative Council, was resumed; the experiment with combining the two bodies which had been initiated in 1842 was terminated. While the exact party composition of the Newfoundland House of Assembly following this election is unknown; the Liberals did enjoy a majority.
The 1842 Newfoundland general election was held in 1842 to elect members of the 3rd General Assembly of Newfoundland in Newfoundland Colony. The elected assembly with 15 members and the appointed Legislative Council with 10 members were combined into a unicameral legislature.
The 1874 Newfoundland general election was held in 1874 to elect members of the 12th General Assembly of Newfoundland in the Colony of Newfoundland. The Conservative Party led by Frederick Carter formed the government.
The 1878 Newfoundland general election was held in 1878 to elect members of the 13th General Assembly of Newfoundland in Newfoundland Colony. The Conservative Party led by William Vallance Whiteway formed the government.
The 1836 Newfoundland general election was held in 1836 in the Colony of Newfoundland. The results of the election were set aside by Henry John Boulton after he discovered some of the writs from the election had not been marked with the official seal. Some felt that this was a pretext used because Liberal reformers had dominated the assembly and a number who had been reelected in 1836 did not run for reelection the following year.
The 1873 Newfoundland general election was held in November 1873 to elect members of the 11th General Assembly of Newfoundland in the Colony of Newfoundland. The Anti-Confederates led by Charles Fox Bennett formed the government; a "new" Conservative party led by Frederick Carter formed the opposition.
The 1837 Newfoundland general election was held in 1837 to elect members of the 2nd General Assembly of Newfoundland in Newfoundland Colony. The results of the previous election had been set aside by Henry John Boulton after he discovered some of the writs from the previous election had not been marked with the official seal. A number of Liberal reformers who had been elected in 1836 did not run for reelection. However, reformers continued to dominate the assembly.
The 1885 Newfoundland general election was held on 31 October 1885 to elect members of the 15th General Assembly of Newfoundland in the Newfoundland Colony. The Reform Party had been created by Robert Thorburn on a platform of "Protestant Rights" after supporters of the Orange Order abandoned the Whiteway government after sectarian riots in 1885 against the government's 'denominational compromise'. Whiteway's Conservative Party was destroyed as a result and Whiteway founded a new Liberal Party. Thorburn's new party swept to power but soon turned away from its sectarian agenda by inviting Catholic Liberals into the Cabinet.
The 1897 Newfoundland general election was held on 28 October 1897 to elect members of the 18th General Assembly of Newfoundland in Newfoundland Colony. The Tory Party led by James Spearman Winter formed the government. On February 15, 1900, the government was defeated following a vote on a motion of no confidence which was supported by the Liberals and several Tories.
The 1909 Newfoundland general election was held on 8 May 1909 to elect members of the 22nd General Assembly of Newfoundland in the Dominion of Newfoundland. The Newfoundland People's Party led by Edward P. Morris, having secured a majority, formed the government.
The 1913 Newfoundland general election was held on 30 October 1913 to elect members of the 23rd General Assembly of Newfoundland in the Dominion of Newfoundland. The Liberal Party led by Robert Bond formed a coalition with the Fishermen's Protective Union led by William Coaker. Although the majority held by the Newfoundland People's Party was reduced in this election, it was again returned to power and Edward P. Morris continued to serve as Prime Minister of Newfoundland. A general election originally scheduled for 1917 was deferred until 1919 because of World War I. After Morris retired from politics in 1918, William F. Lloyd, a Liberal member of the Executive Council, was asked to form a government. In May 1919, Michael Patrick Cashin, the leader of the People's Party, introduced a motion of no confidence which resulted in the defeat of the government. Cashin served as Newfoundland prime minister until the election held later in 1919.
The 1928 Newfoundland general election was held on 2 June 1928 to elect members of the 27th General Assembly of Newfoundland in the Dominion of Newfoundland. The Liberal Party led by Richard Squires defeated the Conservative Party led by Frederick C. Alderdice and formed the government with the support of Fishermen's Protective Union members. Legislation had been introduced so that persons named to the Executive Council were no longer required to run for reelection. Helena E. Squires, elected in a 1930 by-election, became the first woman elected to the Newfoundland assembly.
Fogo Island-Cape Freels is a provincial electoral district in Newfoundland and Labrador, which is represented by one member in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly. It was contested for the first time in the 2015 provincial election. It was created out of all of Bonavista North, and parts of The Isles of Notre Dame, Lewisporte and Terra Nova.
The 52nd Newfoundland and Labrador general election will take place on or before 24 November 2025 to elect members to the 51st General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador.
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